It’s true, nothing lasts forever- especially in marketing. Yet, for some reason when there’s an announcement that an iconic mascot, logo, or slogan will be replaced or discontinued, we’re heartbroken or worse, angry at the brand for making such a change.
Do you remember when Coca Cola tried to rebrand itself as the “New Coke” with a new logo in the mid-80s as a response to the Pepsi Challenge? People angrily protested the new look and Coke reverted back to their original logo. Or, when Gap introduced a new “sleek” logo in 2010 without their trademark blue? It too was changed back to the original logo after consumer outrage. Online travel agency, Travelocity is facing a similar rebranding dilemma as the fate of their infamous brand mascot, the Roaming Gnome lies in the hands of their new, still to-be-determined ad agency.
The Break Up
Breaking up with your ad agency is never easy, and Travelocity knows that first hand. On July 1st, Travelocity announced that they are undergoing a creative review and that McKinney, the advertising agency that created their infamous Roaming Gnome mascot, would not be participating in the review process (O’Leary, 2015). Sources say that the break up stems from Expedia’s acquisition of Travelocity in January 2015, and McKinney does not like the direction that Expedia is going with Travelocity’s marketing (O’Leary, 2015). Although this is not an uncommon scenario in the ad world amid client acquisitions, it has many marketers wondering- will Travelocity and their new ad agency stop using the Roaming Gnome mascot that McKinney created eleven years ago? Let’s take a look at some reasons that Travelocity may consider ditching the Gnome.
Is it Time for Travelocity to Dump the Gnome?
The original Travelocity advertisement that featured the bizarre Santa-like Gnome started modestly with a man named “Bill” looking for this garden gnome. Today, Travelocity’s television ads have evolved into the Gnome traveling around the world and participating in a variety of activities, encouraging viewers to “Go & Smell the Roses.” Travelocity’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and print ads feature similar imagery of the Roaming Gnome as well as contests such as #iwannago where participants can enter a drawing on Twitter or Instagram to win a trip to their dream destination with the Roaming Gnome. Although Gnome supporters at Travelocity firmly believe that the mascot resonates with their target audience, some critics question if Millennials actually relate to the Gnome and if he is the right direction for Travelocity’s future marketing efforts (Schaal, 2015).
Selecting the correct integrated marketing strategy is critical for Travelocity at this time as it is nearing the decline stage of its brand lifecycle. Additionally, the company has scaled back to a $29 million dollar measured media budget from an $80 million dollar budget during its prime ten years ago (Schaal, 2015). Considering Travelocity’s current position, practitioners are waiting to see what Travelocity’s new ad agency is going to do with the Roaming Gnome and their future branding strategy (Coffee, 2015).
The Power of a Brand Mascot
Brand mascots can be very effective marketing tools if they “humanize a brand” (Eight questions,” n.d., para. 3), trigger a consumer’s emotional response, establish brand differentiation, and act as a prompt for brand recognition. The rise of social media has placed renewed interest in brand mascots as companies are now using them to drive social media narratives to engage online consumers (Rutowski, n.d.). If used properly, Travelocity could use the Roaming Gnome to tell a story and “jab, jab, jab” (Vaynerchuk, 2013) their target audience and then deliver a right hook (call to action) when they’re nearing the time of purchase.
The truth is, Travelocity is not as iconic as Coca Cola or Gap, so it’s less likely that customers will protest in order to bring back the Roaming Gnome if it’s axed. However, I’m curious to hear your marketing opinions on this matter. Considering Travelocity’s current marketing position, would you advise them to ditch the Roaming Gnome mascot?
References
Coffee, P. (2015, July 1). Travelocity launches creative review. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/travelocity-launches-creative-review/89049
Eight questions to ask before creating a brand mascot. (n.d.). Eraser Farm Advertising Agency. Retrieved from http://eraserfarm.com/brandmascot/
O’Leary, N. (2015, July 1). Travelocity wants to replace the agency that created the Roaming Gnome: Splits with McKinney, launches review. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/travelocity-wants-replace-agency-created-roaming-gnome-165690
Rutowski, K. (n.d.). The power of the brand mascot. Retrieved from http://businessrockstars.com/power-brand-mascot/
Schaal, D. (2015, July 9). “Travelocity Roaming Gnome’s future will hinge on ad agency review. Retrieved from http://skift.com/2015/07/09/travelocity-roaming-gnomes-future-will-hinge-on-ad-agency-review/
Vaynerchuk, G. (2013). Jab, jab, jab, right hook: How to tell your story in a noisy social world. New York, NY: Harper Business.
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