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Every time I look at how much money gets spent on corporate branding I think of my teen summers in western PA back in the 1980s. We had a drive-in theater in my hometown, and there was another drive-in in a town about 25 miles away. Depending on what was showing, we'd spend a lot of time at one or the other. On the trip to the town about 25 miles away there was quite literally a small shack with a customer service window and a neon sign that said, "EAT." That was it. No banners, no marquis, just, "EAT," in all its neon glory.

Deciding to get a snack without paying drive in prices we stopped by once, and found for $1.25 (IIRC) they would put a pint or more of soft ice cream on a cone (about a foot high), and charge 10 cents extra if you wanted a bowl and spoon. We made it a regular stop, as did a lot of locals; the parking lot was always full. Eventually we found out the name of the place was, "Jordan's," but we always called it, "EAT." They did good business and over time eventually moved into a regular building up the road, and they are still in business over 40 years later.

Perhaps Cracker Barrel would have done far more better than hiring DEI consultants, and simply buying neon signs that said, "EAT."