Quiznos' Position: Toast(ed)

A Brand is what people think of you.  And a Brand position is what people think makes you different.  Only a handful of Brands have the strategic genius to stake out a position that is truly meaningful and memorable, along with the discipline to communicate it with relentless consistency.  Quiznos used to be one of them.

Now:  what comes to mind when you think of Quiznos?  For most people, it's “toasted.”  It's a position Quiznos has steadily conveyed through positioning statements like “Toasted tastes better.”  Their complete ownership of the toasted position even alarmed Subway — which has twenty-five thousand more stores — into installing toasting ovens.

But Quiznos has turned its back on toasted by introducing a new positioning statement:  “Love what you eat.”  What meaningful Brand position does that reflect?  That Quiznos offers great-tasting food?  It's not exactly a unique approach in a category that's about indulging your appetite. 

But wait, you might say:  Subway's ovens forced Quiznos to change position.  Nonsense.  Most Brands have offerings similar to their competitors.  Consider that Volvo is hardly the only automaker talking about safe cars — they've just had the discipline to communicate their safety position more consistently than anyone.

What does the Brand Coach coach?

Subway just celebrated their 10th year with Jared, the guy who lost 245 pounds eating hoagies and who exemplifies their “healthy” Brand position and “Eat Fresh” positioning statement.  Subway's had the brains to part ways with no less than four ad agencies since 2000, who, as ad agencies are hardwired to do, wanted to make their mark by doing something new.  Except that over the last decade, in the house that Jared built, Subway has doubled its stores to 30,000 and its sales to $8.2 billion.  We can all learn something from them.