Cracker Barrel was my grandmother’s all-time favorite place to go out to eat. She relished every opportunity, not only for the simple menu and delicious food, but for the opportunity to snoop through the country store adjacent to every dining room.
However, Cracker Barrel last week opted to travel a different route by running as far and as fast as it can from its core customer base. I do not know why companies who serve older adults as their primary customers often feel a need to embrace a new audience.
Yes, I know customers die or move away every day, and new customers have to be cultivated. But, as people get older, they seem to navigate toward the same things their peers like to do. That’s why you don’t see many seasoned citizens embracing bar life.
Last week, Cracker Barrel opted to change its logo as well as redesign its stores to cultivate a more “modern” appearance.
Who knew the TikTok generation even considered eating at Cracker Barrel? Yet, that’s who the firm was targeting with a promotional event in New York City last week for TikTok influencers.
The company’s logo was well recognizable with “Uncle Herschel” sitting in a rocking chair next to a wooden barrel. The imagery was inviting. It conjured up feels of old-fashioned country food served in a relaxed atmosphere.
The man depicted in the logo is the real-life uncle of Cracker Barrel co-founder Dan Evins. Herschel was the brother of Dan’s mother.
With the redesigned logo, the company got rid of the cracker (the old white guy) and the barrel.
Not only did Uncle Herschel serve as the company’s official goodwill ambassador to their target audience, he was described on the firm’s website as “the soul of Cracker Barrel.”
Removing him from the logo sends a very strong message to seasoned citizens who, themselves, are very familiar with being pushed to the sidelines and considered irrelevant in modern business. I guess you could say Cracker Barrel is soulless today.
I have heard from human resources professionals who are told explicitly not to interview anyone who graduated from college prior to 2000. This despite baby boomers having a work ethic that is enviable of managers everywhere.
I have interviewed a number of people who once thrived in positions of responsibility at their jobs until important duties were stripped away and they were delegated busy work instead. I suspect the company hoped the seasoned citizens would simply quit rather than endure the humiliation.
I think it is safe to say seasoned citizens are the soul of every company. Their combined experience and wisdom makes them valuable assets to any company wanting to take advantage of that combination.
Cracker Barrel’s announcement ignited a fierce backlash from seasoned citizens and other regular diners as well. They are upset with the idea of the company abandoning its bread-and-butter customers who have time, money and desire to enjoy leisurely meals at the restaurants.
Then, on Friday, corporate cultural crusader, Robbie Starbuck – who is well known for toppling high-level leaders at dozens of American corporations – did an exposé on how far Cracker Barrel has drifted away from the ideals which once made the company great.
Now all eyes are on the company’s falling stock prices to see if Cracker Barrel can recover from pushing seasoned citizens under the bus to court much younger customers.
It will be interesting to watch how seasoned citizens, who often have far more disposable income in today’s economy than the 20- and 30-somethings Cracker Barrel is lusting over today, react to the abandonment.
The baby boomer generation has made and broken industries throughout their lives. Modern marketers forget about the influence boomers had on business, or they were never taught.
Of course, not every company needs to cater to seasoned citizens. But, those firms which were founded on the idea of serving older adults should pay attention to Cracker Barrel’s predicament.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, boomers still account for 67.9 million people. They should not be relegated to the cultural sidelines just yet.
