Inexpensive, Without the Cheap

It seems that every grocery store I go to these days is changing. You can't just go in to buy your regular necessities of life - bread, eggs, milk, etc, without noticing all the other options out there. Now there is so many different things that people consider "necessities" like Pop Tarts, Pizza Pockets, or mircowavable dinners, things that just weren't considered years before.

Since people are looking for faster and easier alternatives to a home-made meal, it seems every company is jumping to the chance to make another unnecessary product to make our lives easier. Just today I saw a magazine ad for a sandwich kit. The sandwich kit is similar to "Lunchables", the fun lunch choice for kids' whose parents are too lazy to make a real lunch. This sandwich kit however, was for adults. Apparently with this sandwich kit, you wont waste anymore of your lunch breaks making food. Ridiculous.

And to add to all the major brand names that have started making these "easy" alternatives, grocery stores themselves have joined the bandwagon. Loblaws and Loebs both have their own personal store brands, adding to their brand's architecture. Loblaws now boasts both a cheaper and healthier alternative for food called "President's Choice" and a surprisingly successful (and decent) clothing line called "Joe Fresh". Loebs has a similar line to President's Choice called "Master's Choice". 

These exclusive additions to both grocery stores are adding to their brand architectures. Now, they are much more then just stores carrying, displaying and selling other brand's products. These companies are now manufacturing and selling their own personal brands within their already established stores to increase their revenues even more. Brilliant. 

As a student living on her own, money is kept as close to me as possible. Not to sound cheap or anything, but I'm the kind of gal that will go for a deal or look for a sale, over anything else. I like to look around before I purchase, to make sure I am getting the best deal possible. So, when I am at Loblaws I will often chose the President's Choice brand over the leading brand name. I mean, there are some exceptions. I will not buy a no name ketchup or cola, its just not the same. But taco shells or canned olives? That's all the same to me. 

So, its great to have a cheaper alternative without skimping on the quality or taste. Just because I am a student and trying to live affordably, doesn't mean I want crap. And if you know me, you know I like fashion. I like to look good, but without paying a high price (though I would kill for that luxury). Until then, I am happy to look in Joe Fresh in the middle of Loblaws for inexpensive, yet nice clothing. In fact, I usually visit Joe when I am picking up a loaf of bread. I can't help it.

These brand architecture extensions (if you will), are excellant ideas. I certainly hope that whoever thought of the idea was promoted instantly. I would love to see them surface to other stores (cough, cough Winners, cough). Its probably safe to say that this is a trend that we will see a guaranteed rise in over the years. 

And thats just fantastic.

An Oldy but a Goody-Coke vs. Pepsi

I hate to do this, but I can't help but mention it: Pepsi vs Coke. Two similar products, with very different ideas and branding. Pepsi, the new cola vs Coke, the old veteran cola. They are both sugar and fizz, and both come in a can, so why are they so different, and why, WHY do people prefer one more over the other? 

They are the same thing!

Right? Well, with all that said, I have always been a Pepsi girl. My whole life I have always preferred Pepsi over Coke. If presented with the 2 beverages, I would always choose a Pepsi over a Coke. I find Coke sweeter than Pepsi, which, is probably a silly thing to think. However, thats just what I find.

My dad was also a Pepsi guy, and as the main purchuser in the family, it would always be Pepsi, and so I kind of grew up with a negative image of Coke. Now that I am the main purchuser, I had been choosing to not buy either and try (really hard) to be healthy.

However, since meeting my boyfriend, he has introduced me to Coke Zero, a diet Coke without the gross diet Coke taste. At first, I was not convinced. I don't like the aspartame taste that usually comes with diet/no calorie beverages and will therefore, choose the really bad for you, high calorie and sugar alternative instead.

Well, 7 months later of him drinking mostly only Coke Zero, I have now grown a taste for the drink. And now, I find myself choosing a Coke over a Pepsi, something that I have never done before. Why not drink diet Pepsi? Its gross. Simple as that.

I hate to say that I really like Coke Zero, but I do. And I hate to say that I'd choose it over Pepsi. Frankly, I hate to say that I drink that kind of stuff at all, but lets be honest, I do, though I try to choose a healthier alternative over the fizzy choice.

I'm sorry Pepsi that I have betrayed you. But Coke Zero tastes good and it doesn't have the high calories that you do. The day that you make a delicious low calorie beverage, I'll be right back. I promise.

Cereal Characters, They're Grrrrreat!

Tony. The Trix Rabbit. Capt'n Crunch. Snap. Crackle. Pop. Some of the oh so many names of fictional characters brought to life from various cereal brands. Its almost hard to imagine cereals that I grew up with that didn't have a character name attached to it.

Growing up, I always enjoyed seeing the character change and doing different things. I loved reading the backs of the boxes and playing the games that the characters were always involved with.

I never really understood the point of mascots or characters until I started my advertising journey, and now I truly see what Leo Burnett was thinking. The characters really allow you to gain a personal feeling towards a product. You kind of get to know them in a way, especially when your young and eating cereal day after day.

I think the most memorable of all the characters for me is Tony the Tiger. He's just the first one that jumps to mind when I think about a brand's character. Over the years he has gone through many changes, but he's always been around. I do find that Tony is disappearing a bit more these days, but it might just be because I am growing up (although I do enjoy a nice big bowl of Tucan Sam's Fruit Loops every now and then!).

Cereal characters, or any characters for that matter, really are great ideas that truly help to build a brand. Its almost funny to imagine Frosted  Flakes without Tony. I don't think I want to imagine Frosted Flakes without Tony the Tiger. No matter how old I get, I will always remember Tony and the mornings with the big bowls of Frosted Flakes. 

Once you go Mac, you never go back

Mac vs PC. I can't even remember back to when there wasn't ridiculous comparisons between the 2 different computer types. I'm sure there has always been some sort of rivalry between them, similar to Coke and Pepsi (for example), but it seems these days, its nonstop comparison. It seems that Mac doesn't really want to talk about what makes them unique from a PC without needing to compare the 2.

As a new Mac user and a long time PC user, there are things I like about both. I'm not a hardcore user, I don't play games and I don't use much Photoshop or things of that nature. I've grown to Mac because I like the styling difference of them, that and its what I use in school all day long.

I find that Mac is positioning themselves as the cooler, newer way of using computers, and it seems to be working. Everyone in advertising sure seems to prefer Mac over PC for whatever reason. I guess Mac has also positioned themselves as the creative choice, which is why people like me in advertising, have chosen a Mac over anything else.

When it came time for me to get a new computer, my first and only choice was a Mac. The only thing I had to decide was laptop or desktop? Black or white? Never did the idea of owning another PC come into my mind. I had used PCs all my life until my first year of college.

Once I started using a Mac simple things that I once knew how to do did not seem possible. Everything was backwards. I hated them.

Now, in my fourth year of college, I love my Mac and using them. So stylish, sleek and simple. I can't imagine every going back to my old ways. I barely ever refer to my computer as a computer, I call it my Mac instead. It sounds so much better.

Mac has done a fine job in differentiating themselves from other computers. They are the new, cool way of doing things and make everything so stylish. Why use a boring, old PC when you can use hip, young Mac instead?

Its like they say, once you go Mac, you never go back...

All I want for Christmas is Betsey

I love Betsey Johnson. It doesn't really matter what it is that has her name on it, I'm most likely going to want it. I guess there's certain exceptions, like when there's a pair of shoes that are a bit too quirky for me, or a purse that just isn't me. Though I don't like them, I still consider making a purchase. 

Why? There's something about Betsey's products that I just love! The colours she uses, the fabrics, the designs, and frankly, pretty much everything. Its kind of like the brand was made exactly to how I would design a fashion line. Tailor made for Meaghan. Everything is so unique compared to many other brands that I also like, which makes all her products stand out over all the rest. I can always tell when a products hers before I confirm with a logo or price tag. 

Every time I go to Winners I keep an eager eye out for anything and everything Betsey. Last time I was there, I was looking for clutches for a wedding I was attending last week. Looking through the racks, I saw one that really caught my eye. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was, of course, Betsey's. It was, however, $90 for a clutch that I probably wouldn't use too often, and money that I could probably use better somewhere else (like rent...). Sadly, yet smartly, I returned it to its place.

Even though it was $90 for a small purse, it was a hard decision to not make the purchase. I proudly display the one and only shopping bag I got from a real Betsey Johnson store, in my room. Her products are usually on the expensive side, unless I can score a deal at Winners.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would choose a Betsey product over many others. Whether it be similar products, with similar looks, Betsey would always be the number 1 choice for me. I go out of my way every time I am in another city to find her boutique stores (as Ottawa isn't lucky enough to have one), usually just to look around.

I've already told my boyfriend that a want a real Betsey Johnson purse for Christmas. Not a Coach, or Prada, or anything along those lines. I want one I can't find at Winners. One that he'll have to travel to Holt Renfrew for, or buy online. One that's going to cost him over $200. Its a little outrageous, I know, but I'll be ecstatic for it.

I'm Meaghan Baskin, and I'm addicted to everything Betsey Johnson. And I hope this doesn't make me seem crazy...

Starbucks goes to the liquor store?

I know we recently talked about this brand extension in class, but as an employee of the LCBO, I find it hard not to want to talk more about booze.

I've known about the Starbucks liqueurs since I first started at the LCBO back last summer, so I wasn't surprised when the picture appeared on the Powerpoint.  I was surprised however, about the amount of people who found the extension confusing.  

Kahula and Bailey's are no question the leaders in the cream/coffee liqueur category, but that does not mean there isn't room for more.  There are many other lesser known brands (Caroline's, O'Darby's, Tia Maria) that are very similar to these head honchos, but get little to no recognition (you will also find them on the bottom of the shelf, making them much harder to notice).

Starbucks, on the other hand, is already a leader in over-priced coffee, so why shouldn't a brand extension into a different, yet related, category be accepted?

I have never tried the Starbucks liqueurs, but I can tell you that the packaging is very eye-catching and the price is comparable to Kahula and Bailey's; but for some reason, people don't buy it.  

Maybe people are content with the brands they already know, why try another when both Kahula and Bailey's have introduced another 2 new flavours onto the existing brand?  You would think that those that like coffee flavoured liqueurs, would probably like fancy coffee (like Starbucks), so in turn, would be willing to try.  I have seen little of this.

Not that I really notice when certain products are sold as there are so many that you see go into a bag each day, but I can honestly say the Starbucks liqueurs never get past the shelves that I have seen.

In fact, we are discontinuing to sell the cream liqueur version at the College Square LCBO location, most likely due to poor sales.  Its a smaller store, so there's not nearly enough room to carry a product that is taking up space and not selling.

I don't know what went wrong with the Starbucks liqueurs as they seem like an interesting way for an existhing product to make their way into a completely different market.  Its possible that maybe they just can't compete with the veterans, or my store isn't home to people whom are interested in coffee flavoured liqueur (a likely story).  I would think that if Bailey's or Kahula got into the coffee/hot beverage business, it would be a great success, though I am starting to think that it may not work as well as imagined.

I definitely think that the Starbucks liqueur extension was a really interesting and good idea, but for some reason just hasn't made it.  I think more advertising would have helped their cause along the way, as I have seen little of it (except in past Food and Drink magazines, which I can't remember).  Perhaps promoting the extension in Starbucks across North America with coupons for the beverage would have helped, or at least an information tag informing consumers that it is out there.

Whatever the reason, the liqueurs aren't doing nearly as well as one would think, and its a real shame.  However, now that they are discontinuing to carry the product at my store, I get a chance to buy it under (LCBO) cost and finally try it for myself!  

You've got every corner in New York City, Starbucks, I guess thats enough!