(NEXSTAR) – Cracker Barrel, after reversing course on a recent “brand refresh” which resulted in widespread backlash, has announced that the company is parting ways with a consulting firm suggested to be responsible.
In a press release issued Thursday, Cracker Barrel announced several “organizational and structure changes,” including the hiring of a new vice president of Menu Strategy and Innovation, as well as new appointments for existing Cracker Barrel executives. And at the bottom of the release, the company briefly addressed its relationship with Prophet, a creative consultancy agency based in California.
“The Company also today confirmed that it is ending its engagement with Prophet, the global strategic and creative growth consultancy that advised Cracker Barrel on its previous brand refresh initiatives, including the logo and restaurant redesigns,” reads the latest press release from Cracker Barrel.
Prophet, whose services Cracker Barrel previously utilized to shape a “new brand vision,” was announced as a collaborator on the restaurant’s brand refresh in early March. The partnership had hoped to “inform brand communication, restaurant redesigns, brand marketing campaigns and a redefined employee value proposition,” Cracker Barrel announced at the time.
A representative for Prophet did not immediately return a request for comment.
Cracker Barrel had debuted its new logo — said to be its “fifth evolution” since the brand’s founding — in August, but quickly faced backlash for ditching a depiction of the “Old Timer” previously seen on the sign. Cracker Barrel’s stock began plummeting within days, and even the president of the United States called on the company to revert back to their old logo.
By the end of August, Cracker Barrel had reversed course, announcing publicly that the company was ditching the rebrand.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” the company announced on August 26. A subsequent message posted to the Cracker Barrel website confirmed that it would not be moving forward with planned restaurant remodels, either.
“Thank you for your passion and love for Cracker Barrel,” the message, which still appears at CrackerBarrel.com, reads. “Our 70,000 hard-working team members look forward to welcoming you for breakfast, lunch or dinner soon.”
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