Dunkin’ Drops the Donuts

While some rebranding efforts feel about as natural as glow-in-the-dark donuts, others go down as smooth as that first cup of morning coffee. This bite of branding news belongs in that latter camp: Dunkin’ Donuts recently announced they will be dropping the “Donuts” from their name to become simply “Dunkin”. Given how people already talk about the brand and how the business has evolved over the years, the moves just makes sense. It feels like a natural progression.

“By simplifying and modernizing our name, while still paying homage to our heritage, we have an opportunity to create an incredible new energy for Dunkin’.”  -Tony Weisman, Chief Marketing Officer, Dunkin’ U.S.

The Dunkin’ Donuts name has been around since 1950, and it’s a great one. While the chain will keep on serving donuts, a big reason for the name change is that the business has become increasingly focused on beverages—an area they want to continue to grow moving into the future. Another key driver has to be the fact that so many people already refer to the brand simply as “Dunkin'”, making the change pretty easy for customers to swallow. We don’t anticipate much backlash on this one.

Dunkin’ will officially launch updated branding in stores, online, and with its advertising and packaging beginning in January 2019. While the name will change, the font and colors the brand has used since 1973 will stay the same.