While Everyone Was Freaking Out About Logo Changes... Tampa Airport Won the Internet

Hey Agency Owners,

Last week I told you about Cracker Barrel's logo disaster.

And boy, did you have OPINIONS.

Some of you agreed they screwed up.

Others (shoutout to the reader who called me out) pointed out their real problem isn't the logo... it's their entire aging demographic.

Fair point.

But while everyone was debating whether Cracker Barrel should rebrand or die...

My local Tampa Airport showed the ENTIRE marketing world how confidence actually looks.

Check this out:

BOOM.

Zero changes. Maximum trolling. Perfect execution.

That's not just social media genius.

That's a masterclass in brand confidence.

When You Know What You Are, You Don't Chase Trends

Tampa Airport didn't panic because other brands were rebranding.

They didn't hire consultants to "modernize their visual identity."

They just made a joke and moved on.

Because when your brand actually WORKS...

You don't fix what ain't broken.

You let everyone else chase shiny objects while you focus on what matters.

Plot Twist: What If Cracker Barrel Is Smarter Than We Think?

Here's a conspiracy theory for you...

What if the whole logo disaster was INTENTIONAL?

Think about it:

Step 1: Release terrible new logo
Step 2: Let the internet lose its mind
Step 3: "Listen to customer feedback"
Step 4: Bring back original logo as "heroes"
Step 5: Get more press coverage than any paid campaign could buy

UPDATE: Cracker Barrel just announced they're moving back to the original logo.

If this was planned... it's actually brilliant.

Free publicity. Brand loyalty boost. "We listen to our customers" messaging.

All for the cost of a few weeks of fake outrage.

Speaking of People Who Should Take Notes...

Remember that angry guy who told me to stop emailing him about Cracker Barrel?

(The charming fellow who said we "don't give a f*ck" what I think about marketing?)

Well, curiosity got the best of me.

So I checked out his website to see what marketing genius I was missing.

Holy. Sh*t.

This dude runs a "branding company" called... wait for it...

EMAGINIT

I'm not making this up.

EMAGINIT.

Like "imagine it" but spelled by someone who thinks creative spelling makes you memorable.

(Spoiler alert: It doesn't.)

But the website? Even better.

This thing looks like 1998 called and wants its design back.

"For more than 35 years, we have offered such services as corporate and brand positioning..."

Dude's been doing branding for 35 years and the best he could come up with for his own company was EMAGINIT.

Here's What This Teaches Us

Tampa Airport: Confident in their brand, secure enough to make jokes about trends.

Cracker Barrel: Smart enough to turn fake controversy into free publicity.

EMAGINIT guy: Insecure enough to attack someone else's content while running a "branding company" that looks like a GeoCities site.

The Real Lesson

Sometimes the "disaster" IS the strategy.

But only if you're confident enough to weather the storm.

And smart enough to have an exit plan.

EMAGINIT guy could never pull this off.

Because you need actual strategic thinking.

Not just 35 years of "brand ideation."

The Agency Owner Lesson

Don't be the EMAGINIT guy.

Stop chasing every new trend because some guru told you it's "the future."

Stop rebranding every time you see a competitor's shiny new logo.

Stop second-guessing everything because someone on LinkedIn has an opinion.

Be the Tampa Airport. Or the strategic Cracker Barrel.

Know what you're good at.

Own it.

And when everyone else is losing their minds over the latest trend...

Either make a joke and get back to work...

Or turn the chaos into your advantage.

Because Here's the Truth

The agencies making real money aren't the ones with the prettiest logos.

They're the ones with the clearest positioning.

They know exactly what they do.

And for whom.

And they're not afraid to say no to everything else.

Even when angry "experts" with 1998 websites tell them they're doing it wrong.

Stay confident,
Laura

P.S. If you're wondering... yes, angry EMAGINIT guy is now unsubscribed. Problem solved. Sometimes the trash takes itself out.

P.P.S. What's the worst "expert" advice you've gotten about your agency? Hit reply and tell me. These stories write themselves.

P.P.P.S. On a personal note... had to say goodbye to Patti, one of my Bengal cats, this week. She was 15 years old and spent most of that time terrorizing me with hot coffee attacks and strategic bleeding incidents. The house is quieter now, which is both a relief and heartbreaking. If you've got furry a$$holes in your life, give them an extra scratch behind the ears tonight. Even the ones who knock over your work.