Taking the top off

Some marketing experts have been highly critical of San Pellgrino’s new can.

Judged in isolation, the new can seems fine. As the article linked above states, the can, “transitions from a traditional barrel can to a stylish sleek can, modernizing the product while reinforcing its premium quality and the brand’s Italian heritage.”  Fair enough. 

The potential problem is what the brand has dropped – the iconic foil that used to cover the top of the can.  You had to peel the foil, kind of like you were peeling fruit, in order to drink it.  

Supposedly, the foil had a functional purpose – to protect the beverage from light and the can from germs.  But the foil also was distinguished San Pellegrino from every competing beverage on the market. No one else had a can like that, and it had become a unique brand asset.

Some marketers and brand strategists actually like the new look:

Others don’t care.

The risk, of course, is that it may pull the brand under into a sea of sameness. Consumers often say that subtle cues like the package design don’t affect their choices, but at a subconscious level, they often do. Will San Pellegrino retain its premium patina?