Jay Minkoff, president and CEO of First Flavor, Inc., left the following comment today in hopes of clearing up some misconceptions about the ad his company helped create for Welch's:
As the president of First Flavor, the company bringing this Peel 'n Taste product to market, there is a major correction to the WSJ article: This is not about Lickable Ads. Welch's used the term 'lick' in their ad and no one seems to have bothered to read the fine print.First, I want to thank Jay for his comment--it's always good to hear from those directly involved in the work discussed on SBB. I also want to give him major kudos from a PR perspective, since (unlike others who will go unmentioned) he clearly understands the role bloggers play in today's communication environment.
Our product, which can be attached to a print ad and peeled off, is a sealed tamper evident foil pouch containing a piece of edible film. (Similar to popular breath strips.) One peels opens the pouch and places the piece of edible film on your tongue. The edible film dissolves quickly leaving you with a burst of flavor. No licking involved!
The point that was really missed was that finally consumers now have a way of trying the taste of a product before they buy it. We call it taking a product for a 'Taste Drive'!
I think First Flavor is experiencing the double-edged sword that is free publicity. Most companies would salivate over the opportunity to get a story in the Wall Street Journal. However, if there are inaccuracies in the story, they spread just as fast as the accurate information. The original SBB post repeated a quote from Welch's that I think created the misunderstanding:
"A lot of people won't lick a magazine no matter how good it tastes," says Chris Heye, Welch's marketing chief.Heye may have considered his comment a throwaway, but it seems to have stuck with readers. After all, if you say "lick a magazine," that's pretty provocative...and provocative comments stick.
Now, Minkoff is working his tail off--on a Sunday, no less--to help others get things right. So in that same spirit, here are a couple links to show you how First Flavor's product really works:
- A description of First Flavor's Peel 'n Taste® Marketing System
- A video from ABC News
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3 comments:
Anthony, your comments are appreciated in helping set the story straight regarding First Flavor's revolutionary technology to bring the sense of taste to ad pages, supermarket shelves, direct mail and even on products!
The ad in the People Magazine is doing what the ad agency and Welch's wanted it to do...it's getting noticed. The concern I have is more with the coverage of the Peel 'n Taste product. The product does what it is supposed to do; it tastes like grape. The way the ad is worded is the issue, not the Peel 'n Taste sampler. When the reader or the consumer follows the directions on the back of the sampler, peels open the package , takes out the grape flavored strip, they will be impressed. This is of course if they like the taste of grape. ConGrats to Jay and his team for creating a good product. I hope to see many, many more of these in my magazines and in the mail. I would like to try and new flavor before I buy and this product lets me do just that.
The ad in the People Magazine is doing what the ad agency and Welch's wanted it to do...it's getting noticed. The concern I have is more with the coverage of the Peel 'n Taste product. The product does what it is supposed to do; it tastes like grape. The way the ad is worded is the issue, not the Peel 'n Taste sampler. When the reader or the consumer follows the directions on the back of the sampler, peels open the package , takes out the grape flavored strip, they will be impressed. This is of course if they like the taste of grape. ConGrats to Jay and his team for creating a good product. I hope to see many, many more of these in my magazines and in the mail. I would like to try a new flavor before I buy and this product lets me do just that.
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