Kraft: We admit the new Vegemite name sucked and we’re changing it

Genius.

I hope everyone votes for iSnack 2.0 just to fuck with Kraft.

I wonder if they could of turned it into a ‘Whopper off the menu stunt’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqlRyJwKctk

You have got to feel sorry for Dean Robbins, the guy who came up with the idea for the name. At first you think you are a legend for getting the new name and then the whole of Australia hates you and your stupid idea.

So basically, “crowdsourcing didn’t work, so we’re going to crowdsource for something new”. Whatever happened to ‘once bitten…’? 🙂

‘The new name has simply not resonated with Australians. Particularly the modern technical aspects associated with it.’

Modern technical aspects my arse. It’s just a flat out shit name! So, who’s getting fired? Surely heads will, roll, agencies sacked etc. What a total f#uck up.

Have they got interns running the marketing department over there?

Oh god, please can we vote for iSnack 2.0 again? That would be genius.

I wonder if shitemite will make it into the final list?

It’s not that crowdsourcing failed. Plenty of reasonable names have been suggested by the crowd both in the competition and since Saturday.

It’s not Dean’s fault that the entire marketing division of a major corporation didn’t have the brains to reject his fairly bad idea.

The new name … iSnack 3.6

“This product will be distributed around Australia, and will continue to be sold in supermarkets for months to come – until Australia decides upon a new name.”

Sounds like a threat to me.

So it got them lots of free promotion, but I really hope this backfires — Kraft don’t deserve for this to go well.

-p

JUST PAY BAKER’S DELIGHT FOR CHEESYMITE AND BE DONE WITH IT.

iSnack 3.0 – give it an upgrade.

Love Leslie Nassar’s comment, genius!

Shall we take it on board and make it a Mumbrella campaign??

I smell a really obvious PR stunt brewing. Let’s hope it backfires and everyone teaches them a lesson by voting for iSnack 3.0

Bullshit it wasn’t a publicity stunt.

Reads like ‘phase 3’ of the campaign to me. Phase 1, get lots of UGC submissions. Phase 2, pick a really crap submission so everyone goes nuts. Phase 3, now Australia is watching, let’s ask them to pick the People’s Choice.

Either that or Kraft’s well salaried marketing team really was dumb enough to pick iSnack 2.0? Can that possibly be true?

My head hurts.

I agree with Leslie Nassar “I hope everyone votes for iSnack 2.0 just to fuck with Kraft.’

Vote for “Betamite”! Please re-tweet 🙂

it’s the iSnack2.0 we had to have

I’m starting to think this is a piece of accidental genius now.

I’ve searched within myself and I am 90% sure i want to own a jar of iSnack 2.0. It’s like a Warhol soup can for the noughties. I’m 100% sure when i see it in a supermarket i will take notice of it and laugh. It’s going to be interesting to see if the 500,000 iSnack 2.0 branded jars sell well.

That said, it should still be renamed. My suggestion of Supermite was always the winner.

“The new name has simply not resonated with Australians. Particularly the modern technical aspects associated with it.” – there is nothing particularly modern about the ‘i’ prefix, Apple had been doing it for years and if anything it’s a bit passe now (though I wonder if perhaps Kraft’s backdown is acting on legal advice over the use of the ‘i’ prefix!!?!) And “2.0” might have been a buzz term in IT circles a year or so ago it just isn’t clever or relevant for a mainstream sandwich spread

@Leslie Nassar You had myself and the two other partners here literally laughing out loud with that suggestion. That would REALLY show them the fickle nature of social media people, wouldn’t it?

It’s definitely tempting…

@ Ben Shepherd – don’t think anyone’s being smug here. Just incredulous at the gravity and scale of this screw up. How could a major marketer such as Kraft get this so so wrong? Logic suggests they didn’t even bother to test the new name, else they would have quickly discovered the name did not ‘resonate’.

Oh hai, we pwned ourselves. Whoopsie! Mmmm, ‘kay, since y’all hate it so much, we’ll change it!!
ROFLMAO (and snorting from laughing so hard).

Bring on V2.

Definitely a publicity stunt – give us a break!

you’ve all been had. it’s just one big vegemite sandwich of a pr angle. It will be, and has always been intended to be, called vegemite.

And by the way it tastes crapper than the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7aM-VH9eS0

Well this is what Hitler thinks of it….

Oh, Andrea. I just can’t wait until you are proven wrong.

Of course they are announcing a back peddle within days of revealing the name. Have you read some of the comments on news sites? On Twitter? Geez, even on this site.

Kraft had no idea of the wave of resentment this name would build. Now they have no choice but admit their mistake, and fix it.

Great case study though.

Can’t add much more to what’s been said here – what a debacle. If they got 48k entries why didn’t they ask the punters to vote for the name they liked best?

@Ben Shepherd – agree. @Scott Pettet – 1) we’re talking about a snack spread here. 2) as a PR pro, why bother slating the apparent lack of research when the result is a fantastic PR opportunity and increased sales?

buy a jar of iSnack now.. it mite be worth something in 3000 years.

Shame they caved to the whingers – seriously people, you’d think someone killed your mother! It’s a spread in a jar FFS!! I don’t like the name, but I also don’t like McAngus, Whopper and life goes on and I still eat them.

In a few months time, when they are ready to spend millions on another re-brand (which the whingers will hate anyway) everyone would have gotten used to iSnack 2.0!

I’m getting kind of tired of this mob mentality – chill out people – there are some real issues out there to get fired up about!

@ Elissa – and the good news is that it probably will still be edible…

The whole thing has been a PR stunt from the start isnack 2.0 – who are they kidding, like they would ever use that! Still a really good use of the medium and engagement with the demographic they were trying to reach, well done to the team behind this!

Even a ‘new’ named version of this 2-in-1 spread runs the fundamental risk of cannibalising the Original – pass these marketers (?) a copy of the New Coke case history ASAP.

What soft cocks. Shame on Kraft for not sticking to thier guns. I agree with what Mzjaygee said.

Kraft know the product passed the taste test, was the name really going to stop people from buying it? Rubbish.

New name for Kraft: Soft Cocks.

@ Ben Shepherd – I’m not so sure, mate.

Whilst the comments may be harsh and tricky to digest in your position, but really, iSnack 2.0?

I look forward to the next name line up.

Cheers

Guy Munro

*silently weeping*

Check this out!: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.a.....-gc2s.html

Brilliance. All the talk about the stupid name and nothing about the horrible contents lurking within. AND they get to recruit more people through the horror evoked.

Maybe they could give “PARWILL” another bash??

Basically Kraft has made a recently non-existent food spread a talking point and well known in millions of households. They will sell trainloads of the stuff too.

Whether intentional or not, they will win, and you marcomms hacks who lurk Mumbrella forums for potential clients or in absence of something constructive to do, lose.

Kraft cheesy spread? The name Smegma comes to mind or is that a Mitsubishi Panel Van?

My Photoshop Tribute to iSnack 2.0 – the ad you’ll never see. http://www.twitpic.com/jozdm

We’ve had a “Spredgemite/Spreadgemite” hashtag on Twitter since July 20th.

Even a “Spredgemite…start spreading the word” line running for around the same time.

How about Edgemite?

Cartman and friends tried to help. Have a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlyX3PL82xM

Vegebored!!!

There’s my new name suggestion, can we move on please!!

2-right-mite

@ Gavin Herron – the idea that all publicity is good publicity is, in my view, incorrect. Therefore, I don’t believe this is a ‘fantastic PR opportunity’ at all.

Prompting such a strong consumer backlash against a brand surely damages the brand in the long run.

i think it should have been cheesy mite its more aussie aww and they say it has cheese in it rather than some weird as name lol

Marmite’s much better anyway… always has been, always will be

Mr Mumbrella – perhaps you can include an update to let people know that Cheeseymite is a Baker’s Delight brand and NO, Kraft can’t use that for this new product.

Saves people suggesting it over and over again. I mean, seems they aren’t reading the comments!

For God’s sake, its a snack food, get over it Kraft!
Wonder what the second coming of Jesus would be branded as?
iJesus2.0?

great rebrand could be i8AP.00

What’s wrong with isuck2?

better start a new naming competition

How much coverage has this campaign generated for Vegemite? I say it has gone pretty well…

How many people will vote for a name a second time; more or less than before?

0.2 KCANS I…

it sounds like a wise investment choice Elissa 😉
I feel had!

The entire i-snack 2.0 is a huge PR stunt that has had the entire nation talking, will result in 2 massive media campaigns around the launch of the name of a new food product and if there was anyone who didnt know there was a ‘new’ Vegemite – they probably do now.

The giveaway had to be when they picked the crappiest name possible to be the so called winner…

Note to the Kraft Marketing team – if this isnt the case – just claim it was what you intended all along to save face…

new name should be Spreadgemite.

Heh saying it’s a publicity stunt and saying “lets boycott Kraft” or something along those lines, posting it on boards, gives massive search engine hits to the Kraft name. So being quiet would be the best ammo against them wouldn’t it, if you want them to fail?

I like the comment about “does Dean Robbins” really exist though heh. “Google him and it comes up with nothing”. He’s a mate of mine and a top bloke to boot. Whether you like the name or not shouldn’t reflect on him. It should purely reflect on the person or people in Kraft that decided on the name. It shouldn’t even reflect on Kraft as a whole company. It’s not a hive mind that plots these things as a whole.

I personally find the taste of the new stuff a bit weak, but for those who find the original too strong, this should suit them and I’m all for it. It’s not like they’re destroying vegemite. Hell, they’re even using a totally different name. Perhaps you could get angry if they called it “Vegemite 2.0” which signified an upgrade or something?!

@Linz, I agree that it’s not the naming guy’s fault – he said it was tongue in cheek. Heck, I submitted ‘Britney Spears’ as a flavour in the ‘Do us a flavour’ comp earlier in the year but they weren’t stupid enough to run with that.

Also, your last line is onto something. This site is full of supposed creative types, and the standard of names so far has been disastrous. Your ‘Vegemite 2.0’ would be an excellent compromise, it’s got a hat-tip to the iSnack one, without being so crap. It’s almost a piss-take of themselves and their stuff up, and I think it would go down well.

Any other voters for Vegemite 2.0??

“I have to say some of the comments make some of you look like real dickheads.

“entire marketing division of a major corporation didn’t have the brains to reject his fairly bad idea” ”

@Ben Shepherd, fiddlesticks.

1) I was pointing out that the blame didn’t belong with the bloke who entered the name into the competition.

2) Sure, I’ve put a big hunk of snark into this, but I’ve also been analytical, such as in this post at the just another pr blog, where I suggested what Kraft could do amongst my sarcasm, and I’ve also been pointing out since Saturday that the point of this marketing campaign should have been to re-inforce the idea that there was a new, lighter-tasting version of Vegemite out that you might like if the original version is too strong for you.

I’ve actually been contributing to the serious discussion as well as making sarcastic comments, so you might give credit where it’s due.

“I have to say some of the comments make some of you look like real dickheads.

“entire marketing division of a major corporation didn’t have the brains to reject his fairly bad idea” ”

@Ben Shepherd, fiddlesticks.

1) I was pointing out that the blame didn’t belong with the bloke who entered the name into the competition.

2) Sure, I’ve put a big hunk of snark into this, but I’ve also been analytical, such as in this post at the just another pr blog, where I suggested what Kraft could do amongst my sarcasm, and I’ve also been pointing out since Saturday that the point of this marketing campaign should have been to re-inforce the idea that there was a new, lighter-tasting version of Vegemite out that you might like if the original version is too strong for you.

I’ve actually been contributing to the serious discussion as well as making sarcastic comments, so you might give credit where it’s due.

Bother, stuffed up the link

this post at the just another pr blog

Im all for the Vegemite 2.0 Think thats the best suggestion so far, Keeping the original winners idea in hand but getting rid of the isnack crap!

I think it’s all very funny actually. And so are you lot! Enjoy the ride… But surely we can do better than “Veg 2.0” – how tired is that? What about “Vegi-lite” or “fat-snack” or “nutri-mite” or some such… there must be some decent suggestions in the 48,000…

I reckon a good name could be
“Lovemite”… the Cheesiest mite of ’em all?

Ben’s right everyone can work at not being smug & self important

http://www.google.com.au/searc.....#038;meta=

Let me guess, it’s now called I HopeU Snack xxx

I heard someone coin the phrase ‘Vegishite’

Is anyone other than Biffo the Bear in charge of ‘Marketing’ @ Kraft?

I am going to a lot of summer festivals in the next 6 months. I wonder what overpriced snacks I will be able to purchase at these events?
– Festi-mite?

I am off to Canberra this arvo and might get a little peckish and I am a politician:
– Poli-mite

This new stuff tastes a little lighter than the original:
– Light-mite

– Beach-mite

– Pod-mite

A ‘mite’ for every occasion, in snack form. I wish I would keep my ideas to myself sometimes, but hey ho – there you go Kraft…

As Julian Cole pointed earlier, Simon Talbot is speaking at the PRIA National Conference… talking about taking risks in social media. I’d suggest what they’ve done (intentional or not) is fairly measured risk taking. Keep in mind, it isn’t the real Vegemite product they’re playing around with and they’ve generated enormous publicity for the brand itself (easily reinforcing its position as one of Australia’s best loved products) and will continue to when this next round of public voting takes place (2 or 3 bites of la publicity cherry). Is all this hoola really going to stop someone replacing their depleted jar of Vegemite next week at Coles and switch to Marmite?

Sarah Thomas, I think you’ve missed the point of what Kraft should have been trying to achieve.

Their job was to remind potential new consumers that there is a new, light-tasting flavour of Vegemite they should try if they don’t like the strength of the original product.

Instead, they’ve spread the vague message that there’s a name change. This marketing campaign should have lifted sales. Merely not losing sales, if that happens, is a pretty poor return for the cost of launching your new line at the Grand Final.

1. iSnack 2.0 is a stupid name, someone made a bad decision

2. There’s no doubt they’ve poorly managed the PR fallout

3. I’ve spent more time reading, listening & talking about Vegemite in the last 48 hrs that I have in my entire life. Everyone is talking about it AND we’re all listening waiting for the new name…

4. There’s a chance they could pull off a fantastic response and, as we’re all actively talking & listening, more people will take notice than if this disaster hadn’t happened at all

If they pull it off there’s a chance more people will know about the new product & what it is that they could’ve hoped for response to a massive riot on mumbrella

Maybe the guy who devleoped the name can go out on his own and give iSnack 2.0 a life of its own. Talk shows, therapy, damages 🙂 …. Bring on the PiRanhas.

Has anyone noticed that Telstra is running a promotion right now called Telstra Mum 2.0.

Seems it’s not only the geniuses at Kraft that jump on that ‘let’s be cool and techno with the kids’ bandwagon, I suspect a certain digital agency of doing the same….

I didn’t even realise it had been named until it was un-named! No matter what it ends up, everyone in our house will keep calling it Spreadimite. Much easier to say than Spreadgemite or whatever it is other people were suggesting.

We want to know who will hang for this in Kraft.

I LIKE THE STUFF , PERHAPS THE NAMES WERE A BIT HARSH

@Simon: “I’ve spent more time reading, listening & talking about Vegemite in the last 48 hrs that I have in my entire life.”

The sign of a very succesful campaign to me mate. Vegemite hits the headlines and everyone is talking about it. An excellent PR campaign – hats off to the agency and to Kraft…

Oh dear. Seriously, anyone who buys into this shallow, intellectually lazy idea that ANY talk about a product is good for that product should answer this question:

A lot of people have been talking about Roman Polanski these last few days. Is that good or bad for him?

Kraft don’t get money when people talk about them. They get money when they sell their products. The ONLY thing they need to tell consumers is that there is a new type of Vegemite out that has a lighter taste. Discussion about anything else about Vegemite is a sign they’ve failed.

One thing I find quite amusing is that Australians worship Vegemite but they don’t realize that it is chocker block full of nasty additives & preservatives. It is everything but good for you. If you want to get all the benefits that a yeast extract offers then Marmite or some of the other mites will offer much more than the unhealthy Vegemite. In fact I find it incredibly naive and stupid that Australians give this junk food crap all the free advertising it does not deserve. It’s just feeding the pockets of the dirty executives and marketing teams that are sitting back behind their desks with their fat wallets grinning like Cheshire cats.

i thik if the money is what they wat then voldimite will get all the harry potter fans and it souds so awesome ………voldemite the spread whos name must ot be spoken

how about

Wtf i like the idea to pay bakers delight and name it cheesymite. y not name it jackomite – it started of black and now its getting whiter.!!!! mmmm cheese. i luurve da chheeeeeeeseeee!!!! 😛

once i smoked some weed once. but i rekon cheesymite would work. LOL and if not y not call it yermum mite cause ya never know what mite

i love seeing ad people fooled by good PR

cheesy mite is a good name for the delicious new vegemite
because it hase vegemite and cream cheese in it and I hope you think so to.