JKR

The conventional way to herald a “new improved” product is to tie in some advertising and a new pack.  For Blackthorn cider however, this approach has backfired. Blackthorn’s new mellower taste profile is presumably intended to widen the drinks appeal beyond the brand’s devoted followers. In other words it is now aimed at “London types”, and the refreshed packaging compounds the impression that the brand is swapping substance for style. Fans of the original drink are up in arms, changing the posters copyline “black is back” to “black is crap” and joining a Facebook campaign which makes the one for Wispa look somewhat tame in comparison. Strong initial sales figures suggest Blackthorn might convert many to the new recipe, but the risk is that we namby pamby London types, ever concerned with appearances, could be persuaded by the protests that Blackthorn is somehow inauthentic, and thus give it a miss.

Brands with loyal followings need to be handled like gelignite, and it might have been prudent to de-couple a new recipe from a new brand design. One obvious thought would be to re-launch a Blackthorn “classic” to appease the devotees and appeal to London snobs looking for the “real deal” or would doing this just compound the issue?