Every now and then, something just sticks in my craw. (And I think we all know how painful that can be.) With everything going on, a little forethought from companies would go a long way to building some good will as well as brand loyalty. 

Today’s grievance – packaging! I don’t ask for a lot. I have simple tastes and am a creature of habit. For example, I like Raisin Bran. Simple, good old fashioned Raisin Bran. It needs nothing, in my opinion. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and anytime in between. 

I understand that to maximize profits, a company must explore options, create new products, and expand their market. That’s why so many car companies offer 3 variations of the exact same car. There’s the Buick Encore, Enclave and Envision. Nissan has the Rogue, Murano, and Pathfinder. We all see it. It’s the same t-shirt, small, medium, and large.

Back to Raisin Bran. Kellogs, for some reason, decided to mess with Raisin Bran. Fair enough, update a classic for an evolving market. Use brand loyalty to expand with new(ish) products and increase profits.

Here’s my beef. The labelling needs to be VERY different. Raisin Bran Crunch, is NOT a flavor of Raisin Bran. They are very different. And the hint of bitter grain offset by raisins that makes Raisin Bran so beloved, is completely absent in the sickly sweet assault that is Raisin Bran Crunch. (Yes, it’s crunchier, but so what.)

“But, if your so into Rasin Bran, why did you buy the Crunch, idiot?” I hear you. I didn’t do it intentionally. When I find something I like, I stick with it. I’ve been eating Raisin Bran for over 40 years. And, if you’re standing in the grocery store cereal aisle, you’ll possibly spot the difference, if the two products are shelved side by side. (see image)

None of these things are anything like the other.

Now, if you’re in Costco, trying to find your essentials (as they seemingly move around the store at every visit), trying to maintain social distancing, watching out for your parent or child that may be with you, all you see is one “Raisin Bran” on the shelf.. Well, take a wild guess who has two thumbs and has a return for Costco sitting on top of the refrigerator. THIS GUY!!

There are plenty of brands that are guilty of this. But, far and away, the worst offender is Mt. Dew. In the illustration above, there is a bottle of Diet Mt. Dew in addition to regular Mt. Dew.

Did you spot it?

Imagine it’s a hot day, you’re on your way home from work, your mind still on the nonsense that you’ve been dealing with at work all day and already planning for tomorrow’s issues. You stop in to a convenience store to grab a Mt. Dew to cool off. Head back to the cooler, replaying that last phone call in your head, remembering that email you forgot to answer, etc. You swing past the cooler, grab your Mt. Dew, pay, and back into traffic to crawl your way home through rush hour.

You open your drink, still thinking about the office, and look forward to the one little joy you may be able to filch out of the day. and then.. BAM!

The acrid taste of, WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?!? 

That’s right, DIET Mt. Dew. So named because “Undrinkable Sewage” didn’t test well with focus groups. If you’ve never actually tasted it, don’t!

Those bottles need to be VERY different from each other. I recommend a giant “WARNING! DIET MT. DEW!” in a mix of fluorescent orange and red on the label.

So, thanks for coming to my rant, and remember, read those labels!

Jim says: “Only you can prevent Diet Mt. Dew!”