Someone at IHOP Dropped the Ball

Image is a major factor in business success.  We call it establishing a brand.

My first visit to International House of Pancakes, simply known as IHOP, happened when I was 13-years-old.  We were school kids making a trip to Washington, D.C. from a small town.  Chain restaurants were a new experience.  We were thrilled to eat there.

About 15 years ago I was taking my daughter to an appointment at the doctor’s office.  On the drive home we stopped at IHOP.  When I opened the door she looked inside and asked if we could eat elsewhere.

“It’s filled with old people,” she explained.  She was 10-years-old at the time.

IHOP needs an image makeover.  This morning I saw a story that suggests someone in the marketing department was home the day branding was discussed.  “Huh?” is the word many people are asking.  A shame, because the pumpkin pancakes I had one morning last fall were mouth-watering and so is the memory.  We could be dealing with this decade's version of New Coke!