Everything Is Marketing - Especially During the World Series!

No matter what team you rooted for in this year's World Series which resulted in the Boston Red Sox defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers (by winning four games except for the 18-inning record-setting contest), you have to give credit to a quick-serve restaurant, Boston Market.

But before we share the applause for Boston Market, let's take a step back to June of this year when IHOP, famous for pancakes, changed its name to IHOB in a surprise move. Many on social media complimented IHOP for the surprise, which directed attention away from pancakes and breakfasts to burgers and lunch and dinner meals. Admit it, who thinks of IHOP for lunch and dinner? Yes, that WAS a clever marketing move.

Another food brand that changed its name this year is Dunkin' Donuts, which, in September, dropped the word donuts in an effort to be known as Dunkin'. The impetus behind this move was also to direct attention away from a specific food, in this case, doughnuts, so that the brand could evolve and represent a variety of beverages and other items.

Now, we return to Boston Market. As I was driving around Los Angeles this past weekend during the World Series, I drove by a Boston Market. I had to look twice, because there was a banner covering the word BOSTON, so that the sign read: LOS ANGELES MARKET. Talk about changing a brand's name to support the local team!

According to the Los Angeles Times: “The restaurant that proudly bears its name in red, white and black letters is going BLUE for the World Series — at least in Los Angeles. Ten Boston Market restaurants have hung banners with the words “Los Angeles” covering “Boston” in the restaurant’s name, an idea spurred by local managers as excitement over the World Series (grew)," explained Tim Hartmann, the restaurant’s vice president of marketing.

This was an incredibly clever brand name change, even if only temporary, and only in Los Angeles. It makes me wonder if the next brand that changes its name will be able to rival the creativity of Boston, aka Los Angeles, Market. If Boston had been in your brand's name, would you have changed it during the World Series? What's your call?


Image Credit: Debbie Laskey.

Check out my posts about the other name changes earlier this year:

At IHOB, It’s Now All About the Burgers! 
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2018/06/at-ihob-its-now-all-about-burgers.html

Less Means More with This Brand's New Name
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2018/09/less-means-more-with-this-brands-new.html