The Middle Circle

I am a bit of an anomaly. I can give or take Pepsi or Coke. I'll drink either one or be perfectly content to have a root beer or raspberry ice tea. So I don't have affinity for either brand but sometimes I feel like drinking a soda and end up purchasing one or the other. Recently I was strolling down the aisle of my local grocer when I saw the much discussed new Pepsi logos. Neat, I thought and put a couple of two-liter bottles in my basket. I don't love Pepsi or hate Coke. It just struck me as new and interesting so I made the dive. And I'll bet I'm not alone.

The new logos have generated much discussion. Some love the new "smile" while others resent this very modern overhaul of a classic American brand. I won't get into my personal opinion because I'm not sure it's fully formed yet. I say that because even if I don't find them visually appealing, they may end up doing their job: moving the needle. By adding a little bit of sizzle, the new logo system may cause enough people like me to stop and say "Look! Something shiny and new."

I'm sure someone is reading this and thinking "if this guy doesn't care about soda then why should his opinion matter?" My opinion matters because in the soda wars I am a key demographic. It's the same reason pundits say that undecideds win elections. Products or personalities battling for share of mind in the public sphere each have a dedicated faction of brand loyalists. But there is almost always a third center circle in the ven diagram - and often it represents a larger group. The undecideds. The unloyal. In politics, these are the people who aren't as well read on the issues and vote a certain way because they didn't like someone's odd glance in a fleeting moment of a debate. In product marketing, these are the people who stop and buy the new thing because it's different and exciting. 

I think it's important to point out (especially as a huge advocate on the power of branding) that I am not advocating focusing on little flashes in the pan to piece together a winning strategy. The logos (might) work for Pepsi because they have the core bucket of brand loyalists who they take care of. This is a strategy designed to grow and challenge market share but you cannot gravitate to the middle circle without first establishing a strong brand.