Little Puds Of Chocolate Heaven

Ever noticed how the chiller cabinet has become a hot bed of food and drinks innovation? As the word chilled is often synonymous with a premium pricepoint, one tends to find that brands nestling in this neck of the wood refuse to skimp when it comes to their marketing budgets, because the price of standing still is simply too painful to contemplate. Stunning packaging, regular npd and bold brash initiatives are often the name of the game in this most exciting of foodie enclaves.

Looking beyond the Innocent masterclass in understated brilliance, there are so many maverick brands that Purple Pilchard would like to recognise for the sheer clarity of their thinking. For one there's Firefly who've taken Purdey's forward-thinking interpretation of adult soft drinks, added a more approachable tone of voice and jumped on the blossoming 'mood food' bandwagon. Then there's Grove Fresh, who've made organic juice more accessible and Yeo Valley who could give brands like Ben & Jerry's a masterclass in hard-core social responsibility. Yet my fav without a doubt would have to be Gu who have provided some much needed choccy relief from the all conquering yogurt.

Every recipe is simplicity personified. In each classy little pot the lucky recipient secures equal measures of indulgence and self-imposed portion control. From a retailer's perspective the stunning look of the packaging and support photography is second to none and as such adds an extra dash of class to any aisle, whilst the sheer addictive nature of the brand name demands that 30+'s the length and breadth of the country abandon their despised diets for a few spoonfuls of melty heaven.

But can you have too much of a good thing? The Gu range would now appear to be proliferating at such a rate that it's in danger of losing it's niche brand sparkle. Ok if sell-off''s the ultimate name of the game that's great but if one's trying to produce a product range with real longevity there will come a time when the brakes will need to be applied.

A Small Dollop Of Social Responsibility

The Ben & Jerry's PR churning machine has certainly been in overdrive over the last few months with various announcements about carbon footprints, a fairtrade vanilla and an end to trivial stunts.

As one of the forefathers of authentic social responsibility Ben & Jerry's is certainly a brand that should always be listened too, especially as their skill has been not simply taking a worthy stance, but doing so in a way that sounds neither patronizing or sanctimonious.

Is it me or are the latest dispatches starting to sound a tad corporate, dare I say insincere! It's all very well having a fairtrade vanilla, but what about the other ten or so flavours that have been filling chiller caginets in the UK for 10+ years.

It seems strange that their opening gambit is the one flavour (vanilla) where Haagen Dazs has historically put them to the sword.

If genuinely sincere wouldn't we be talking about entire fairtrade portfolios, organic offerings, addressing airmiles (Vermont's a fair hike) or some more eco-friendly packaging.

I cringed when they started mimicking Innocent concerts (interestingly Innocent have now stopped) and am now getting a sinking feeling that its the publicity grabbing multinational in the background that is now pulling the PR strings, for a few hollow soundbites.

Why Is Innocent Clowning Around?

Let's face it if we were talking about any other brand linking up with McDonalds, we'd simply say, 'good luck, you're certainly going to need it.'

Some fans of the Innocent association will probably look at Pret in America as proof that McDonalds can deliver when it wants. Others will talk about taking healthy smoothies to a wider audience whilst others might even suggest that the best way to influence the junk food giant is from within.

The problem is that even with a £80m + turnover, Innocent remains everyone's favourite discovery brand. They are that blue-eyed cheeky child in the family that just keeps surpassing your expectations.

The real issue is does a brand that has shaken hands Prime Minister Brown and won almost every single feel-good award under the sun really need to take such a calculated risk. Surely a brand like Innocent could pick any distribution route it wanted.

Is this simply a case of a two-fingered salute to Pepsico (& PJ's) to show once again who's top dog or just extreme inner confidence that they can curb the clown's excesses.

I do believe Innocent remain the most sincere brand in the marketplace yet at the same time can't help thinking that even their impeccable reputation may become tarnished from such an unsightly association

For What It's Worth

Blog Fish is a little electronic notebook dedicated to reading between the lines with regards to what's really happening in the whizzy world of brand marketing.



We appreciate that our forthright thoughts are purely subjective (and often irrelevant!). Recognizing that one man's Innocent is often another man's Sunny Delight, we will always try our hardest to be honest, impartial and enthusiastic, although not necessarily in that order.

Above all else we will never be foolish enough to take ourselves too seriously!