The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2018–2019
Dunkin' Donuts dropped 'Donuts' to become a beverage-led brand
In 2018 Dunkin' Donuts announced it would shorten its name to Dunkin', shifting identity from doughnuts to coffee and beverages.
Dunkin' Brands · 2018-09-25
What happened
In September 2018, Dunkin' Donuts announced that it would shorten its 68-year-old name to 'Dunkin''. The change, effective January 2019, replaced the full name on packaging, signage, advertising and social media in the United States and eventually worldwide.
The company said the move was meant to signal that it was a 'beverage-led' brand and coffee leader, not just a doughnut chain. Doughnuts stayed on the menu, but the shortened name put coffee, breakfast sandwiches and mobile ordering at the center of the identity. Dunkin' had tested the one-word name in Pasadena, California and Quincy, Massachusetts before rolling it out across more than 12,500 restaurants.
Dunkin' kept its pink-and-orange color scheme and rounded font, so the rebrand read as an evolution rather than a break. The decision reflected a long-running shift: by 2013 the company had already begun describing itself as a beverage company, and coffee accounted for a growing share of sales.
Why it happened
- Coffee and beverages had become the bigger business, so the name 'Donuts' no longer described what most customers were buying.
- Competition in coffee and breakfast was intensifying from Starbucks, McDonald's and convenience stores, and Dunkin' wanted its identity to match its growth category.
- The company was trying to stay relevant to younger consumers who associated the brand more with iced coffee and mobile ordering than with doughnuts.
- Dunkin' tested the new name in select stores first, which let it measure customer reaction before a global rollout.
The lesson
When the product mix outgrows the brand name, the name becomes a ceiling. Dunkin' shortened its identity to match what customers already expected.
Aftermath
The Dunkin' name rolled out globally, and the company continued to push beverages, loyalty and mobile ordering. In 2020 Inspire Brands acquired Dunkin' Brands for roughly $11.3 billion.
Sources
- CBS News — Dunkin' Donuts dropping 'Donuts' from its name
- NPR via KPBS — Dunkin' Deletes Donuts From Its Name
- Boston.com/AP — Just Dunkin': Dunkin' Donuts to change its name
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