When Beloved Brands Lose Their Shine: What Consumers Can Learn

We all have our favourites, brands we grew up with, products that feel like part of the family kitchen, and names we instinctively trust when dining out. 

But sometimes, even the most familiar food and drink brands stumble, and when they do, it reminds us how fragile reputation really is.

Take Aunt Jemima, for instance. Its pancake mixes and syrups were staples for many, but the brand carried with it outdated racial imagery. 

In 2021, the familiar face disappeared, and the name changed to Pearl Milling Company. 

For some shoppers, it was a welcome and overdue update. For others, it felt like losing a piece of nostalgia. 

Either way, it showed how branding choices can make or break consumer trust. Even some members of the African American community were upset by what they saw as erasing a real, historical character from their history.

Budweiser, long known as “the King of Beers,” also found itself in hot water. A simple influencer partnership turned into a national controversy, sparking boycotts and a drop in sales. For beer drinkers, it was a reminder that marketing doesn’t just sell a product, it signals what a company stands for, and that can affect whether you keep buying or look elsewhere.

And then there’s Cracker Barrel, the American restaurant chain that built its image on hearty portions of scratch cooked foods and Southern comfort. 

When it added plant-based options to its menu, many applauded the move. 

But some long-time diners felt betrayed, accusing the brand of abandoning tradition. What was meant as an inclusive step instead divided opinion.

For consumers, these stories matter because they affect choice. The brands we love aren’t just about flavour, they’re about values, trust, and the way they fit into our lives. When a brand makes a misstep, it forces us to think: do we still want to support them?

The lesson for food and drink fans is simple: the companies behind our favourite products are constantly walking a tightrope between tradition and change. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes not. But in the end, it’s our response, whether we stay loyal or switch, that decides the brand’s future.

Think Before You Slogan: Why Your Food or Drink Brand’s Message Matters

In the world of food and drink branding, a great slogan can be your most powerful marketing tool. 

It’s the phrase that lingers in customers’ minds, gets repeated at dinner tables, and sometimes becomes part of pop culture. 

But a confusing or poorly worded slogan can do just the opposite—muddy your brand message, make your audience cringe, or even turn them away.

Take Pepsi’s recent slogan: “Living it, not liking it.” At first glance, it feels like a rallying cry for passion or authenticity—perhaps Pepsi is trying to align with a bold, unapologetic lifestyle? 

But dig a little deeper, and the meaning becomes murky. “Not liking it”? For a product you’re asking people to drink and enjoy, that wording seems counterintuitive. 

Some viewers have even interpreted the advert as suggesting that Pepsi isn’t something you’re supposed to like—just something you endure. Hardly the message you’d want to send about a drink you are trying to market.

This highlights a crucial truth for any business, especially in food and drink: words matter.

Your slogan isn’t just decoration—it communicates your values, personality, and promise to the customer. 

It's often the first impression someone gets of your brand. If it doesn’t make sense, or worse, gives off the wrong impression, it can undermine everything else you’re trying to build.

What Makes a Great Slogan?

Here are a few principles to keep in mind when crafting your own slogan:

Clarity over cleverness: A pun or twist of phrase can be memorable, but only if the meaning is clear. Confusion is the enemy of engagement.

Speak to the benefit: Your slogan should hint at why your product is worth trying. Is it delicious, comforting, energising, or indulgent? Say so.

Stay on brand: If your business is fun and quirky, your slogan can reflect that. But don’t stray so far into quirkiness that your core message gets lost.

Test your ideas: Run your slogan past people who haven’t been involved in creating it. Their first impressions can reveal whether it’s landing the way you intend.

Bottom Line

Whether you're selling artisan chocolate, local craft beer, or a new plant-based snack, don’t rush your slogan. It should earn its place alongside your logo, website, and social media presence as a key brand asset. Learn from the big players—not just from what they get right, but from the missteps too.

Because at the end of the day, you don’t just want people “living it.” You want them loving it.

Want to make a 'Sharp' impression with your food, drink, hospitality or leisure brand? These are the people who can

Following some exciting new account wins, leading award-winning food and drink PR and Communications agency, Sharp, has bolstered its team with three new hires and expanded its service offering to launch a dedicated travel, hospitality, and leisure division, too.

Founded in 2010, the Kent based agency has built a stellar reputation within the food and drink world and represents clients including Fever-Tree, Guild of Fine Food, and Produced in Kent plus a range of food and drink brands like Womersley Foods, Borough Broth, and Sauce Shop, both of which are brand new partnerships for Sharp.

Having recently added prestigious Kentish hospitality brand The Rocksalt Group and 2AA Rosette country restaurant, boutique hotel, and wedding venue The Ferry House on the Isle of Sheppey to its client roster, Sharp has brought in travel industry specialist Beth Harvey as a Senior Account Director to lead the growth of its new travel, hospitality, and leisure division. The agency also represents Kent Life Heritage Park and Folkestone Harbour, too.

Bringing in excess of 15 years travel PR experience and contacts to the team, Beth's PR career began working for brands including Wightlink Ferries, Hayes & Jarvis, and Virgin Holidays. This was followed by senior roles at leading PR agencies Hills Balfour in London and KBC PR & Marketing in Sussex. 

With a background working primarily for tour operators, hotels, and international tourist boards, over the last five years, clients have included Cosmos, Travelbag, Loews Hotels, and 17 North American destinations ranging from The Florida Keys & Key West and Alberta to Virginia and Utah. Closer to home, she has also consulted for UK SME's Romney Marsh Shepherds Huts, Burleigh Court, and Wine Tours of Kent.

Adding further dynamism and experience to the Sharp team are two more hires:

Account Manager Abbie McCarthy joins Sharp from London PR and communications agency, Nexus, to work across the Guild of Fine Food, Sauce Shop, and Seggiano accounts. In her previous position, she worked on campaigns for brands including Glebe Farm, Bertinet Bakery, Bella Italia, and Meatless Farm. 

Abbie's professional journey includes roles in PR and marketing at renowned charities such as Leeds Castle and The Aspinall Foundation. She transitioned into the health and wellness sector and later honed her expertise in the realm of food and drink.

Account Executive Megan Cooper graduated from Kingston University in 2022 with a First-Class Honours degree in 'Creative and Cultural Industries: Design Marketing'. The winner of a prestigious 'D&AD New Blood Wooden Pencil', an award given to 'the best of the year in advertising, design, craft, culture and impact', Megan launched her communications career whilst still at university working as a Social Media Content Creator for Kingston University Careers and Employability Service. 

After graduating, she became a copywriter at a London-based ad agency before successfully obtaining one of only six internships at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, where she honed her skills in account management and strategy, working with brands including Tesco Food, Ribena, and Audi.

Says a delighted Sharp's Head of Clients and Content, Clare Pope: “Following our recent rebrand, our focus is now on deepening our expertise by expanding into new sectors with the launch of our dedicated travel, hospitality, and leisure division.

“Food and travel are an obvious pairing with many natural crossovers and so it only makes sense for us to upskill our team to allow us to provide our widely respected PR, social media, and brand building services to a broader range of clients across sectors which complement each other.”

For more information and to learn how Sharp can help your brand please visit https://sharprelations.com.