The economy is cooling, and more Americans are deciding that "less is more". Not only are many of us giving up the McMansions with the granite countertops and gourmet kitchens, we are giving up the fancy food we used to cook in them as well. Companies are beginning to take notice:
A growing number of food manufacturers are showing the staples in their portfolio a little more love these days in an attempt to remind frugal gourmets of the basics.
How basic? Think butter and canned goods.
Del Monte is rolling out its first television campaign for its canned fruits and vegetables in a decade. The campaign, which is called “Stretch Your Dollar,” not surprisingly stresses a value message, and is aimed at consumers who want to eat healthy on the cheap.
According to Brandweek, Del Monte will spend $2 million on the effort this spring and another $13 million in September. Last year, the company spent only $5 million advertising its shelf-stable fruits and vegetables.
Land o’ Lakes also is going no frills. In recent years, the company has pitched its spreadable butter, but now it’s advertising its basic butter for the first time in 10 years.
Del Monte and Land o’ Lakes are not alone, new ads are airing for a number of products you may not have thought of in years: Hamburger Helper, Kool-Aid drink mix, Spam, and Dinty Moore stew, among others.
So what does it matter what Americans have in their grocery cart?
No government, not even one possessing the world’s reserve currency, can disburse enough money to replace the average unremarked consumer. It is the everyday decisions of American households that matter not the grand schemes of Washington .
As Americans, we are developing a cheap streak, and it seems unlikely that any plan of Washington is going to change that.
But enough of this- I think I’ll go fix myself some mac and cheese.
Note what is being advertised: name brands. We, the wily consumers, will go them one better and buy generic.
Remember generic products? They were quite popular when I was growing up in the sixties and seventies.
And, yes, Igor, we are trying to beat your magic word, inflation.
Generic were popular in the 1970s? For me and my family generics have always been popular. The only canned goods I can think that we buy name brands regardless of costs are ketchup and canned corn. as for the twice a year I buy ketchup and the 20 cans of canned corn – I will fork out the extra $5.
As for really being frugal – skipped the prepared foods and use lots of whole grains, dried beans and vegetables.
I’m home with the kids and my wife is developing the new marketing campaign for Schooner Tuna.
seems it will be a hit.
Del -
Didn’t at first realize it was “real” in the imaginary sense. Anyway, you’re gonna have a slight glitch in our market: Sorry Charlie!
we started buying more generic than we already bought, about a year ago (mac n cheese, varieties of rice, etc). i agree on the ketchup though…..i’ll grab the heinz every time. growing up though, it was ALWAYS generic. we struggled so when i was older and could get the actual hostess, cheerios, kraft etc., i have to admit that i did think the name brands were superior. these days though, we buy much more quantity than quality. i have my wife alloctaing so much $ per trip to boxed/canned goods for storage. i think it scared her a bit (not sure if it was the thought of a depression or the fact that her husbands one of those “nuts”) but she comes home from every grocery run with extra canned goods these days.