The brand formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts went through a significant rebranding last year, which included a new name: Dunkin. The campaign announcing the change proclaimed that the company was now on a first-name basis with customers. The main idea behind the rebranding was to focus on the beverage market, which answers for 60% of the company’s business, going head to head against Starbucks.
The U.S. market has around 150 million daily coffee drinkers, and Starbucks concentrates 36% of market share in the U.S. coffee industry, versus 24% of Dunkin’. After the name change, Dunkin also added more options for espresso-based drinks to its menu. The rivalry between the companies was already intense before the rebranding. To understand how Dunkin’ and Starbucks consumers interacted with the brands in the frozen drinks market, the research company Technomic conducted a brand tracking study with 700 recent guests per brand.

Brand tracking studies are a very efficient way to measure brand perception and points for improvement. For instance, the study indicated that Dunkin’ consumer’s main orders are regular or iced coffee, presenting an opportunity to increase traction on other beverage and menu items. At the same time, customers crave Starbucks coffee drinks but Dunkin’ donuts. This kind of insight shows why brand tracking is an essential tool to identify unique features and reasons to believe in your brand.