Pret evolves brand in strategic shift away from ‘following skyscrapers’

Pret A Manger has unveiled a new brand purpose, tagline and refreshed identity, as the sandwich chain shifts its strategy away from targeting London city workers towards reaching consumers closer to home.

The brand’s new purpose, ‘To make every day a little bit brighter’, is underpinned by a new tagline: ‘Pret. Makes every day’. The company says the tagline has a “dual meaning”, designed to both reinforce the fresh and handmade nature of its products, and nod to the role Pret plays in its customer’s daily routines.

Meanwhile, Pret’s new branding – co-created with creative agency JKR – is designed to be more “accessible, uplifting and welcoming”, as well as “fresh, contemporary and distinctive”, while also reflecting the values of the business.

The brand identity will roll out across Pret’s global markets in the coming months, spanning the company’s digital assets, packaging, products, uniforms and stores.

Global brand and comms director Jane Walker explains the new identity has been designed for the “digital age”, while being “deeply rooted in Pret’s legacy as a generous brand”.

“Our business has gone through huge changes over the past two years and we recognised the need to bake our new identity into every asset, interaction and touchpoint,” she adds.

“As we expand into new markets and channels, many people’s first interaction with Pret will be outside of our shops, so we wanted to ensure these customers get that same feeling as those visiting in-store.”

The last two years have been particularly difficult for Pret, as the chain has struggled not only with nationwide lockdowns and store closures, but with the long-term impact of the shift towards flexible and home working.

Prior to the pandemic, the business focused on targeting London workers, opening stores in and around the city’s office hotspots. There are approximately 465 Pret stores in the UK at present, 311 of which are in London.Pret ramps up digital focus with shift away from ‘shops first’ mentality

However, the business says it is evolving its brand as it “steps up” its global growth plans, including expanding into new markets, growing its shop estate and investing in new digital capabilities.

At the core of the strategy is the intention to move away from “following the skyscraper”, to instead bring Pret to more people across the UK and internationally. In recent months the retailer has opened shops in Essex, Twickenham and Harrogate, and is taking on local and international franchise partners in Ireland, Canada and the Middle East.

The last two years have also seen Pret transform its digital and omni-channel offer, launching The Pret Coffee Subscription and the Pret app, expanding its delivery services and piloting the Pret Perks loyalty scheme.

The sandwich chain also launched product ranges in supermarkets last year after outlining its intention to shift away from being a “shops first brand”, with customers able to buy coffee beans, croissants, granola and sauces at Tesco, Amazon, Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.