Biggby hits the marquee

Category: Uncategorized

By Anna Wolfe – 11.2007

LANSING, Mich.–When 12-year-old coffee franchisor Beaner’s made the decision to rebrand, CEO Bob Fish knew he wanted his renamed coffee shop to begin with the letter B, said Matt Jackson, spokesperson.

“We started with a 100 names, and we vetted them through the system,” said Jackson, who works for Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Inc., the Grand Rapids, Mich., marketing and public relations firm charged with the rebranding task. (See related story on page 1.)

To test the names, no formal focus groups were used. Since Beaner’s is a 100 percent franchise coffee retailer, the names were tested out on key owners and operators. The entire process took about eight months, he said.

The look and feel of the previous brand–a large B with an orange box, stays intact. “It’s the same font, the same vertical layout,” said Jackson.

In the end, the name that stuck was a nickname for Beaner’s that was already in use by the coffee franchisor.

“Big B” has been used internally for years on internal communications, and even the coffee shops old logo was dominated by a supersized B. The company’s franchise awards are called the Big B award.

“Big B was a pet name for Beaner’s and embraces the strength of the Beaner’s brand,” said Jackson.

The transition to Biggby from the Beaner’s brand began from the “inside out–starting with paper goods and employee uniforms. The last step will be the signs,” said Jackson. “Beaner’s now just says Biggby. Nothing else changes other than the name.”