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| Richard Edelman |
Cracker Barrel has called in Edelman for crisis work regarding the backlash surrounding its decision to drop the “old timer” leaning on a barrel from its logo.
It started working for Cracker Barrel on Aug. 24 in the midst of the crisis.
The Southern comfort food chain triggered a wave of social media outrage on Aug. 21 about its modern and generic-looking logo.
The company’s marketing department initially claimed the revised logo was well-received but responded to rising criticism with a statement on Aug. 25.
“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel,” it said. “We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices. You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
The company noted that the image of Uncle Herschel wasn’t going to be retired because “he’s family.” The image was to remain on the menu, road signs and featured in the country store.
That statement hardly quelled the crisis.
Cracker Barrel threw in the towel on Aug. 27, announcing the return of Uncle Herschel to the logo.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the company posted on Facebook. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our “Old Timer” will remain.”
Edelman US corporate reputation chief Jonathan Jordan and US PA head Aaron Guiterman handle Cracker Barrel.
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