---
title: "Social Media Impact on Restaurants"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/2f0f2d31-0eec-46e2-845b-76a601ae189b
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/did-dunkins-new-name-provide-a-boost-2708075
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
published: 2018-10-08T13:08:03.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:08:18.324Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/02ed331d59959c6648843926dcac48053571.jpg
---

# Social Media Impact on Restaurants

**TL;DR:** Dunkin' dropped 'Donuts' from its name and initial buzz is positive, according to QSR Magazine. The name change is part of a strategy to emphasize beverages, with a $100 million investment over the next year.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-10-08. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/did-dunkins-new-name-provide-a-boost-2708075).*

## Story

On September 25, the doughnut franchise formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts dropped the Donuts, becoming, simply, Dunkin’. It’s only been a couple of weeks since that branding pivot, but initial buzz is an important indicator of how customers respond to the branding.

*QSR Magazine* has taken stock of consumer reaction to the name change, looking at two YouGov polls that ask about “Buzz” and “Word of Mouth” surrounding the franchise.

The Buzz poll asked consumers, “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the past to weeks — through news, advertising, or word of mouth — was it positive or negative.” The Word of Mouth poll asked, “Which of the following brands have you talked about with friends or family members — whether online, in person, or through social media — in the past two weeks.”

Both polls show marked upticks since the name change, suggesting its already paying off. *QSR* also notes that September 25 was just the announcement of the rebrand — the actual change will go into effect on January 1.

The removal of “Donuts” from the name is part of a strategy to emphasize beverages. That’s a strategy the franchise is betting roughly $100 million on over the next year.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- QSR Magazine (publication)
- Dunkin' Brands (company)
- brand rebranding (topic)
- YouGov (company)
- social media impact (topic)
- beverage strategy (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/did-dunkins-new-name-provide-a-boost-2708075). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/2f0f2d31-0eec-46e2-845b-76a601ae189b).