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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.

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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…

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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…

View More: http://frantz-photography.pass.us/kate-and-mac-watson

how am i still alive?

not too long ago i was faced with trying to process/re-acquanit myself with all of the food in my pantry.  this happens every few years or so and is often driven by the discovery of some pretty old expiration dates by myself or even worse, a friend.i can ramble on about the reasons behind how this happens (e.g., never home, live alone, do not cook often) but upon bringing up this issue on Facebook i learned that i am not alone.

many many of us ignore expiration dates and we are all still alive!  this was thrilling news – but maybe a bit unsettling for those of you who i cook for if you are not of this mindset.

recently, a friend’s dad shared an article about the creation of a gelatin label that could help limit waste by more accurately determining when the food has actually spoiled/gone bad.  here are some highlights from Adele Peters’ article:

“The next time you start to toss an “expired” carton of milk, consider this: Dates on packages don’t actually have anything to do with food safety or FDA regulations. Instead, the dates are a somewhat arbitrary indication of when a manufacturer thinks food might be freshest, and most food will likely be fine for days or weeks afterward.

 

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sweet packaging in budapest

so i have been back from budapest for sometime now but there were two purchases of the sweet variety that are still moving around my home.  the chocolate is so delicious and special that i want to be able to make it last forever and the candy is just so pretty that i am not sure i could ever actually eat it.it is just that beautiful.

don’t believe me?  take a gander…

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budapest, hungary 4.2014

amazing right?  not only are the candies handmade but they are a mix of flavors, and therefore colors, and presented in a test tube. beyond the gorgeously simple presentation that just highlights the uniqueness and beauty of the tasty candies, we have the flavors themselves.

you might see a pink and green candy and associate that with watermelon but it could be cotton candy or cherry.  the colors mean nothing in terms of flavor.  to the US consumer this would be like having a bowl of jelly belly jelly beans where the colors mean nothing.  crazy mind-blowing.  again, the colors mean nothing.  i feel like this would be a cute novelty for US consumers for about 5 minutes and then they would insist a map to decode the flavors.

i bought a big mix bag, small bag of one flavor, and a couple of test tubes (just in case one broke in transit), and honestly, i am nervous to try them.  it is almost too much excitement and wonderment for me.  but let’s not make any mistake, the candies in the bags are to eat and the candies in the test tube will be with me till my final breath…

so these candies are the star of this tiny off the beaten track in a tiny little shop called cukorka.  please enjoy the little bags which are merchandised beautifully against a red wall with its simple red and white branding.  (for those who may not know me: i LOVE the color red…my car is red, couch is red, toe nails are red, thermos is red, ink for writing my to do list is a red fine point sharpie, my company color is red, one office wall is red…net: i am a bit of a red whore and this brand’s use of red makes me happy to my core.)

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with none of the labels having any english on them i am not even sure which individual flavor i bought.  thinking i might save that as a special treat for a dinner party…

and look at how beautiful the individual pieces are…just like edible fimo beads!

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seems that in all my excitement i never quite got to the dazzling delicious and beautiful chocolate. consider this the first of many memories of budapest…

huh?

okay, so one thing that has become abundantly clear in my qualitative research career is that i am not the norm.

i can look at the proposed package designs, advertising campaign directions, and new product concepts and know with a high degree of certainty that the one i like, is not the one that will be carried through to next steps.  (side note: a client once told me they could save millions of dollars by having me taste potential products…knowing that if i liked it, it would fail in the US. yep, quite a feather in my cap!)

i would like to point out that this does not mean i am bad at my job, as i am not hired to guess what the consumers will like, but it simply reinforces that i am so very often not their consumer target.

why this long winded introduction?  because i am about to share some products that i just do not understand…because i am not their target (she types diplomatically).

 

huh #1: mac and cheese loaf

not sure there is much to say on this one.  i love my starches probably more than the average bear but this feels like it might be taking the joke too far. would you add this to a sandwich? is this to be thick cut and served as a side?  i am now feeling a little regretful that i did not buy some at the time or ask more questions.  anyone have any insights on this?  please?

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portland, maine 8.2013

huh #2: jack link’s jerky chew, original (shredded beef jerky)

this was found in a candy store.  it was sitting beside a wide variety of innocent fun kids sugary treats.  sure when i was a kid we had both sugary and gum candy cigarettes (remember how the gum ones would even give a puff of smoke? and the candy ones had the red coloring at one end to represent the fire?)…but now i am going be a hypocrite because this just felt so wrong to me…and somehow different from those other tobacco interpretations.

do i have qualms about big league chew?  pretty much trying to mimic the same thing but in a soft foldable pack and gum not shredded beef jerky…i have no problem there either.

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as i am typing this my hypocrisy on this is starting to irritate me.  so i decided to open it.  give it a taste see how it is.

it looks nothing like i expected it to (although i am not positive what i really did expect).  it has the texture of a fine saw dust.  and tastes like aged raw hide saw dust.

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ok, so i think it comes down to my lack of love for chewing tobacco in general.  i cannot think of another reason for this almost physical negative reaction.  the packaging is typically used for chew and when that was combined with its flavor and texture this game ended quickly for me.  sugary cigarettes had a melt to them that made them way way fun.  big league chew offered an awesome grape flavor and even fun sugary original flavor.  ultimately, earthy tasting saw dusty looking beef jerky is just not within my ideal target product set (but i am still being a hypocrite because chewing tobacco is not my thing).  but for every product, there is a consumer….right?

yep. i am that american.

or am I?

did I go to McDonald’s while in budapest?  yes.

was it because I was too afraid to eat tongue, goose skin, horse sausage, black sausage, and liver sausage?  heck to the no.  (although I consider the box checked for some of those options so I do not need to eat them again.)

it was because their McDonald’s serves FRIED APPLE PIES.

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even if I am alone in this adoration for this delicious treat, I do not care!  it was, rather they were (full disclosure), downright heavenly.  c’mon, you know right now you are remembering the crispy of the outside and freakishly hot apple goodness contained inside and how together they are perfection…

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I actually try to visit McDonald’s on all of my travels in hopes of finding the magical and rare fried apple pie.  I am so happy to report that the introduction of the healthier “baked” apple pie has not yet made its way to every corner of the world!

and if you are a lover of the McDonald’s fried pie like me, you can also find them in egypt (2009), hawaii (2010), philippines (2009), but no for china, argentina and france.

do you have any other McDonald’s to add to the “have” and “have not” fried apple pie list??  please share.  this may have broad implications on my future travel plans…..

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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….

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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.

 

late night surprise

i understand that i should probably work on getting out more or finding some new hobbies because this package made my pretty happy.

picture it, 1:30am and i am entering my hotel room for the night.  i enter the bathroom and am thrilled by the new and innovative packaging for the soap – it has a vertical orientation!

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philadelphia, 2.2014

it is possible that this soap package isn’t that new but i am more of a Starwood gal and this was a Marriott.  honestly, bathroom products at hotels just aren’t like they used to be.  remember the days of Molton Brown? shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion at Westin’s?  ahh….

back to the soap.  i immediately opened the package because i just had to experience the soap shape (at 1:30am) and it was pretty awesome.  It didn’t have the fun massaging bumps/texture (which just feels fancier) but definitely different.

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ultimately, this just shows how a little innovation can go a long way with a packaging junkie like me…

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lost in translation

one of my favorite things to look for, especially in asia, is the way they use the english language on packaging, shirts, or just anything that can be printed!

example #1: mint package

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shanghai, china 9.2013

pure gold!  why?  well, because it is….

–       fashionable

–       minty

–       healthy

–       delicious

kidding aside, it is amazing to see the influence of the english language.

and here is another example that i had to own: a cd case that says on the front “Don’t pay attention to all the static.”  seems totally normal-ish right?  the plot thickens…  on the side where it looks like it has the item number and such (that little bit of orange on the right edge of the case) it continues to say… “HAPPY MUSIC, BER15120, A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”  this appears to be a very very deep cd case.

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tokyo, japan 2002

and yes, of course i have more.  the topic choices and mixing of messages never gets old. enjoy these beauties…

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chinatown, singapore 11.2013

in case you cannot read them…

– Good good study   day day up

– Sleep whenever he woke up / Count the money a few hand cramps

– REWARD MY MOST MY MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE

– STUDY HARD EARN MONEY

– (and one not included in this batch..) DO IT AND I RELAX

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creative merchandising

creativity in merchandising can be driven by different motivations.  for this post i want to focus on merchandising as a means of reinforcing brand character and as a creative approach to make a package do as it was not intended.

just imagine my excitement when i saw this haribo bear in the vancouver airport! an awesome example of reinforcing your fun brand personality/character.  just so fun.

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vancouver, canada 9.2013

however, sometimes you have to get creative.  these are bags hanging that originally were not intended to hang.  but with some folded tape and a hole punch…voila!! a lay down bag now hangs! feels like a successful tim gunn “make it work moment” to me.  well played!

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cancun airport 4.2012

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best.rice.package.ever.

finding it hard to believe that a box of rice could get you excited?!if yes, then clearly you have never been rice shopping in san martin, argentina.

the success of this particular package is not really driven by traditional measurements but by the sheer fun and craziness of it.

am i building up enough excitement and anticipation yet?

ladies and gentlemen i present you with lucchetti’s diana arroz.

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san martin, argentina 3.2012

yes, this package really exists.  awesome right?  but wait.  it gets better.  the advertising campaign that accompanies the package takes us all to yet another level i am not sure i knew even existed.

check it out…. i promise you will not be disappointed…

you are so very welcome!