Vixen Strangely knocks it out of the park with her post on the Hostess bakery situation. This article gives a good breakdown of the Hostess situation, but I'd quibble with the characterization of the mergers-and-acquisition people as "vulture" capitalists. They're not vultures, they're parasites- they infest a seemingly healthy corporation and suck out all of the creamy goodness, leaving a drained husk. In this case, the parasites have finally killed off the host, or Hostess, if you will.
This post was adapted from a comment I posted on Vixen Strangely's "Rumproast" post. For the record, the last Twinkie I had was consumed about four or five years ago- it was deep-fried by the guy who invented the fried Twinkie, but what really stood out on the plate was the amazing berry sauce that was drizzled over the thing. Hold the Twinkie, give me a pint of that sauce! I've been to the Chip Shop numerous times since trying the fried Twinkie, but my preferred dessert is another Old Speckled Hen (better a speckled hen than a spotted dick).
To me, the much more interesting part of the Hostess saga is the lesson, endlessly repeated, that any business, no matter how successful, MUST pay attention to the evolving tastes and expectations of its customers. Blockbuster, Best Buy, Montgomery Wards - what people buy and how they buy and consume it changes over time, and a successful organization will evolve alongside their customers.
ReplyDeleteToxic packaged goodies and nutrition-free bread products became not only unpopular, but demonized. Now it may very well have been that the "Hostess" brand was permanently identified with these kinds of 'empty calories', but the fact that they didn't do anything significant with their product mix as sales volumes cratered was terrible business, but neither surprising nor uncommon...
Toxic packaged goodies and nutrition-free bread products became not only unpopular, but demonized. Now it may very well have been that the "Hostess" brand was permanently identified with these kinds of 'empty calories', but the fact that they didn't do anything significant with their product mix as sales volumes cratered was terrible business, but neither surprising nor uncommon...
ReplyDeleteYeah, funny how those poor decisions were made by the people who gave themselves raises and laid off the folks doing the actual work.
The number of consumers determined to go on eating retro-themed junk food as a token of tribal identity and a sign of pride in *not* changing their tastes has turned out to be smaller than the Hostess business model had assumed.
ReplyDeleteAlso I am disappoint by the lack of references to Seven American Nights.
ReplyDeleteJust the vision of a loaf of soft white
bread lying on a plate in the center of a small table: bread that retained the
fragrance of the oven (surely one of the most delicious in the world) though
it was smeared with gray mold.
It would be interesting to know the relative national sales volume of Hostess snack cakes and small, boutique cupcakes.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the tale would be told in that number alone...
I simply do not ingest things like Twinkies. Sure, it's filled with chemicals, but do I really want to live to 150.
ReplyDeleteI clicked on your Speckled Hen link expecting some fabulous dessert I've never heard of. Now I am sad.
I just ordered a tin of blondies and brownies from Dean and Deluca. *drool*
Here's a scrumptious cake.
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