misses – KCW Global Research

cha-cha-cha-changes…

i am not always great with change.

sometimes it really hurts.

especially when you mess with my favorite comfort foods.

example 1: my blue box kraft mac and cheese

let’s get right to the brass tax. i think they have shrunk the noodles.

i was so shattered at the prospect that i took this picture with the fork in the bowl (albeit a large bowl that maybe holds the entire box of mac and cheese) so i could create some context for future reference. i know it doesn’t help.

chicago, illinois 7.2014

this is…errr was one of my favorite treats on the planet. i will spare you the rant that i did write and delete because we are focusing on the potential of smaller noodles and not my rocky relationship with kraft blue box as i work towards a healthier lifestyle. i have not purchased or consumed any blue box since this discovery because A) healthier lifestyle dictates i steer very clear and B) the fact that they might have changed it is just too much for me to bear….

anyone else noticed this? was this a one time bit of personal confusion?

that is what i thought with example 2…but the scenario has repeated itself.

example 2: my stouffer’s french bread pizzas – deluxe

why ohh why would you stop cutting the pepperoni into quarters? now i have to hand shred them. sure i was always interacting with the pepperoni making sure that they were evenly distributed across the pizza but that doesn’t make your hands greasy. shredding the pepperoni does. it happened a few weeks ago and i prayed it was just a random mistake but then it happened again this week and i think this might be the way of the future… (candidly, i did get better pepperoni coverage but too much work. please see an au’ natural look beside a hand shredded option…

opelika, alabama 12.2014

example 3: mcdonald’s egg mcmuffin muffin

(okay, so i get that my choices of comfort foods might qualify me for a food intervention but please note that i am working to train myself to really like fruits and vegetables….very slow road…and feeling a bit of food shame right now.)

at this point i suspect that they have only switched the mcmuffin in the alabama market. “research tastings” in airports across the country and on ashland avenue in chicago appear to still match the original recipe but we might have a switch-a-roo on our hands. in alabama i have experienced a less bread like mcmuffin that does not really toast as well and doesn’t seem to have the same binding characteristics as

am i alone on these? have you noticed these changes or others in the products you buy and eat? please share them in the comment section below…

and the winner is…..

…the humane society!

please meet ella. super cute right? she was adopted from this local humane society by our lucky drawing winner michele. ella is michele’s second cat from this humane society, first one named cali, and she has been so impressed by the work they do that she chose them as the beneficiary of the $500 prize money!

further, michele has earmarked the donation money to be used to purchase the Stretch and Scratch cat scratchers on their shelter wish list with the remaining money going to the purchase of cat food, cat toys, and other supplies purchased to care for the cats and kittens they bring into the shelter.

great choice michele!

happy friday to all!

not sure what this is all about? check out this previous post to gather the details: where would you donate $500?

branding / communication / fishing / hits / merchandising / misses / packaging / perspective / pigeon fun / Uncategorized / unique fun - 08/22/2014

oui s’il vous plaît

picture it.rainy day in paris and you stop into a cute little cafe to have a bit of a nosh with some heart healthy wine.

you settle into your chair and start perusing the menu and see this as an option….

paris 5.2012

i must say it wasn’t quite what i was expecting. oddly, this was the only item on the menu that brought the core ingredient back to its roots.

beyond their choice to include a LIVE pig, i found their actual choice of pig visual a bit disturbing. sort of glad there is no eye contact but he looks as if he is asking for you to please not order the grilled pork through his prison bars.

i obliged. the steak was delicious.

branding / communication / fishing / hits / misses / packaging / perspective / pigeon fun / travel / Uncategorized / unique fun - 04/22/2014

great idea but….

imagine it, walking down the toothpaste aisle and you see a new package structure unlike anything you have seen before for that category. what do you do? have an in-store photo shoot and buy the new structure of course! or wait, that might just be me….

chicago 8.2013

well, it did not take long until the excitement turned to frustration and sadness. like shaving cream packages, a little bit of product would come out of the dispensing hole after you are done dispensing. no problem with shaving cream so why would that be different here? i might be an odd bird but for me there is something not so appetizing about feeling a hardened chunk of toothpaste while brushing.

so this led to the need to scrape the hardened nubbin of toothpaste off the end of the dispenser before dispensing each time. i used the cap as it seemed like the logical choice but then it can no longer serve as a cap as it is now the receptacle of the hardened and wasted toothpaste. so now the lid with scrapings and dispenser sit separately on my bathroom counter – – so attractive.

why does this bother me so? well…

– it adds an extra step to my process (you may argue that i have to take lid off regular toothpaste but that is an already entrenched step that does not matter – – this structure demands a NEW step/behavior which makes it feel different/cumbersome while not delivering any perceived consumer benefit)

– it is wasteful. i am actually throwing away product with every use and there is nothing i can do to stop it….and for $6.99 i seem to have higher expectations. note the waste from 15 uses in the picture below. that could have been 4 brushings!

the package is almost empty and i am excited to get back to my trusty old tube of toothpaste. i am glad that they are looking to innovate but sad that this direction did not add any value or even fun to my teeth brushing experience. but i am still optimistic of what the future might bring!

anyone else try this package? what were your thoughts?

other innovative or notable innovations in the dental care category or another category that you would like to share? please share!

i would like to add that i called the customer service line on the can and shared my issues with the nice gentleman on the other end of the line. he said he would share my thoughts with the brand team and offered me some coupons for my frustrations.

misses / packaging: structure - 03/26/2014

cha-cha-cha-changes…

and the winner is…..

oui s’il vous plaît

great idea but….

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