Price Chopper is a supermarket chain that operates in the United States. The brand mascot for Price Chopper is a friendly and approachable character known as "Choppy." Choppy is a cartoon character with a round, smiling face and a green hat. He is often depicted wearing a Price Chopper apron and holding a shopping bag filled with groceries. Choppy serves as a symbol of the Price Chopper brand and is used in various advertising and marketing materials. He is designed to appeal to both children and adults, with his cheerful demeanor and colorful appearance.
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He is designed to appeal to both children and adults, with his cheerful demeanor and colorful appearance. The main idea behind the Price Chopper brand mascot is to create a positive and memorable image for the supermarket chain. Choppy represents the values of Price Chopper, including quality, affordability, and a commitment to customer service.
Price Chopper’s Name Game
Although it doesn’t happen often, one of the most momentous decisions a company’s board and top executives can make is to change the customer-facing name of the company.
Sometimes, such a change can go well, for example when Macy’s changed the disparate department-store banners it had acquired over time to the Macy’s name itself. Now only Bloomingdale’s remains as a separate banner. There was some initial consumer pushback, especially concerning changing the name of Marshall Field’s in Chicago, but that settled down and now Macy’s enjoys the benefit of being able to stage company-wide, national promotions and advertising campaigns.
In the supermarket space, several companies have changed store banners for various reasons; some went well, some didn’t. Years ago, Food Town changed to Food Lion, which went well. The name change of Lucky supermarkets to Albertson’s went less well.
After 40 years, there’s a name change in the offing for Price Chopper supermarkets in upstate New York and New England that seems to be premised on some especially dubious reasoning.
Price Chopper is a regional chain of about 130 supermarkets operated by Golub Corp., a family owned company based in Schenectady, New York. The company was founded in 1932, and the markets operated as Public Service Market then Central Market before the Price Chopper moniker.
Golub intends to abandon the Price Chopper banner in favor of calling its supermarkets “Market 32.” This is a very strange change. Sure, it echoes previous Market names used by Golub and to the year of its founding, but what supermarket shopper under 80 years old recalls that or really cares about it?
Moreover, unlike the name change Macy’s undertook, the Market 32 name has no equity and is virtually unknown to consumers. Price Chopper, if a bit dated, at least has the advantage of suggesting low prices. Market 32 suggests…nothing.
In another transitional move that may backfire, stores will be bannered “Market 32 by Price Chopper” for a time before the Price Chopper name vanishes. This may confuse everyone and even suggest to shoppers that there was something wrong with the Price Chopper name.
Jerry Golub, Golub’s CEO, has said the name change is intended to reflect a shift from selling basic product toward increasing the offer of prepared-meal solutions. How Market 32 suggests this is anyone’s guess. Tactically, the idea sounds like a way to chase Wegman’s success in foodservice offerings. But changing the name to transform its marketing mix is a bit extreme.
Maybe reverting to the Central Market banner would have been a better idea. But in a strange twist, Golub no longer owns that name. For many years it has belonged to H-E-B, the supermarket operator in Texas.
The Price Chopper name change won’t be cheap. Gloub intends to spend some $300 million over a period of years to effectuate the change. In addition to changing store signs and upgrading some locations, there are costs involved in changing uniforms, technology, loyalty cards and especially product, by bulking up fresh prepared and revamping store brands.
If the name change proves to be a bad idea, it won’t be the first time a customer-facing aspect of this company went awry. For many years, Price Chopper’s logo featured a Morgan silver dollar with a slice of it chopped out by an axe. The coin’s main period of minting ended in 1904, so apart from numismatics, virtually no living shopper could grasp its literal meaning. Insult to injury, the face of a woman was on the chopped side of the coin. Price Chopper was obliged to change the logo a while back for obvious reasons.
There’s a parallel here to Walgreen’s recent abandonment of its mortar-and-pestle logo when research showed that younger shoppers had no idea what it depicted, let alone how it might relate to a pharmacy.
The recent experiences of Macy’s, Walgreen’s and now Price Chopper show how serious changing the name or logo of a company can be. Rebranding is risky business. Just as each of us has a name at the core of our individual sense of identity, so brands have names as the basis of their visual and verbal identities. Names project the personality of the brand; they inform the quality and integrity of what they represent. And to be successful, they need to be relevant, pronounceable, memorable, and free of negative connotations. With so much riding on a brand’s success in the marketplace, the decision whether to change the company name is not insignificant. An effective name change should use the power of words to give the company and brands competitive advantage; ideally, target audiences should associate the new name with the strategic positioning objectives of the product or service, and at the same time lend the brand the desired amount of differentiation in its competitive space. The jury is out on the decision to brand Price Chopper, Market 32.
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About David Merrefield
David Merrefield is a long-time observer and writer about retailing dynamics with a particular focus on food distribution, merchandising, marketing and retailing. His opinion writing is informed by many years’ experience as Vice President and Editor of an on-topic, nationally circulated trade publication.
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His presence helps to differentiate Price Chopper from other grocery stores and establish a connection with customers. The use of a brand mascot like Choppy is a common marketing strategy for companies in various industries, as it helps to create brand recognition and loyalty. By associating the Price Chopper name with a friendly and identifiable character, the supermarket chain can build a strong and positive brand image. In conclusion, Choppy is the brand mascot for Price Chopper, a supermarket chain in the United States. He represents the values of the brand and helps to create a positive and memorable image for the company. The use of a brand mascot is a common marketing strategy and can help to differentiate a company from its competitors..
Reviews for "The Power of Mascot Marketing: How Chopper Drives Brand Awareness for Price Chopper"
1. Sally - 1 star - The Price Chopper brand mascot is absolutely terrible. It looks like a poorly drawn cartoon character that just doesn't fit in with the professional image of the supermarket. Whenever I see that mascot, it just makes me cringe and question the credibility of the brand. There are so many better ways to represent a brand mascot, and Price Chopper really missed the mark with this one.
2. John - 2 stars - I'm not a fan of the Price Chopper brand mascot. It's not that it's offensive or anything, but it's just completely forgettable. I couldn't tell you what it looks like even if my life depended on it. A good brand mascot should be memorable and instantly recognizable, but Price Chopper's mascot falls flat in that department. It's hard to connect with a brand when their mascot lacks any sort of personality or charm.
3. Emily - 1 star - I find the Price Chopper brand mascot to be creepy and unsettling. The way it stares at you with those big, exaggerated eyes is just unnerving. It feels like it's watching your every move as you navigate the supermarket aisles, and it's enough to give you nightmares. I would much rather shop at a supermarket that doesn't have a mascot at all, rather than be subjected to the creepiness of Price Chopper's mascot.
4. David - 2 stars - The Price Chopper brand mascot is just plain boring. It's a generic cartoon character that doesn't bring anything unique or interesting to the table. I can't imagine anyone actually being excited or entertained by it. Brand mascots should be fun and engaging, but Price Chopper's mascot just falls flat. It's a missed opportunity to create something memorable and appealing for their customers.