Food Marketing
Yesterday, I posted an article on how marketers are out to “create” the next big steak. But the thought about food marketing grabbed my attention.
I think the other case I’m specifically aware of where the marketers “created” a new food item was with the portobello mushroom. In reality, portobellos are just giant crimini mushrooms. The farmers had no idea what to do with them, so the marketers gave them a new name and sold them as portobellos. Odd, huh?
And in a twist of irony, the marketers did such a good job, and portobellos are so well known now that they must surpass criminis in consumer recongition because you can go into the grocery store today and find “baby bellas” which are supposed to be smaller, immature portobellos. In reality of course, they’re just standard size criminis. Hmm…the irony of it all.
The other interesting one I know of is the Patagonian toothfish. Say what? Likely, you’ve never heard of it, but what if I told you that was the real name of the Chilean Sea Bass? Yup. Totally marketing. Chilean Sea Bass just sounds delicious and exotic, doesn’t it?
That’s marketing for you.