Dunkin' Donuts and its branding dilemma
Geoffrey PrecourtWarc
At some point, a brand name becomes so common that it is almost generic. General Electric, for instance, does a whole lot more than make light bulbs, but the public perception of the brand has expanded as its portfolio has grown far beyond its initial offerings. No one thinks of the Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Company, with AT&T having market penetration far beyond the landline devices of old.
But imagine the on-going naming torment experienced by Dunkin' Donuts, the QSR chain that started with a single shop in Quincy, Massachusetts in...