Olympic Mittens: A Brand in Demand
When my mom called to tell me she was the proud owner of this season's hottest clothing item, I thought she may have bought some boots with the fur. Lo and behold, she got her hands on some of the red Olympic mittens, an early birthday present from my dad. The latest craze, these branded mittens feature a maple leaf on the palm and Olympic rings on the back. Stitched with the words "Vancouver 2010," this collector's item is now one of her favorite keepsakes. To put it bluntly, she thinks she just reached a whole new level of cool.
Evidently, she is not the only fan of these mittens. According to the Vancouver Sun, retailers have sold every last pair. At less than 10 dollars a pair, over 3.5 million pairs were sold over the five month promotion. The profits from the mittens helped fund the Own the Podium Program which launched in 2005 to prepare Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010. More than just a souvenir, the mittens became a top item to show support for the Games.
Oprah Winfrey promoted the red mittens when she handed out 300 pairs to her talk show audience. After expressing her fondness of the mittens, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) shipped a box to her studio, drawing further attention to the mittens. Who knew they would create such a stir.
The Olympic brand encompasses all of the names, phrases, marks, logos and designs related to the 2010 Winter Games. What better way to promote this major international event then by sporting some stylish red mittens? They're both affordable and practical!
Contributed by: Ashley Popham
Greek and Roman Eponyms: Cupid’s Modern-Day Naming Trend
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With February upon us, nobody is safe from Cupid’s arrow. Cupid is an important symbol of Valentine’s Day and in Roman mythology, his name stands for the god of love and beauty. Cupid has remained apparent as a representation of love for many people throughout the world, with online dating services and wedding chapels now named after him. An eponym is a name derived from a real person or fictional character. In some cases, the person’s name and the word are exactly the same and the word simply takes on a new meaning. In other cases the person’s name is slightly changed. Many modern-day products and companies have utilized eponyms and are now successfully positioned in the marketplace as highly recognized brands. Several have also incorporated these ideas into their logos.Read more
What's that Smell? Sensory Marketing
Taste and smell are universal languages. We do not need a point of reference, a back-story, or an elaborate marketing campaign to know when something smells or tastes good.
This realization has paved the way for companies to begin using more than simple sights and sounds to reach to target audiences. Sensory marketing is based on the concept that a fully pleasurable experience will reinforce positive associations with a brand.
Check out two companies who are leading the way in the sensory market:
ScentAir
ScentAir helps companies across the globe create customized scents for their products and stores. According to their website, "scent marketing is how businesses are breaking through mundane and overused marketing gimmicks to reach customers emotionally."
Scent Air has created signature scents for retail stores ranging from Sony to Lexus to Bloomingdales, as well as for hotels, realtors, and spas.
FirstFlavor
Imagine how effective a magazine ad for Hershey's would be if you could actually taste the chocolate. FirstFlavor has recognized this power and enables companies to incorporate taste tests in their print ads and direct mail.
Branding and marketing a tool called Peel 'n Taste®, the FirstFlavor website assures that "the flavor of your product is replicated in quick dissolving edible film strips which are distributed through individually packaged pouches to prospective customers."
Would you try one?
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Recipe: Mallow-Topped Sweet Potatoes
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Kraft, the world's second largest food and beverage company is one of the world's most trusted food brands. For over fifty years, Kraft's Jet-Puffed Marshmallows have been a part of traditional American cooking as a key ingredient in seasonal sweet potato recipes. Add some sweetness to your Thanksgiving side dishes with this classic holiday food.
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cans (15 oz. each) sweet potatoes, drained
15 Jet-Puffed Marshmallows (about 2 cups)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix butter, orange juice and cinnamon in lightly greased 1-qt. baking dish until well blended.
Add sweet potatoes; mix lightly. Top with marshmallows.
Bake 15 to 20 min. or unitl sweet potatoes are heated through and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Contributed by Ashley Popham
Recipe: Apple Cobbler
Apple cobbler is traditionally a dessert favorite, especially around the holiday season. For those of you who can relate to not being an expert chef, you may share my excitement in finding a quick, delicious recipe for apple cobbler on the back of a NillaWafer box.
I must point out that this recipe only makes one serving, so if you’re hoping to add it to the Thanksgiving buffet this year you may want to multiply the ingredients and add to the overall expected prep time. The Nabisco brand also paired with Kraft’s Cool Whip to co-promote this dessert. Below is the recipe, and if you have any nutritional questions check out more info here (http://www.nabiscoworld.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipe_id=75605). Feel free to try it, and let us know how it turns out.
Prep Time: 3 min
Total Time: 3 min
Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients:
6 NILLA wafers
¼ cup applesauce
1 Tbsp. thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Dash ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Place wafers in microwaveable bowl; top with applesauce
Microwave on high 15 sec. or until hot. Cool 1 min.
Top with COOL WHIP; sprinkle with cinnamon.
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
Candy Brands: Wonka
As you can probably guess, the Willy Wonka Candy Company began as a tie-in to the release of the film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Breaker Confections licensed the name “Willy Wonka” in 1971 to capitalize on the film’s merchandising potential then changed its name to Willy Wonka Brands in 1980. Nestlé then bought the company in 1988 and has owned it ever since. It is now known simply as Wonka.
The official WWW (Willy Wonka website) is wonka.com, but, much like the elusive Candy Man himself, there’s not a lot of information to be gleaned regarding the company. You can, however, learn what candy’s out now and what’s coming up next, or you can paint pictures using Nerds in their NERDoodler studio.
Wonka has perhaps some of the most recognizable non-chocolate candy varieties: Everlasting Gobstoppers®, Fruit Runts®, SweeTarts®, PixyStix®, LIK-M-AID® Fun Dip, Laffy Taffy®, Spree® and BottleCaps®. You can also find Wonka® Bars in Europe mostly but sadly no Scrumpdiddlyumptious Bar.
Ah, Willy Wonka. Bless him and his sweet, sweet candy. The company’s slogan captures our thoughts exactly: What will he think of next?
Candy Brands: Brach's
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What would Halloween be without candy corn? It has been enjoyed for over 100 years. According to Brach's, the top branded maker of candy corn, each year Americans buy enough Brach's candy corn that if the kernels were laid end to end, they would circle around the Earth 4.5 times. Brach's candy pumpkin, known by the trademark name "Mellow Cream" is the most popular candy pumpkin. They are popular both for their unique texture and for being fat free. Candy pumpkins are made using the same process used to make candy corn. The ingredients include corn syrup, real honey, and sugar.
Amusingly, candy pumpkins played a role in the U.S. Implementation of Daylight Saving Time. Since the 1960s, candy makers had wanted to get the trick-or-treat period covered by Daylight Saving. They believed if children had an extra hour of daylight, they would have more time to collect candy, which would boost candy sales. During the 1985 U.S. Congressional hearings on Daylight Saving, the candy industry went so far as to put candy pumpkins on the seat of every senator, hoping to win a little favor. Soon, Daylight Saving Time was extended through the first Sunday in November.
By: Ashley Popham
Jumping on the Brandwagon
As a Charlotte resident and pseudo Carolina Panther’s fan, it’s basically required by Mecklenburg County law as an excuse to drink to watch their games on Sunday afternoons (well that is if you can’t get into a good marathon of America’s Next Top Model). Recently though, I’ve noticed that many players’ wardrobes have added a certain splash of color to their usual blue and black palette: pink. These “Pink Panthers”, as they have been trademarked, have been sporting everything from pink wrist bands to pink towels to even pink gloves. What makes the average 250 lb beefy staple of an athlete accessorize with the world’s most feminine color? They, like many other athletes across the U.S., have been showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness. Read more
Candy Brands: Ferrara Pan
Friends and family will likely remember "Paula's Red Hot Marathon of 2006." No, it wasn't a fiery run; it was my shamless order of three cases of Red Hots direct from the manufacturer to be shipped to my door, and the consumption that ensued. I'm blaming the new baby hormones.
Red Hots have always been my candy of choice. There's something about that hot flavor getting stuck in my teeth that epitomizes how a candy should behave. And let me clarify: Red Hots are the BRAND; the generics are called cinnamon imperials. I've had the knock-offs, and believe me, there is only one Red Hot.
Ferrara Pan is the creator of the Red Hot, and the company brand has an interesting history. Created as a namesake for the founder, Salvatore Ferrara, Ferrara Pan was founded in 1908 in Chicago, Illinois. The word "pan" in the company name indicates that some of the candy they make is "panned". This process involves building candy pieces from single units, such as grains of sugar, nuts or candy centers, tossing them in revolving pans while adding the flavor, color and other candy ingredients. This process continues until the pieces become the desired size. Finally, the candy gets a high polish with an edible vegetable wax, which gives it an attractive appearance.
In terms of branding, the company has retained a functional, yet personality-infused continuity with its line of products: Red Hots, LemonHead, Atomic FireBall, Jaw Busters, Boston Baked Beans, Black Forest Gummies, and Ferrara Chocolates. With the exception of the Boston Baked Beans, I can look at their candy lineup and know exactly what I'm getting.
Check out the company's virtual tours of "How Panned Candy Is Made." And if you see a box (or bag) of Red Hots at the convenience store, pick one up for me.
Candy Brands: HARIBO
Maybe it's our sense of whimsy ... Maybe it's our roots as hunter/gatherers ... whatever the explanation, whether you prefer a handful of cheesy goldfish or a fresh box of animal crackers, there is no denying the fun in biting into something that could bite you back.
The gummi bear is arguably the king of critter-shaped snacks, and HARIBO, a German confectionary company founded in 1920, proudly distinguishes itself from the candy masses as the original creator of these malleable mammals. Today, HARIBO is the biggest manufacturer of gummy and jelly candies in the world.
The gummi bear, (known as Gummibar or rubber bear in German), was created after World War II and introduced in the 1960s under the brand Gold-Bears. An instant success, the product has since seen several flavor and shape variations, with brand extensions such as Snack-packs, Roulettes, and Happy Cola. More intriguing sub-brands like Starmix, Tangfastics, Kiddies Supermix, Maoam and Strawbs can be found abroad. The candy even inspired a late 80s television show, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (though I personally found that to be the least palatable of the brand's many extensions).
Although Trolli and many others have created formidable gummi competition, the original Gold Bears, with their iconic gold, red and black packaging, have dominated their space for a half-century and show no signs of slowing down. After all, as the tagline says, "kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of HARIBO."
And if you were wondering, there is a reason why HARIBO appears in all-caps; the name is an acronym--borrowing the first two letters of the founder's first and last name, Hans Riegel, as well as the first two letters of the location of the corporate headquarters in Bonn, Germany.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook