Tag Archives: Food

by | Wednesday, December 25, 2024 · 7:14 am

Latest Candy Hit – Nerds Gummy Clusters

Do you love candy? We love candy – a lot! It typically starts around Halloween and continues until Easter. So many holidays to celebrate and candy is one way to enjoy them.

The problem is that there are also a lot of candy products from which to choose, many of which have been around for decades and have a devoted consumer base. That makes it difficult for new products to gain a market following. It can be even harder to resurrect a dying product, but Nerds has done it. Enter: Nerds Gummy Clusters, a gummy core holding just the right amount of mini Nerds to make the perfect, crunchy bite.

Nerds needed revitalizing. In 2018, Nerds sales were only $40 million. But in the past year, with the new product, sales have increased to $800 million.

Of course it doesn’t hurt sales to have celebrity Kylie Jenner rave about the product to her 200 million followers on Instagram. And then follow that with a Super Bowl commercial. The result is great brand awareness and sales for the new candy.

What are Nerds Gummy Clusters? The candy is manufactured in Illinois, beginning with a melted gel that is poured into molds that create small, chewy orbs that look somewhat like a gummy bear. Added to that is dots of sugar (also called baby Nerds) in which the gummy balls tumble through a river of baby Nerds until completely covered. Crunchy and gummy.

Yum…

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students about their candy consumption.
  2. What kinds of candy do they buy? How much do they spend on candy in a month?
  3. Show Nerds Super Bowl commercial: https://youtu.be/VHjNKVwIHfs?si=nHPchTuHRIr3pzGx
  4. Show Nerds website: https://www.nerdscandy.com/crunchy-gummy-yummy
  5. Divide students into teams. Each team will develop a new candy product.
  6. Who is the target market for the new candy?
  7. Describe the new candy product.
  8. How will the candy be priced?
  9. Where can it be purchased?
  10. How is it different from an existing candy product?
  11. Finally, have teams develop a marketing campaign for this product and market.

Source: Sanders, H. (29 October 2024). Inside the colorful and cultish world of Ners Gummy Clusters. New York Times; Vranica, S., and Cohen, B. (7 November 2024). America’s newest hit candy is gummy, crunchy and printing money. Wall Street Journal.

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by | Friday, October 18, 2024 · 2:00 pm

Taco Bell’s Retirement Community for the ‘Old at Heart’!

Taco Bell has very loyal customers – of all ages! And those customers who would like to try out a (perhaps) early retirement can now visit its new senior community called ‘The Cantinas’ – a daytime oasis for leisure and senior-oriented entertainment, but without requiring an AARP membership.

Yes, The Cantinas was open in San Diego, Calif., this past August for only a few very special days!  And by ‘senior-oriented’ we mean activities such as aerobics, golf, arts and crafts, plus pickleball matches. Along with your favorite Taco Bell food, drinks, and excitement.

As for it being truly for seniors, well, the entry age does start at 21 and does not have an upper limit. (The Cantinas only accepted membership applications from Taco Bell Rewards Members.) According to Taco Bell, The Caninas represents a place where all generations can come together and enjoy life.

Those who made the weekend cut could opt for either a day pass ($50) or a weekend membership ($150). The weekend membership included overnight accommodations and full access to dining, recreation and more. Day passes included full access to the grounds, dining, and recreation.

The Cantinas has a rigorous schedule of events, including Pickleball Dink & Drink, Cantinas Crochet Club, afternoon naps, lounging by the pool, bocce ball, early dinner, and of course everyone’s favorite pastime – Bingo! And with an 8:00 p.m. recommended bedtime, guests are well-rested for the next day’s set of activities as well.

Want to play pickleball before or after nap?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss branding and experiential marketing. Poll students for their examples.
  2. Show the Taco Bell Cantinas site: https://www.thecantinas.net/
  3. A video of the experience: https://youtu.be/BY9dLt7DkzM?si=BR8LQe6hHU-H_xgG
  4. Divide students into teams: Have each team select a brand they enjoy. Next, have them design a new, experiential hotel for that brand.
  5. Have teams identify the target market and the marketing mix for their new experiential marketing idea.
  6. Debrief the exercise and vote!

Source: Advertising Age (9 July 2024). Taco Bell is opening an early retirement community for the old at heart; Lamour, J. (16 July 2024). Taco Bell is opening an ‘early retirement community’ for people of all ages. Today Show.

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by | Saturday, September 7, 2024 · 4:39 pm

Luxury Fruit Comes at a High Price

Don’t you love pineapple in the summer? It’s juicy, fresh, delicious, and fairly inexpensive. That is, it’s inexpensive if you buy it at your local grocery store where it’s only a few dollars. Sounds reasonable.

However, you could also buy a luxury pineapple, packaged in an ornate box that unfurls like an origami box and with holes so that the fruit can breathe. The cost of that pineapple is a whopping $396. And that’s if you can find one. The Rubyglow pineapple sold out in the U.S. in only a few weeks after it became available.

While Americans might not be familiar with the idea of luxury fruit, it has a long history in parts of Asia where high-end fruit is often given as gifts. Consumers are willing to pay more for produce that is truly special. And, it’s not just pineapples that have been grown for luxury buyers.

For example, the Crown Melon is grown in Japan and costs $156; it is the single fruit grown on its vine to make it extra sweet. And let’s not forget about luxury strawberries sold in a variety of red, pink, and white berries in boxes. A typical box may contain 30 strawberries, picked when perfectly ripe, with each berry wrapped individually for protection, and costs about $128. And let’s not leave out the Pink Elephant mango from Vietnam. One fruit can weigh up to two pounds at a price of $25 – $95. Unique and delicious.

Shall we eat?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Pricing is a complex topic. Discuss the six steps for pricing (determining objectives, estimating demand, determining cost/profit relationships, select price level, set list price, and make adjustments).
  2. Poll students: How much do they usually spend on fruit?
  3. Show the Rubyglow pineapple order page: https://freshdelmonte.com/rubyglow/
  4. Show video: https://youtu.be/ve8-ddIVVek?si=mIh8aVG2IPAcU8CA
  5. Ikigai luxury fruits: https://ikigaifruits.com/
  6. Discuss the various pricing models in class: demand-oriented, cost-oriented, profit-oriented, and competition-oriented.
  7. For luxury fruit products, divide students into groups and have each group work on any/all of the six steps.
  8. When setting the price level, assign each team a different model to use (demand-oriented, cost- oriented, etc.).
  9. Debrief the exercise. Compare the various pricing models and discuss advantages/disadvantages of each.

Source: Albeck-Ripka, L. (29 June 2024). The world of luxury fruit: Does a $156 melon taste sweeter? New York Times; Wiener-Bronner, D. (19 May 2024). $400 for one pineapple: The rise of luxury fruit. CNN.

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