Introduction
Until 2019, Dunkin’ Donuts was known for, well, Munchkins and Donut holes, donuts.
One day, the word donuts ceased to represent the brand. So they ditched it.
Risky move?
The Dunkin’ Effect: When Your Brand Outgrows Its Box
For decades, Dunkin’ Donuts was synonymous with sweet, circular confections and those beloved Munchkins. But one day, they made a decision that shocked the business world – they dropped “Donuts” from their name entirely.
Dunkin’ understood something crucial about their brand identity: their customers weren’t just coming for donuts anymore. They were coming for their morning routine, their specialized coffee drinks, their lunch options. The word “Donuts” had become a box too small to contain what the brand had evolved into.
My Own Boxing Match: Wrestling with “Over 50”
After 70 years of being the donut people, Dunkin’ said ‘hold my coffee’ and made a bold move. I don’t have 70 years nor do I have much patience once I get a gut feeling .
And this feeling has been working its way through my brain for almost a year. I know I wanted to expand beyond Rebellious Wellness Over 50 and I thought I wanted it to be completely new.
Come to me, new and shiny thing.
It felt so good.
I had a logo designed.
Hired a rebranding coach for a month.
Wrestled with the reactions of people who know and love me who said things like, “It could be confused with pro-life and you don’t want that in this climate.” Someone else said, “It sounds like a church group.”
None of what I discovered felt right.🤷
The Plot Twists of Rebranding
The path to rebranding is rarely smooth. Well-meaning friends and colleagues raised valid concerns:
– “It could be confused with pro-life in this climate”
– “It sounds like a church group”
Despite my emotional attachment to the new name, something wasn’t clicking. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to abandon Rebellious Wellness entirely – just the age-specific limitation.
I’d had the domain Rebellious Wellness for a number of years but let it go when I thought I was getting out of the health business.
Price to buy it back? $3K. Not in the cards.
So speaking of cards, I got a reading. Yeah, I’m one of those people. I ascribe to consulting with reputable, smart, humans who have figured out how to connect with universal intelligence in ways I have not yet.
I wanted help either committing to MLP or sticking with something Rebellious. You’ll soon see which won out. I could not be more excited!
The Takeaway
Sometimes, the best rebranding decisions aren’t about completely reinventing yourself, but rather about removing the limitations that no longer serve your evolution. It’s about recognizing when a part of your identity has become a constraint rather than a foundation.
Since it’s heart month you might be hankering for a rebellious perspective on how to keep your heart pumping in top form. If so, check out Dr. Phillip Ovadia’s podcast. He’s a practicing heart surgeon who titled his book “Stay Off My Operating Table, and his plan is to put himself out of business with prevention rather than prescriptions.
