MMNPL’s Ashley DePaolo stopped by the 3M booth at the 2012 National Hardware Show to learn about their new product Lead Check.
Ashley DePaolo: Alright so Mona tell me your name, title, and what you do at 3M.
Mona Jannahuskey: My name is Mona Jannahuskey and I’m a technical manager in the construction and home improvement markets laboratory, and I have responsibility for our scotch blue masking tape products, our duct tape products and the product we’re going to be talking about today.
Ashley: Great! So tell me about lead check.
Mona: Okay, so we have this product out that’s called Lead Check, and it’s the first product that was recognized by the EPA to test for lead on metal and wood, and recently it has just been recognized by the EPA for drywall and plaster. So, that’s been a huge boom for our contractors.
Ashley: When the product first launched I assume that, and you know correct me if I’m wrong here, that you were probably more focused on the contractor market?
Mona: Yes definitely. Because there was a ruling that came out, an RRP ruling- Renovation, Repair and Painting- that came out that said that pre-1978 homes had to be checked for lead before any renovation had to be done. And these contractors, if they found lead, had to be certified in order to do the renovation.
Ashley: Then over the evolution of the product being available in the marketplace, has your focus at all shifted to the consumer so they can sort of check their own house?
Mona: Yes. We do have what is called a Lead Check Screen, and that’s going to be something that’s coming out so they’ll be able to take a look into toys and just get an idea if there is something there then you should be contacting a contractor that is skilled and has been trained in renovation for lead
Ashley: So tell me, where is Lead Check available?
Mona: This product is available in most of the major home centers.
Ashley: And what’s the price point?
Mona: You can do this test for about um $5 a swab so we have a 2 pack and we have an 8 pack the 8 pack retails for about $24.99 and the 2 pack is right around the $10 point.
Ashley: Great! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.
Mona: Thank you.
Check back soon for more interviews, videos and product demos from the 2012 National Hardware Show.
USA Today featured data from Schneider Associates‘ and Sentient Decision Science‘s 2011 Most Memorable New Product Launch survey in a snapshot on the front page of the Life section on January 24th. The data showed that television viewers enjoy commercials more than online viewers, but also that the majority of consumers polled enjoy watching commercials at least sometimes.
A snapshot of the 2011 MMNPL survey results was featured in the January 18 edition of USA Today. The USA Today Snapshot, titled “Most Memorable Product Launches of 2011,” displays the top product launches of last year. The survey conducted by research partner Sentient Decision Science polled a national sampling of consumers who named the Kinect for Xbox 360 as the most memorable product launch of 2011, with Nintendo 3DS and the Chevy Volt (tied), and Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries rounding out the top three spots.
To read more about the 2011 MMNPL survey, Click Here.
Wendy’s made headlines this year when they launched their first fry redesign in the company’s 41-year history. Check out our video to see why Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries with Sea Salt launch campaign just might be spudtacular enough to be one of 2011′s Most Memorable New Product Launches.
With thousands of new food and beverage launches each year, new consumer packaged goods enter an extremely competitive market where it’s difficult to create a memorable impact on passive consumers. One of the recurring trends that we are finding in the CPG industry is using to catch consumer’s attention is the promise of simplification and convenience.
Food marketing expert Phil Lempert, the force behind SupermarketGuru.com, is a pioneer in news information media, specializing in consumer behavior. Here, he offers up his top five nominations for the 2011 MMNPL survey.
Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast
With five new microwavable breakfast foods (pancakes, waffles, entrées, sandwiches and French toast), Aunt Jemima is providing consumers with simple solutions for busy weekday mornings from a brand they already know and associate with a tasty breakfast. Calling on the slogan “Just Add Warmth,” these homemade tasting items can be prepared in just minutes using a toaster or microwave.
David’s Jumbo Sunflower Seeds
America’s favorite in-shell sunflower seeds are delicious and fun to eat anytime, anywhere, but the launch of their Jumbo Seeds is accompanied by a variety of new flavors, including Bar-B-Q, Ranch, and Chili Lime. It also exhibits new, portable packaging for convenient on-the-go enjoyment!
Dole Mixed Fruit Bowls
While most other fruit bowls contain fruit in syrup or other artificial sweeteners, Dole’s Mixed Fruit Bowls offer a healthier option, with all-natural fruit in 100% fruit juice. Awarded the 2011 Chefs Best Award for Best Taste, Dole’s Fruit Bowls are the perfect choice for a quick, healthy snack at home, in the office, or on-the-go.
Orville Redenbacher Pop up Bowl
The unique design of Orville Redenbacher’s Pop up Bowl demonstrates innovation at its finest: a microwave popcorn bag that opens on the side and morphs into a perfect popcorn bowl. By cutting out a buttery bag that only causes a greasy mess, this product has addressed the strong consumer need for convenience and simplification, ultimately revolutionizing your typical popcorn-eating experience.
Velveeta Cheesy Skillets
To address hectic family schedules during the back-to-school season, Kraft launched a new line of just-add-meat dinner kits that grant parents convenience and ease in the kitchen, allowing them to whip up a non-microwavable meal in no time. It solves the problem of wanting a home cooked meal, but not having a lot of time to prepare it. A pouch of Velveeta to mix in the meal is easier than mixing in powder, milk and butter, making this a quicker and easier option over other boxed meal kits.
Velveeta and its parent company, Kraft, have earned a reputation for introducing products that provide families with convenience and ease in the kitchen. Building on Velveeta’s popular quick and easy meals, the new Velveeta Cheesy Skillets are creating a buzz. The difference between the new introduction and Velveeta’s past dinner products is that moms and dads can whip up a “real” non-microwaved meal for the family in no time. Kraft is targeting busy moms during back to school season, when hectic schedules necessitate quick and easy meals.
In the commercial, a suburban mom is abruptly greeted by a man dressed as a 19th century blacksmith holding an iron skillet and a box of Velveeta Cheesy Skillets as she attempts to leave the house to pick up dinner. The spokesman guides her hands while she prepares the meal in a way that is reminiscent of the famous pottery scene in the movie Ghost, all the while speaking in an olde English accent. Another Commercial portrays a mom attempting to prepare a meal in the microwave as the 19th century blacksmith appears yet again and stops her. He proclaims, “Reject these cold technology contraptions. Would you want the shoes of your horse forged in a microwave? Your Stove: Use it!”
Velveeta promoted Cheesy Skillets via their Facebook page where visitors could take a poll on which of the four flavors is their favorite, while reading up on a product description of each.
Along with television ads, Facebook, and YouTube, Velveeta is also activating one of the most effective tools in promoting a new product: word of mouth. Through promotions that encourage hosting a Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party, the brand is hoping to promote trial and create a buzz by asking people to upload their house party photos to the Facebook page.
With the school year in full swing, it will be interesting to see if Velveeta’s new launch and ad campaign are persuasive enough to take market share away from competitors like Hamburger Helper and make it to family dinner tables.
For more than a decade, children have enjoyed the famous Goldfish crackers from Pepperidge Farm (smiling Goldfish crackers were launched by Schneider Associates many years ago) Now, Pepperidge Farm is leveraging their smiling Goldfish equity by launching Goldfish Sandwich Bread- the bread that smiles back.
The bread comes in three varieties: Soft White, Soft 100% Whole Wheat, and Soft Honey Whole Wheat. All three contain no high fructose corn syrup and boast 3 grams of fiber per serving for only 120 calories. Not to mention, the bread is completely crust-free, ensuring that the pickiest eaters will have no reason to dislike it.
“We are excited to offer kids and the young at heart a fun and healthful new way to enjoy their favorite sandwiches,” Maureen Linder, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fresh and Frozen Bakery at Pepperidge Farm said in a press release from the company.
To celebrate the launch, Pepperidge Farms conducted a national survey to unveil the hidden troubles of making lunches. In “The Shape of Sandwiches” survey, they found that parents often find making lunches difficult and even frustrating. Nine out of 10 moms revealed that their children find their sandwiches more appealing if the bread is cut into fun and creative shapes and sizes, and are more likely to eat them. 50% of mothers participating in the survey revealed that their children have requested triangular sandwiches while 23% revealed that their children have wanted their food in shapes of faces. Pepperidge farm created a product based on a unique consumer insight, fitting into the recent trend of Customer Calibration™ that we have been seeing.
Aside from the survey, Pepperidge Farms also participated in Evo ’11, a three-day social media conference for women in Park City, Utah, to showcase their new bread. They provided lunch for the conference on Friday, July 8th, where the new sandwich bread was a featured product. A photo op included a scenic picnic backdrop and a blow-up replica of the Goldfish mascot, Finn. Participant pictures were all uploaded onto the official Pepperidge Farms Facebook page.
So far, the reviews for Goldfish Sandwich Bread have been positive, which is no surprise considering the brand developed the product based on consumer insights. Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Could be.
Another product on the MMNPL radar is a new snack from Nabisco.
As if the Double Stuf Oreos are not tasty enough, in August, Nabisco launched what may be their most indulgent Oreo ever – the Triple Double. With one layer of original crème stuffing and one layer of chocolate stuffing sandwiched between three cookie wafers, the Triple Double delivers deliciousness with 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per cookie.
A creative new entrant to the Oreo family, the Triple Double seems to have the appropriate qualities of a popular consumer trend that is currently taking the U.S. by storm: Multi-layered foods have been the center of some other recent launches, like Taco Bell’s Triple Steak Burrito and Trident Layers Gum. The 2011 Sweet and Snacks Expo also reported that candy with dual layers and multiple-flavor profiles in one bite were two of the top candy trends this year. Food that is designed in multiples may not appeal to the health conscious, but instead may attract those looking for a small indulgence with 100 calories (two other trends from last year, which we saw in the annual Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey).
To support the Triple Double launch, Nabisco called on the “Double Stuf Racing League,” a dream team comprised of celebrity athletes Shaquille O’Neal, Eli Manning, Venus Williams and Apolo Ohno. In 2008, the DSRL took part in TV advertisements for the Double Stuf Oreo, where they competed to achieve the fastest Oreo-eating time. Now, the DSRL Team is returning for the Triple Double. Fans can expect more twist-and-lick racing as TV ads air this month, with the challenging twist offering up the slogan: “Are You Game?”
“Now that I am retired I can spend more time perfecting my twist, lick and dunk skills, and with an added layer of creme and a third cookie, it’s clear that I am going to need the practice,” said O’Neal.
As part of an online campaign, Oreo has also launched a series of games via their company website. Participating fans will have the chance to win a trip to attend a sports event and have a meet-and-greet with one of the DSRL team members.
The use of famous athletes may help to counter negative perceptions of a fatty indulgence like the Triple Double, or it may simply coincide with the recent competitive eating interest generated by food-challenge reality shows, like Man vs. Food. Will the Triple Double be a slam-dunk for Nabisco? Only time will tell.
Schneider Associates (SA) is a full service public relations firm that specializes in Launch Public Relations®. SA launches products, services, companies, and communities for clients ranging from entrepreneurial firms to the nation's largest corporations. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Sentient Decision Science
Sentient Decision Science was created to bring the visionary advances from the behavioral sciences to the business community in a practical and accessible format in order to move global business forward. Sentient's mission is to become the most sought after resource for behavioral insight by providing unrivaled business advantage to their clients and advancing human knowledge on the drivers of behavior.CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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