Executive Briefing
What will happen to Sweetgreen?
The 2010s’ favorite salad brand has a new look. Can it re-accelerate after a spoiled pandemic year?
By Dan Frommer on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 8:00 am
I have written about Sweetgreen a lot because, in many ways, the Los Angeles-based salad chain embodies The New Consumer brand ideal: A differentiated, high-quality product designed for its era; a mission to build a better supply chain — real food from local farmers and producers — at the expense of efficiency and hyper-growth; good taste, both in its aesthetic and its voice; pioneering new business models, such as its clever Outpost delivery kiosks, with just enough technology; and the ability to cultivate cachet without looking lame.
It’s hard to pull off for short periods of time, let alone over the long run.
So when Sweetgreen decides to rebrand, including a new logo, it’s worth a closer look — especially through the lens of post-pandemic commerce, where a salad chain’s Instagram posts and TikTok recipe videos need to be as distinctive and on-brand as its 125 restaurants.
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