Product Launch: Why vs. Why Not?

Last issue, I suggested that tapping into the imagination can result in some pretty fascinating culinary inventions and discoveries.  This issue, its time to take a look at the extreme end of this inventive and creative spectrum – that place where one begins to question the reasoning, thinking and rationale for launching ‘new and/or improved’ food products.

Do we need to push the envelope in these already-proven food categories?  The question is why vs. why not…and you the consumer gets to you make the call!

“Look at Me!  I’m Gourmet!”

Heinz ketchup goes gourmet with “premium ingredients”, “promising a pleasing experience” – at three times the price.  Does the market place really need a ‘posh’ ketchup, or is this just another gimmick?

New Fruitaceuticals Redefine Dried Fruit Category

"PomaCrans" and “OmegaCrans” make up this new category of ‘supercharged superfruits’.

PomaCrans are a combination of cranberries (which are packed with antioxidants and PACs) infused with premium whole pomegranate (also an antioxidant) juice.

“OmegaCrans” are a combination of cranberries and cranberry seed oil for a uniquely balanced source of Omega 3-6-9.2

Is this launch going to take us to the next level of product infusion/combination super-foods?

100% Cacao Chocolate

William Harcourt-Cooze (a self-styled Willy Wonka with a life, passion and obsession with “the dark stuff”) has come up with 100% cacao chocolate that “takes your breath away” and can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.

Will his decade of labour and love result in a successful gourmet chocolate launch?

Square Watermelons

Ok, so this launch isn’t as recent as the others, but in 2001, Japan cornered the ‘square fruit market’ triggered by lack of space. Is the amount of saved space justified by the $82 (each) price-tag?

Once a product is conceived and developed, the product launch becomes the next critical step on its way to success (i.e. faster time-to-market and time-to-profit), but before launching a new product, market research needs to be done.  These researchers, like the actual consumers of food products, are forced to ask themselves, what is really needed to live well?  Are these product launches strictly gimmicks, or genuine responses to market demand?  The question remains for you, dear reader, to decide: why vs. why not?

© 2008 Holly Hutchings; licensee (Cult)ure Magazine.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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