Caribou Gets a Makeover

The latest phase in a year's worth of rebuilding and rebranding at Caribou Coffee hits the town today. The new look ranges from the subtle brown cup covers to the new-looking Caribou Coffee logo built out of a coffee bean. The company's theme remains unchanged - "Life is short. Stay awake for it."

This change, along with others, are part of a yearlong revitalization of a brand that was languishing a year ago when the company reported a $16.8 million loss. The hope is that all these changes will help the company reconnect with its customers. Caribou is a distant second to Starbucks in the coffeehouse industry, currently having 515 stores, including 112 franchised and licensed. The company also has a commercial wing that sells branded products to grocery stores, airlines, hotels and other merchandisers. Caribou is the official coffee partner of the Minnesota Twins in their new Target Field Ballpark.

The new Caribou includes:

• A deeper blue backdrop for the caribou
• Brown coffee cup lids - These proved to be more popular; they don't show lipstick marks!
• Messages to coffee cups and napkins called "Bou-isms" in reference to the "Bou" nickname. Messages will say "Spend time with your kids, tomorrow they're a day older" and "Dare to adventure" and "Don't wait for New Year's to make a resolution."
• New store decor
• And coming soon, billboards and other outdoor venues that designers hope will resonate with consumers. These should start popping up in April.

Caribou Coffee has new leadership, CEO Mike Tattersfield, the third leader in three years. Under his direction the company has shut some stores, is now focused on its core markets, added new products and is concentrating on upping customer service. Last month Caribou added "handcrafted" oatmeal to its menu following the addition of new chocolate beverages late last year. The company now is testing in-store baked items in 25 of its Minneapolis locations, and five flavors of Tea Latte Fusion are being introduced this week. I think this rebrand is a great idea for Caribou Coffee. Since Caribou Coffee started 18 years ago, their competition has increased greatly, as many more coffee shops have started up. The company has had a rough patch financially and really does need to remind their customers why they're great.