Jennifer Gidman Writing Samples Portfolio

Search
always branding. always on.

Latest News In Depth Papers Books Brandcameo Directory Careers Branding Glossary


You should register
for our newsletter

You should also:
follow us on Twitter,

add us on Facebook,
join us on LinkedIn,
subscribe to our RSS

and send us your story ideas at:
tips@brandchannel.com

elsewhere on brandchannel
It’s a revampgonewrong tale that has already secured
< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >
its place in the annals of packaging: PepsiCo retains
Arnell Group to redesign its Tropicana Pure Premium
orange juice cartons as part of its new ad campaign.

Said cartons make their aisle debut in January, minus

the familiar strawpunctured orange and sporting a

   modernized depiction of—well, freshsqueezed juice.
Consumers revolt and demand the old packaging
back. Two months and a reported US$ 35 million later,
PepsiCo reverts back to the original Tropicana
packaging, straw between its legs (and back on the
carton).

There’s nothing unusual about a perennial product Will Windows 7 revive Microsoft's
Packaging Service Brands
All Customers Are Irrational
Jason Fry
Tecnisa Construction Company
Branding Airports
Where The Wild Things Are
Surprising Secret of Successful
Odwalla
revisiting its packaging, labels or logos in an attempt to bring outdated aesthetics up to par with an brand?
Brands and employees must work
A marketing book about the human
An interview on how to grow a
Why this successful Brazilian
Why branding will take off with
A boy disappears into his
Differentiation
Does this fruit drink and smoothie
enduring brand message. Camel cigarettes underwent its first package redesign in 90 years in 2008. Join our debate on what brands
together to succeed in such a
subconscious and how it makes us
powerful brand in the routine
company is building both bonds and
passengers, airports and the
imagination full of monsters, ideals,
Why effective differentiation means
brand have the right mix of
should and shouldn
cluttered marketplace.
behave.
sunflower seed category.
its brand.
brands that travel with them.
and Converse brandcameos.
thinking beyond the core benefits of
ingredients online? ’t do when
Bacardi, which has been distilling spirits since the 1860s, has updated its bottles to “reflect the reacting to shifts in public opinion.
your product category.
sophisticated consumer environment.” And then there’s Pepsi, which introduced a new logo last fall
(Arnell Group was also responsible for this design doover, to mixed reviews). most viewed posts

Charmin To Staff NYC Restrooms
But if the brand is still enjoying hefty market share, why putter around with its packaging? Tropicana With Bloggers For The Holidays
has historically dominated numbertwo Minute Maid (owned by PepsiCo rival CocaCola) in the OJ
category. “Sometimes [package redesign] has nothing to do with the business at all—it [comes] down Phillies' Rise Mirrors Philly's Rise
to the new personnel working on the brand, hellbent on making a mark on their career,” says Dyfed
MS Mall 1.0: Microsoft Finally Does
“Fred” Richards, executive creative director, North America, for global branding consultancy Interbrand,
Retail
which also produces brandchannel. “It’s sometimes difficult for brand managers to demonstrate growth
of a brand they’re being tasked to manage and grow. But a new package design associated with those Martha Stewart Brands A Turkey
changes demonstrates these changes.”
Cause Marketing Grows, But Is A
Backlash Ahead?
The agencies commissioned for a redesign may also share some of the blame for failed packaging
overhauls—think about if Mad Men creative director Don Draper’s powers of persuasion were magnified
by corporate fears of losing market share in a depressed economy. “Design companies should be recent posts
asking far smarter questions at the outset of the changes to really understand the reasons for the Around The Web: Confirm Friend
change,” Richards says. “Sadly, many [of these] companies enjoy the design process so much that Request
design for design’s sake takes over, and all reason jumps out of the window for the benefit of a trend or
effect they’ve wanted to try.” Retail

Could this be what happened with the Arnell Group redesign strategy for the Pepsi logo that leaked Martha Stewart Brands A Turkey
onto the Internet last year? In the 27page report, simply titled “Breathtaking,” the authors cite such Phillies' Rise Mirrors Philly's Rise
lofty influences as the golden rectangle (that aesthetically pleasing formula found in architectural and
artistic masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and the Parthenon); magnetic geodynamics; and Hindu Coke Sends Bloggers On An "Open
Happiness" World Tour
numerical harmonics as all leading up to the design revolution that is the new Pepsi logo.

This is excessive profundity for a visual representation that, at the risk of oversimplifying the process,
just took the old logo, rotated it and distorted the white middle wave. And while there ’s plenty in the Will Starbuck's Via instant coffee
undermine the brand?
report about brand geometry, perimeter oscillations and color theory, what’s notable is a lack of
discussion of either the product itself or the consumer. j
k
l
m
n
No
Arnell Group still hasn’t verified the report as being authentic. However, Peter Arnell’s somewhat

Happiness" World Tour
numerical harmonics as all leading up to the design revolution that is the new Pepsi logo.

This is excessive profundity for a visual representation that, at the risk of oversimplifying the process,
just took the old logo, rotated it and distorted the white middle wave. And while there ’s plenty in the Will Starbuck's Via instant coffee
undermine the brand?
report about brand geometry, perimeter oscillations and color theory, what’s notable is a lack of
discussion of either the product itself or the consumer. j
k
l
m
n
No
Arnell Group still hasn’t verified the report as being authentic. However, Peter Arnell’s somewhat
j
k
l
m
n
rambling defense of the Tropicana debacle is comprised of similar streamofconsciousness Yes
associations between squeezing oranges, hugging children, and ensuring consistency between the
purity of the juice and the carton. Combine this with the grammatically awkward tagline, “Squeeze… VOTE
It’s a Natural,” and you’re left to wonder: is this branding genius or simply marketing mumbojumbo?
Show Results

Extreme Package Makeover Polls Archive
With properly ascertained research and consumer feedback, however, a brand can, and should, make
an informed decision to redesign its packaging or logo. “Any brand should be looking at itself in the
mirror 24/7 and measuring itself against all its competitors,” Richards says. “If a brand is in a
leadership position, then it should be protecting and leveraging those key equities at all times in an
effort to reinforce the reasons why it’s the market leader.”

All parties involved need to carefully tread the redesign waters. “Understand the brand’s history,”
Richards explains. “Talk to and listen to loyal consumers. This isn’t about sticking a pretty label on a
box and hoping you win a design award. All the assets of the brand need careful evaluation to find out
equity stretch points and equities that are sacrosanct to the consumer. More often than not, you’re not
designing for your client, and certainly not for yourself—you’re designing for the consumer.”

Even after studying the ins and outs of a brand, there’s still that slippery slope to navigate in
contemporizing an iconic brand’s packaging, label or logo while still retaining its most identifiable
elements and the equity it’s built up over the years. “There’s a fine line between being relevant and
being trendy,” Richards explains. “Updating requires a craft that can only be learned over many years
of experience. I always tell my designers that working on the less glamorous brands is character
building [work], not on the boutique brands that essentially come and go and fall prey to the latest
tricks and trends.”

While designers should be aware of the new designs around them, they should be careful of what they
leverage in their daytoday dealings with brands they are charged to develop, Richards says. “I ask all
of my designers to keep personal scrapbooks that are evaluated on a regular basis in oneonone
sessions,” he says. “I want to see what’s motivating them, what inspires them. It could be a ticket
stub from a concert or a great piece of type from an ad—it doesn’t matter, as long as they are curious
[about] the world around them and download the information in a book rather than carrying this
information as graphic noise in their heads. That noise might then become an impure insert into a
brand’s future that won’t resonate with the consumer.”

Pulp Friction
Tropicana’s carton conundrum is a compelling story on a couple of fronts. First, there’s the juicy,
schadenfreudeesque media obsession—the panned carton was one of the most blogged topics the
week of February 23–27, behind only the machinations of President Obama’s new administration,
according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s New Media Index.

But even more unusual has been the astonishing backlash from a usually silent, brandloyal
contingent, and PepsiCo’s eventual acquiescence to these vitamin C devotees. Feedback on the
design, relayed to PepsiCo via letters, phone calls and emails, has ranged from deeming the cartons
“ugly” to expressing outright confusion—some customers passed right by Tropicana cartons on store
shelves, mistaking the new packaging for privatelabel offerings. “What’s evident from my experience
and perspective is that key equities of the brand were thrown away for a generic offering, and
consumers reacted,” Richards says.

Despite such a marketing blunder, however, Tropicanagate has demonstrated that the brand’s
followers cared enough about the brand to effect change. “I think it’s a blessing for Pepsi that the
consumers didn’t react by walking away from the brand,” Richards says. “We all remember what
happened with New Coke.”

In these troubling economic times, this type of loyalty is an indicator of what roles brands play in our
lives. “The rise of private label is clear (64 percent last year), and orange juice is a commodity
category,” Richards says. “But consumers need their ‘comfort brands’—eventually the message [of
these comfort brands] will get through, and consumers become incredibly powerful brand advocates.
So when the message changes in such a dramatic fashion, as it did with Tropicana, the consumer
feels betrayed.”

Revolution among the common folk is starting to resonate with the brands they’re revolting against.
Facebook users, for instance, recently took issue with certain amendments to the site’s terms of
service. As a result, the socialnetworking platform temporarily reverted back to its old terms. And
when CBS canceled the primetime TV show Jericho, disgruntled fans delivered 20 tons of peanuts to
CBS offices (the network cracked and resurrected the show).

There are brands that have taken consumer opinion one step further, involving the public in actual
packaging makeovers. Nestlé, for example, is tapping into social media to elicit consumer input for
new packaging for its Goobers, SnoCaps and Oh Henry! candy lines (the package redesign that gets
the most votes will be on shelves by the end of 2009). And in celebration of its 150th anniversary,
Eight O’Clock Coffee is letting consumers direct its packaging facelift by registering their votes at
CoffeeMaker.com (with a chance to win a year’s worth of groceries to boot).

Of course, there’s empowering consumers with some say, and then there’s giving the consumers a
laptop loaded with graphicdesign software and directing them to redesign the packaging from scratch.

new packaging for its Goobers, SnoCaps and Oh Henry! candy lines (the package redesign that gets
the most votes will be on shelves by the end of 2009). And in celebration of its 150th anniversary,
Eight O’Clock Coffee is letting consumers direct its packaging facelift by registering their votes at
CoffeeMaker.com (with a chance to win a year’s worth of groceries to boot).

Of course, there’s empowering consumers with some say, and then there’s giving the consumers a
laptop loaded with graphicdesign software and directing them to redesign the packaging from scratch.
“I’m a firm believer in engaging consumers at every level of the design process,” Richards says.
“Listen to them first, show them what they know, listen again. Then think about what you’ve heard—
put images to the spoken word and play them back. Ensure there’s a clear meaning behind every
image and every word. Go on a shopping trip with the consumer from the moment the grocery list is
being created to the point of selection at shelf to purchase to use in the home; do the same thing
yourself. But don’t let the client or consumer design: brand design is a craft, not a beauty contest.”

So it’s back to the drawing board (or maybe not) for Tropicana. The old cartons are expected to
reappear on store shelves this month. The only remnants of the US$ 35 million Arnell experiment will
be the cute, orangeshaped plastic caps, which will be retained on cartons of lowcalorie Trop50. The
advertising campaign that’s currently in place will also continue.

Perhaps this could have all been avoided if PepsiCo had sought out real consumer input in the first
place. “Respect the brand and the role it has to play in the hearts and minds of the consumer,”
Richards says. “Use the product: How does it taste, smell, sound, feel in your hands—how does it
perform? Do you understand it? Can you appreciate why other consumers get excited by it? Go on
that consumer journey.”

Once you’ve taken that step, you’ll be able to embark on a successful packaging redesign if that’s
what’s needed. “Many brands successfully update their look and feel on a regular basis with very little
effect on the loyal consumer—that’s the craft of branding,” Richards says. “When you go back and
look at packaging through the ages, especially the power brands that have stood the test of time
through decades of changes and consumer trends, they offer a unique insight of how to develop and
manage key equities and remain relevant to the consumer of today and tomorrow.”

[16Mar2009]

Jennifer Gidman lives and works in New York.

Other articles by this author


commenting closed bookmark print

suggest topic recommend ( 91 ) email

Packaging: Lessons from Tropicana’s Fruitless Design

It's amazing to see so many examples such as this, especially considering the money and
reputations involved.One thing I tend to notice is missing is 'end benefit'... TO THE CONSUMER.I am of
course an advocate, so I would say this, but it also seems a pity more thought in these redesigns is not
given to environmental benefits, especially in the area of reuse, which surely can offer END BENEFIT to
person, pocket, planet and.. if marketed well, the product too!And I can think of many that could well
confer significant advantages in this regard, whilst representing an evolution that will satisfy the desire to
stay 'fresh', but without needing to confuse loyal customers by being too radical. Or not working (I hark to
the Wal*Mart large bottle 'green' design; which was more to help the logistics than at the breakfast
table... think 'end benefit' again... where was it?) The will is there, the money is there. The imaginations
are there. Wouldn't it be great if the brief was posed?
Peter Martin, Junkk Male, Junkk.com March 16, 2009

Excellent article. Thank you so much Jennifer!It's always the same old story with leading brands.
Evolution or revolution?Research is very very weak for this kind of projects, we are using the same tools
for the last 25 years and definitely the world (the consumer) has changed...All this shouldn't last; but it
will, always...said Prince of Lampedusa.
Jordi Aguilar, Strategy Director, Morillas Brand Design March 16, 2009


Jennifer, Well put! I agree with your conclusion "Perhaps this could have all been avoided if PepsiCo
had sought out real consumer input in the first place." However, while graphic design firms may be the
easiest target for such criticism, they are not alone. Brand consultants, ad agencies and PR firms are all
guilty of the same sins whenever their practitioners focus so much on the client, their peers or their ego
that the consumer becomes a trifling afterthought. Thanks for the post. I will encourage my clients and
employees to read this.
Sean Duffy, Brand Consultant, The Duffy Agency March 16, 2009


Funny, I actually sent Tropicana an email about two weeks ago commenting on the new packaging. I
alerted them that it made it difficult for me (a branding professional) to identify my favorite variety (Light
Jeff Gonzalez, Just a Brand Conscious Guy, Freelance Web Marketing March 16, 2009

Thanks for the thorough followup and insights on brand management and "consumers as design
critics." I followed this makeover discussion with great interest and was glad to see Tropicana responded
by listening to its core customers. But I do worry about the trend of asking consumers to "be the
designer." The pendulum has swung away from respect for the design craft to allowing consumers to
completely run the show. There needs to be a happy medium between consumer input and thoughtful,
meaningful design choices. Tropicana got lucky and learned a bit about redesigning a customer

Search
always branding. always on.

Latest News In Depth Papers Books Brandcameo Directory Careers Branding Glossary

Tim Zagat
full of opinions
by Jennifer Gidman
You should register
for our newsletter
March 2, 2009 issue

“Power to the people.” Few brands deliver on that You should also:
slogan like Zagat Survey, which has been compiling follow us on Twitter,
user opinions of restaurants and other shopping, hotel add us on Facebook,
and entertainment venues and publishing the results join us on LinkedIn,
in popular annual guides for 30 years.
subscribe to our RSS

What Tim Zagat and his wife, Nina, began as a hobby and send us your story ideas at:
is now a portable vox populi with a nowfamiliar 30 tips@brandchannel.com
point rating scale for dining and entertainment venues.
Tim told us how the Zagat Survey (“the ultimate
elsewhere on brandchannel
source on where to ‘Eat, Drink, Stay and Play’”) has
evolved, what makes it an enduring brand, and how he < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >
and his wife still play an integral role in the brand that
bears their name.

It’s your namesake—so how would you define
   the Zagat Survey brand?
The key factors defining the brand are that the guides
are up to date, fun to read and trustworthy—by being
consistently accurate and fair. There’s a sense that
the guides’ information comes from savvy people who
are, hopefully, like you, and who can share their
experiences to help you make smart decisions.

Packaging Service Brands
All Customers Are Irrational
Jason Fry
Tecnisa Construction Company
Branding Airports
Where The Wild Things Are
Surprising Secret of Successful
Odwalla
Will Windows 7 revive Microsoft's
Brands and employees must work
A marketing book about the human
An interview on how to grow a
Why this successful Brazilian
Why branding will take off with
A boy disappears into his
Differentiation
Does this fruit drink and smoothie
brand?
Walk us through the Zagat voting process. together to succeed in such a
subconscious and how it makes us
powerful brand in the routine
company is building both bonds and
passengers, airports and the
imagination full of monsters, ideals,
Why effective differentiation means
brand have the right mix of
Join our debate on what brands
cluttered marketplace.
behave.
sunflower seed category.
its brand.
brands that travel with them.
and Converse brandcameos.
thinking beyond the core benefits of
ingredients online?
should and shouldn ’t do when
People are asked to vote on food, décor, service and cost for restaurants, and then to comment on your product category.
reacting to shifts in public opinion.
the overall dining experience. After these votes are submitted, they are read by our editors (we have
about 50 of them), who synopsize what all the people say. The comments are edited with the goal of most viewed posts
being as fair a synopsis as possible. The numeric ratings you see are simply an average score based
on all the collected responses. Retail

Our goal at Zagat is not to create a paradigm of what a great restaurant or store or spa is. Many Coke Sends Bloggers On An "Open
people want to tell you what they think is the best restaurant or hotel—to create their own Happiness" World Tour
paradigm—not what you need to know. Our goal is to help you intelligently decide what you want to Martha Stewart Brands A Turkey
do and where you want to go.
Obamas Give J Crew Some Change
You need different things to satisfy your needs from day to day, from a quick latenight dinner nearby They Can Believe In
with your spouse to entertaining a sophisticated business client. The brand’s goal is to facilitate you Phillies' Rise Mirrors Philly's Rise
making smart decisions to serve your best interests. If you go to a restaurant that’s a “28/28/28” in
our book, however, you probably are going to a restaurant that gets three stars in the Michelin Guide.
recent posts
Has the voting system ever been compromised? Any other challenges in maintaining brand Citizens And Capital One Bank On
integrity? Starbucks And Dunkin' Donuts
If we’re not accurate and fair, it’s pretty easy for people to figure it out. Our whole business and all
Awkward Timing For Tom Ford's
our credibility depends on the quality of the reviews we write. Return To Womenswear

Read the reviews of restaurants that you frequent most. Ask yourself whether they’re accurate. If so, Headline Roundup: Android Army
you conclude that the system—the brand—works. If not, you ought to throw the book out. Our New Around The Web: Confirm Friend
York City restaurant guide, though, has probably been the best selling book of any kind in NYC for Request
the last ten years, which I think says something about our reliability.
Retail
If there are large numbers of people going to a restaurant or hotel before you, it’s hard for us to make
a mistake after we’ve read all the comments before we write a synopsis. That’s true even if people
disagree. Let’s say a place is a real hot spot: a 20yearold will say, “Lively and exciting”; his parents
Will Starbuck's Via instant coffee
may say, “Crowded and noisy.” You get those results fairly often, but both viewpoints are useful. undermine the brand?

So some of the restaurants have been upset about their ratings? j
k
l
m
n
No
Relatively few. When someone has a factual issue, we’ll try to correct it as quickly as possible,

Retail
If there are large numbers of people going to a restaurant or hotel before you, it’s hard for us to make
a mistake after we’ve read all the comments before we write a synopsis. That’s true even if people
disagree. Let’s say a place is a real hot spot: a 20yearold will say, “Lively and exciting”; his parents
Will Starbuck's Via instant coffee
may say, “Crowded and noisy.” You get those results fairly often, but both viewpoints are useful. undermine the brand?

So some of the restaurants have been upset about their ratings? j
k
l
m
n
No
Relatively few. When someone has a factual issue, we’ll try to correct it as quickly as possible,
because we’re covering 40,000 restaurants, and we want to make sure the guide is factually correct. j
k
l
m
n
If it’s a matter of opinion, however, we don’t make changes. Yes

To be honest, most restaurateurs like what we do much more than they like one critic coming in. VOTE
After all, a critic’s job is to be critical. The regular people who submit reviews to our guides generally Show Results
are going out to have a good time, so, by and large, their reviews are more positive. If the guides have
a fault, it may be they’re too nice. Polls Archive

Do you think the Zagat guides have helped consumers receive better service? After all, a
restaurant must now treat every customer as if he or she is rating it.
Ruth Reichl, then the New York Times restaurant critic, visited Le Cirque two nights in a row: the first
in disguise, the second as her recognizable self. She then contrasted the service she received those
nights, concluding that the Dubuque tourist visiting a Manhattan restaurant won’t eat as well as the
urbane regular.

Frankly, we believe (we hope) that we’re influencing the restaurants for the better, in that way and in
one other way: we try to get the restaurants to understand they are getting a free market review from
their customers. Every time a restaurant owner looks at a review, it’s his customers who are rating
his restaurant and reviewing them. What if your restaurant gets a 23 for food and a 16 for service—
what does that tell you? It tells you that the same people who raved about the food don’t think the
service is as good. If the restaurant cares about what its customers think, it ought to be spending
some time trying to work on its service.

We’ve also given the consumer a sense of empowerment they didn’t have 30 years ago. Back then,
there were a few great “expert” restaurant critics, and the rest of us had to keep quiet.

Talk about your brand extensions. You started out with restaurant guides and then moved
on to other ratings.
We do surveys for hotels, resorts, nightlife, movies and shopping, which we do in 25 cities. We even
do two kinds of shopping in NY: one features gourmet food and entertaining, and the other focuses on
retail. We do a nightlife survey in 25 cities—our older son had once told us that he felt his friends
went out to drink more than they eat, so we figured that was a good direction to go in. Of course, I
always hoped his metabolism would revert back to eating instead of drinking.

We haven’t done many brand partnerships, however. I’m oldfashioned: I think we should just do what
we do as well as possible and not try to confuse the brand by getting involved in things that people
don’t think is our natural territory.

How do you decide where to open a guide?
We have people who spend time thinking about those things—I have a tendency of wanting to try
things, and if they work, they work, if they don’t, they don’t. So far we’ve had a good track record of
them working!

We’ll have more focused guides to complement the main guide. For instance, we have a San
Francisco guide, with a smaller guide for Napa and Sonoma. And here in New York, for example,
we’re reaching out to support the city of Newark —they have a wonderful new mayor, and that’s part
of why we’re doing it. We have a guide for Brooklyn and for Staten Island, even though they’re all
technically part of New York City. We did a guide for lower Manhattan after 9/11 that was designed to
bring back business to downtown.

Where do you see the Zagat brand moving in the next decade or so?
We just did three cities in China, and we’re talking to people in a number of foreign countries about
expanding into those. China has about 50 or 60 cities with more than the population of Chicago, and
we’re not going to be able to do it by ourselves, so we’re trying to get somebody to work with us in
China under our supervision.

How are you and your wife, Nina, still involved in the daytoday operations of the brand?
We’re fully involved. We do different things—I tend to work more on the creative, editorial side and
[am] somewhat more mediaoriented. She’s very articulate and smarter than I am in a lot of ways (we
met in law school, so we’ve been at it for a long time). She’s more involved in the daytoday running
of the business. But if there’s a serious issue or big discussion, we’ll both get involved.

Sometimes we’ll argue about issues—but one of the best things about arguing with someone who’s a
part of your family is that we have the same ultimate goal: we want the guide to be the best possible
guide there is. There are no politics involved in disagreeing. If she says one thing, and I say another,
at least we both know we’re trying to get to the same place. There are no separate agendas—it’s just
a difference of opinion, which is sometimes very useful.

What’s it like sharing the brand name with your family name? Is it a little weird?
Not really, because I’m just so used to it. It seems perfectly natural. I didn’t even know what a brand
was when we started—people started telling me 20 years ago that I was a brand, and I would say,
“What’s a brand?”

How do you pronounce “Zagat,” anyway? Has the continual mispronunciation of the name
affected the brand in any way?
It’s “ZaGAT like the cat in a hat, and that’s that!” It hasn’t really affected our success one way or the

What’s it like sharing the brand name with your family name? Is it a little weird?
Not really, because I’m just so used to it. It seems perfectly natural. I didn’t even know what a brand
was when we started—people started telling me 20 years ago that I was a brand, and I would say,
“What’s a brand?”

How do you pronounce “Zagat,” anyway? Has the continual mispronunciation of the name
affected the brand in any way?
It’s “ZaGAT like the cat in a hat, and that’s that!” It hasn’t really affected our success one way or the
other. It’s an unusual name—no one else in the whole country has it. It happens to have a nice five
letters—it’s a neat name for a brand. If our name was “Schnitzerbocker,” you’d have to turn the guide
on its side to fit it all in.

So, since you’re based in Manhattan, what’s your favorite restaurant? Will we catch you at
Gray’s Papaya, the New York City hotdog institution?
You will see me there, but you’ll also find me at a lot of other places. I like to go to different
restaurants on different nights. I probably wouldn’t want to go to my favorite French restaurant every
day—my liver would likely explode. Some nights I’m in the mood for Chinese, sometimes Italian.

But restaurants I like aren’t the point of the Zagat brand. Whose opinion would you rather base your
decision on: 38,000 people’s, or Tim Zagat’s? We run the voting machine and the election system;
we don’t believe you should have a candidate in the race run the election. You have to be objective,
unbiased, neutral. Pushing restaurants we like on everyone else would be contrary to everything we
stand for. When you do that, you’re saying that one person’s voice is better than any other’s.


Jennifer Gidman lives and works in New York.




Tim Zagat full of opinions

I juts got my Zagat dating and dumping guide and I LOVE IT!
Joe March 16, 2009


2009  |  2008  |  2007  |  2006  |  2005  |  2004  |  2003  |  2002  |
brandchannel careers archive
2001

Oct 9, 2009 Jason Fry cooking up a brand Abram Sauer
   Jason Fry grows branding power in sunflower seeds.

Aug 31, 2009 Herman Mashaba just being himself Mandy de Waal
   How Herman Mashaba built an African megabrand.

Aug 3, 2009 Jose Eduardo Costas jet setter Preeti Khicha
   The sky is the limit for Jose Costas.

Jul 6, 2009 Dan Aykroyd wines and laughs Reneé Alexander
   Dan Aykroyd uncorks his wine brand.

Jun 1, 2009 Lee Zalben spreading his brand around Anthony Zumpano
   Peanut Butter & Co. sticks to brand values.

May 4, 2009 Renzo Rosso the engine behind diesel Slaven Marinovic
   Diesel—one leg at a time.

Mar 30, 2009 Margie Bailly branding behind the scenes Abram Sauer
   A cool focus on a cold brand.

Feb 2, 2009 Mohan Sivanand has lots to digest Preeti Khicha
   The story behind the editor of Reader’s Digest India.

Jan 5, 2009 Gerry Dee stands up Reneé Alexander
   The serious business of comedy brands.


RSS | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us | FAQ
Copyright © 20012009 brandchannel. All rights reserved.

Founded in 1869 by Henry John Heinz, the Heinz brand rules the
ketchup market (registered sales reached US$ 267.1 million in 2005)
and has achieved a 60 percent share of the category. ConAgra,

maker of secondplace Hunt’s ketchup, trailed behind with a 16
percent share during the same period, while Del Monte barely made
a blip with 5.3 percent—falling even behind privatelabel brands
which had a 17 percent share.

The Heinz name has achieved iconic status and become one of
those rare brands that singlehandedly drive a category. A study
done on the brand in 2005 by The New England Consulting Group
estimated the lifetime brand value for Heinz at more than US$ 20
billion. Heinz ranked first in a 2008 overall brand equity study from
EquiTrend, which evaluated more than 1,000 brands across 39
categories.

"I do think Heinz does have a quality product,” says Andrew F.
Smith, author of Pure Ketchup: A History of America's National
Condiment. “It's very sticky; I don't like ketchup that drips off a French fry. Their
ketchup is slow, which is what their commercials promoted in the 1960s and 1970s. It
has a high viscosity, so it sticks to whatever you put it on —if you bite into a hamburger
or hot dog, it doesn’t squish out the other end. People see that quality and have brand
loyalty. It's a great story not many commercial products have.”

Most consumers rely on trusty Heinz 57 to perk up their hamburger patties, but who is
buying the numbertwo and numberthree brands? And why? “It’s mainly price,” says
Smith. “The Hunt's and Del Monte varieties have a lower price point than Heinz." The
Packaged Facts report backs up his assertion: people with household incomes greater
than US$ 100,000 are more likely to use Heinz, while Hunt's is the most often used
ketchup brand in households with incomes less than US$ 20,000.

Viscous Visibility
So, with such onesided dominance in the category, what type of marketing is
necessary for the top brand, as well as for its distant competitors?

"When you're controlling 60 percent of the market, why innovate?" laughs Smith. “Heinz
controls the commercial ketchup market in ways that no one else can compete with.
Once you get to that point, it doesn't matter if Del Monte and Hunt's advertise their
ketchups—Heinz sales actually go up when they do that!"

Most of the marketing and advertising initiatives that
have cropped up in recent years have revolved around
packaging innovations. In 2002, Heinz and ConAgra both
launched their inverted squeeze ketchup bottles—the
Heinz Easy Squeeze and Hunt's Perfect Squeeze—in the
same week.

Heinz continued pioneering in packaging with its Top
Down and Fridge Door Fit bottles. They reached out to

Most of the marketing and advertising initiatives that
have cropped up in recent years have revolved around
packaging innovations. In 2002, Heinz and ConAgra both
launched their inverted squeeze ketchup bottles—the
Heinz Easy Squeeze and Hunt's Perfect Squeeze—in the
same week.

Heinz continued pioneering in packaging with its Top
Down and Fridge Door Fit bottles. They reached out to
younger consumers as well, with Silly Squirts bottles,
designed with different nozzles to let little hands create
their own dinnertime concoctions. The company also
launched a “CreateALabel” campaign where consumers
could visit Heinz.com to create customized messages, as
well as the "Top This” TV challenge that allowed users to
compete to create the next Heinz TV commercial.

Hunt’s has tried to keep up in the bottle wars by jumping on the green bandwagon: its
46ounce bottle recently won an Institute of Packaging Professionals’ sustainable
packaging award for its DiamondClear PET construction, which Hunt’s claims makes the
bottle 12 percent lighter and more environmentally friendly than Heinz bottles of the
same size.

Other recent ConAgra promotions designed to gain visibility for the brand have included
its role as an exclusive food sponsor for Six Flags, Inc., which put Hunt’s ketchup front
and center on every themepark fastfood platter to enhance brand loyalty and reach
out to consumers beyond traditional media. The Hunt’s brand also took the unusual step
of offering "taste guarantee certificates " to consumers: anyone not satisfied with the
brand’s new, thicker ketchup can opt for a full cash refund or swap the certificates for a
US$ 20 discount on other ConAgra product purchases.

Sticky Situations
Ketchup’s reputation as the untouchable topper, however, has not gone unchallenged.
There was the "salsa scare,"which, depending on which report you’re reading, has seen
salsa and ketchup alternate as the numberone condiment in the US.

The nature of the product itself has seen little change over the years, and ketchup
continues to tickle the palate by appealing to all five of the basic taste receptors on the
tongue: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami—a savory sensation triggered by glutamic
amino acid.

With the exception of Heinz’s illfated colored ketchups that didn’t quite catch on with
the kid demographic, as well as a Hot & Spicy Heinz ketchup that hasn’t given the
brand the extra kick that was expected, the only other recent brand extensions within
this category—Heinz’s organic ketchup and Hunt’s nosalt added—are focusing on
health benefits.

Ketchup contains lycopene, a nutrient that has been linked to staving off some cancers
and other diseases, and the recent brand extensions seem to be an attempt to appeal
to an increasingly healthconscious public. Sixtysix percent of consumers say that
they eat organic foods at least occasionally, according to the Organic Trade
Association (OTA).

Smith isn't buying the organic angle, however. "It won't catch on,” he
asserts. “Heinz was worried with salsa, so they made a salsa ketchup
[in 1993 that was eventually discontinued].”

Expanding Markets
Despite failed brand extensions and competition from more culturally
influenced condiments, Smith doesn’t see a decline in the ketchup
category coming anytime soon—and he looks to local food markets as
proof.

“There are a huge number of designer ketchups,” he says. “If I go into a gourmet food
store here in New York, I’ll find ten or 15 different types of ketchup. It’s not just the
basic three. Restaurants are also serving fresh ketchup that they’re making themselves.
I think that shows the vibrancy of the category—it’s an exciting field that hasn’t grown
stagnant.”

Furthermore, there is an international market for the condiment. In other countries, as
Smith documents in his book, ketchup is used on anything from pasta (Holland and
Venezuela) to cabbage rolls (Japan) and meatballs and fishballs (Sweden). “The
formulas could also be different, depending on location,” he says. “They change based
on local needs." Kraft Foods, for example, produces curry and paprikaflavored
ketchups in Europe, says Smith.

With that level of international appeal, ketchup is poised to become a respected
ingredient instead of a panacea for bland dishes. And, as with salt and mustard,
ketchup is gaining notoriety in the gourmet market, which may have Heinz seeing red.

[17Nov2008]

Jennifer Gidman uses OJ as a breakfast supplement every morning and as an
indispensable ingredient in her mixology experiments every Friday night.




The Squeeze on Ketchup

market leader(s), no matter how large and dominant they are, should they choose to
cut and slow innovation, that is when their foothold will start shaking.
I got to say, life is tough, you need not only grow up but to keep on growing or the other
kids on the block will start bigger and bigger.

innovation= business continuity.
Raziel, full time brand junkie/part time corporate sales November 15, 2008

A few years ago I saw a TV documentary about the history of the Heinz company. After
learning about their devotion to sanitation and their progressive policies for their workers,
I have been a loyal Heinz consumer.
Tom Brown, retired journalist November 17, 2008

Raziel makes a good point regarding innovation = business continuity.
Let’s look at one startling point that was stated in the article: “people with household
incomes greater than US$ 100,000 are more likely to use Heinz, while Hunt's is the most
oftenused ketchup brand in households with incomes less than US$ 20,000.” Can Heinz
take advantage of this data, and generate an offering that has some appeal to the under
$20k household (other than price point)? What is resonating with this group? Are there
emotional considerations when ketchup is purchased? By sitting back and not innovating,
Heinz may be missing an opportunity here to increase their stronghold on the category.
Dave, Marketing Communications, Michelin November 17, 2008

I am a Heinz devotee but was sad to hear nothing about whether they are using
recycled materials for their bottles while Hunt's is doing so. Come on Heinz. Make me
proud.
November 17, 2008

When you're this big you can leak from above and below. Above is the gourmet market.
People looking for the "fleur de sel" of red condiments are unlikely to go to any exotic new
product with the Heinz name on it they'll want something from someone different. And
below: when I worked in restaurants I remember seeing staff refill Heinz bottles from
industrial cans of generic ketchup. This eventually cuts the 'sticky' product quality out
from under the name and the brand becomes more like a label. These, of course, are not
the worst kind of problems to have when you own the big 60 in the middle.
Paul Belserene, Senior Strategic Storyteller, Envisioning and Storytelling November 17,
2008

view all comments

2009  | 2008  |  2007  |   2006  |
brandchannel home archive 2005  |   2004  |   2003  |   2002  |
2001

Dec 22, 2008 Brand Darwinism: When & Why Brands Falter & Die
   Where brands go when they die.

Dec 15, 2008 M.H. Alshaya Co.: Paving the Way in Emerging Markets Mya Frazier
   Alshaya offers brands direction in the Middle East.

Dec 8, 2008 Branding by the Nose in Brazil Ana Paula Palombo Terzi
   Brazilian brands take a nose dive.

Dec 1, 2008 Wines: Is ''Made in France'' Enough? Joe Ray
   French wine brands pour on uniqueness.

Nov 24, 2008 German Engineering Drives Global Brand Success Barry Silverstein
   How German brands deliver discipline and quality.

Nov 10, 2008 Abu Dhabi: A City Rich in Branding Mya Frazier
   The brand strategy behind the world's richest city.

Barack Obama
clicks with voters?
by Jennifer Gidman
February 25, 2008 issue

And then there were three:
McCain, Hillary, and Barack. While
John McCain has safely locked up
the Republican Party's presidential
candidate nomination, the
Democrats are still involved in a
battle between two tenacious
hopefuls who refuse to back
down: Hillary Clinton and Barack
Obama.

The brand that Obama’s camp is trying to sell isn’t difficult to nail down: He’s a
Washington interloper with fresh ideas (a trait that has become his liability as well as his
main selling point). He’s userfriendly and approachable—the type of guy you could
discuss critical issues with at a blacktie gala one evening, and mix a guacamole dip with
at a Super Bowl bash the next.

Obama also personifies the cuttingedge and techsavvy candidate, with a deep
understanding of how to maximize today’s multimedia to communicate with his core
demographic. Here is where the Barack Obama website comes into play, extending his
brand to countless Internet political junkies who can surf to their hearts ’ content about
where he actually stands on the issues.

The site’s welcome mat features Barack, his wife, and two children, sitting arminarm
under a slogan that reads "Change We Can Believe In." This page doesn’t come without
strings; before you’re taken to the home page, you’re faced down by the obligatory “fill

inyouremailandzipcodeheresowecanbombardyouwithpropaganda” signup
screen. (This, of course, is a common tactic employed by his competitors throughout the
quest for the Democratic, and Republican, nomination.)

The real branding and reaching out begins on the home page, which offers a countdown
to the campaign's goal of "One Million People Who Own This Campaign," a "State of the
Race" map, "Make a Difference" and "Next Up" sections, and six dropdown menus: Learn,
Issues, Media, Action, People, and States. There is even a BarackTV section that

features video clips from his speeches. Otherwise, the home page is dedicated to
breaking news, speaking engagements, and a detailed map of the US, broken down state
bystate, encouraging visitors to click on "Where do you live" so they can become more
involved in local, grassroots politiking for Obama.

The Get Involved area highlights a place to donate, volunteer,
and register to vote. You can even sign up for "Camp Obama,"
a twoday training session that will indoctrinate you into the
Obama family and help you organize your own community to
support Barack. I even received my very own dinner invitation
from the unseen Obama Webmastercontingent, of course, on
my making a small donation and being one of the three average
citizens selected to attend. Devotees can also download icons
and logos to support the Obama mission (though organizers
probably could have come up with something a little more exciting than an “I’m Caucusing
for Barack Obama” site widget).

Of course, Obama’s biggest challenge (besides his juniorpolitician status) has been trying
to convince the American populace that he isn’t all sparkle and no substance. His site
would be prime real estate to really push his perspective on important issues, but while
the main nav bar links to an extensive section that contains detailed blueprints for
everything from improving our schools to protecting our borders, Obama’s team doesn’t
capitalize on this online opportunity to really put the issues front and center. A political
website, like a political campaign, must be organized, informational, and motivational.
Barack's website offers all three of these components, but it remains to be seen if the
necessary balance is struck to most effectively promote the message, issues, and
constituents that comprise the Obama brand.

To comparison shop, check out Hillary Clinton's website and John McCain's website as
well. Also, for a comprehensive look at the 2008 nominee hopefuls and their brands, visit
a study of the 2008 presidential candidates as consumer brands created by two South
Carolina firms, Chernoff Newman and Market Search. In this selfproclaimed intellectual
exercise, the firms ask such questions as: Are political candidates knowingly and
proactively setting forth to build their brand? And are the public’s perceptions of
candidates in sync with the attributes candidates are espousing in their advertising, press
releases, and appearances?

And, of course, don't forget to vote.

Jennifer Gidman uses OJ as a breakfast supplement every morning and as an
indispensable ingredient in her mixology experiments every Friday night.

*Due to the constantly changing environment of websites, some reviews may no longer reflect the current
website for this brand.



brandchannel webwatch 2009  | 2008  |  2007  |   2006  |
2005  |   2004  |   2003  |   2002  |
archive
2001

Dec 22, 2008 Nestlé’s Everyday Milk dairy intimate Umair Naeem
   Everyday milks tea time in Pakistan.

Dec 15, 2008 Brill cutting it online? Abram Sauer
   Brill is sharp online.

Dec 8, 2008 Femina fashionable? Preeti Khicha
   How Femina clicks with Indian women.

Dec 1, 2008 Cricinfo fan friendly? Umair Naeem
   Cricinfo swings at the future.

Nov 24, 2008 bumGenius.com sensitive? Abram Sauer
   Does this website dispose of diaper confusion?

Nov 17, 2008 SmartNow.com resourceful? Abram Sauer
   What is the future of SmartNow.com?

Nov 10, 2008 Campbell's Soup uncanny Abram Sauer
   Why Campbell's Soup is good for the online soul.

Nov 3, 2008 Arsenal homepage advantage Preeti Khicha
   This website needs a kick in the grass.

Oct 27, 2008 Cathay Pacific Airways cabin fever Shashank Nigam
   Cathay Pacific Airways takes flight online.

Oct 20, 2008 Flip Video sleek Abram Sauer
   Can Flip Video zoom in on online shoppers?

Oct 13, 2008 Asian Paints apeeling? Preeti Khicha
   Can Asian Paints brush aside online competition?

Oct 6, 2008 Scholastic StudyJams brain candy Alycia de Mesa
   Why Scholastic StudyJams rocks online.

Sep 29, 2008 Incredible India too spicy? Preeti Khicha
   Indian culture spices up this dynamic website

Sep 22, 2008 Pottery Barn home coming Vivian ManningSchaffel
   Does Pottery Barn's website sit well with the brand?

Sep 15, 2008 British Monarchy rules Anthony Zumpano
   Is the British Monarchy's website a royal pain?

Sep 8, 2008 Charmin main squeeze Abram Sauer
   Charmin's website offers a load of information.

Sep 1, 2008 Canadian Museum for Human Rights ground breaking? Renée Alexander
   CMHR goes online to give tragic history a new life.

Jennifer Gidman Writing Samples Portfolio

Jennifer Gidman Writing Samples Portfolio

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

Último

Último (20)

Destacado

Destacado (20)

Jennifer Gidman Writing Samples Portfolio