Brands from childhood: anchors in uncertain times
Whether it's Swiss Coke Vivi Kola, red Wisa-Gloria tricycles or Birkenstock sandals: brands that had long disappeared are back in fashion. They feed off the need for stability and orientation. But nostalgia alone is not enough to successfully revive a brand.
It was the Swiss "racing beer" in cycling: the first domestic cola drink Vivi Kola. The brand was cult in Switzerland - but the competition from Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola was too strong. After almost 50 years, the drink disappeared from the market in 1986.
But Vivi Kola remained in the memory of many. Years later, the brand is coming back to life. Christian Forrer, who grew up in the Vivi Kola "home" of Eglisau ZH, opened the "Vivi Kola Shop," now the "Vivi Café," there on June 12, 2010. There, he offers coffee in addition to the caffeinated mineral water.
"Vivi Kola was always a big topic in Eglisau during my childhood," Forrer tells SDA. The graphic designer particularly liked the bottle labels with the world maps. When it came to the relaunch, Forrer was initially unsure whether beverage distributors would be interested in another cola. "But I figured the brand deserved to be seen again." So he opened his own store.
Stamps from "the good old days
How good Vivi Kola Christian Herren from the Swiss Brand Museum in Bern, which exhibited Swiss brands and well-known Swiss articles from April 2015 to the end of 2016. "On the one hand, older people enjoyed the brand, which they still remember from childhood," says Herren. On the other hand, he says, Vivi Kola appeals to young people's desire for discovery. The soft drink scored points as a local beverage with tradition.
Vivi Kola is not the only brand that has managed a comeback. The bright red Wisa-Gloria tricycles have also been able to hold their own for years despite adversity and are currently trendy again. In 2010, the sportswear brand Nabholz reinvented itself. Founded in 1821, the label was the epitome of tracksuits in Switzerland for decades. German retro brands such as Leica cameras and Birkenstock sandals are also celebrating a revival.
Stamps from "the good old days
The return to brands with a long history also has to do with today's abundance of brands and products. "For every trend, there is always a counter-trend," says Raymond Dettwiler, lecturer in marketing at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. He adds that the financial crisis has also ushered in a time of uncertainty, when people are looking for guidance. "Brands that have been around for a while serve as anchors."
Products from "the good old days" are reminiscent of family, security and the lightheartedness of childhood, says Lucia Malär, a brand expert at the University of Bern. She, too, observes that more and more brands are re-emerging. These are not just consumer goods, but also characters like Nintendo's Super Mario, for example.
Not a no-brainer
Reviving an old brand also makes good business sense: "It costs much less to rebuild an old brand than to promote a new one," says Malär. After all, you can fall back on an existing positive image.
But retro brands are by no means self-perpetuating. "Nostalgia alone is not enough," says marketing lecturer Dettwiler. You also have to reposition a brand and adapt it to today's needs. For example, Vivi Kola is now also available as a sugar-free variant. In addition, Dettwiler says, a brand has to be streamlined in order to highlight what has been tried and tested and to be able to tell a story.
Many factors are needed for the success of a retro brand, says Herren of the Swiss Brand Museum. Some nostalgic products are already forgotten today because they offer no added value and lack the incentive to buy. A brand must also continue to develop. Herren cites the example of the Swiss shoe brand Kandahar, which became famous for its ski and curling boots. Today, in addition to winter shoes, Kandahar primarily offers high-quality fashion shoes.
Ongoing growth
The revival of the brand has also worked for Vivi Kola. The Vivi Kola store was overrun right from the start: "We sold 2,000 to 3,000 bottles a week," recalls Forrer. Soon, beverage distributors were also interested in Vivi Kola. Since then, sales have grown steadily. "For about two to three years, we've been stepping on the gas even more," says Forrer. The team invests more time, and since then Vivi Kola has even grown a little faster.xx The former cult drink has thus re-established itself. It is now also sold beyond the borders of Eglisau, the canton of Zurich and Switzerland. (Tina Tuor, SDA)
(Image: VIVI KOLA)
