The Brandcast

Editor’s Note:
The following piece was co-written by Lisa and Nicole, a creative/account dynamic duo.

So I’m minding my own business, casually thumbing through one of my favorite fashion magazines, when I come across an attractively designed advertisement that uses rich royal purple and gold coloring. The headline reads, “KING OF PRAWNS.” I was intrigued. So I scanned down to the line that sat below a paragraph of copy, which read: “NEW PRINGLES GOURMET”. OK, further intrigued, I see the word PRINGLES, then GOURMET. I study the unfamiliar purple cans labeled with the words PRINGLES and GOURMET. After reading the entire ad I discovered the new four flavors of this product line are: Tiger Prawn & Crushed Garlic; Thai Sweet Chili and Lemongrass; Flame-Grilled Steak & Caramelized Onion; and Sea Salt & Black Pepper.

I immediately pondered the pleasantry of these savory combinations, and wondered how the flavor of seafood supposedly makes a product gourmet. Sure, the package has been dressed up to appeal to a more mature, adult consumer. But will loyal “Once you pop, you can’t stop!” consumers respond positively to this metamorphosis? Is the consumer of this childhood favorite even familiar with the flavors of these ingredients? Or maybe they are attempting to offer a tasty treat to a foodie? But would any self-described, self-respecting Food Network ‘foodie’ fall for a product just because it is labeled GOURMET?

I wondered if my interpretation was skewed, so I consulted the dictionary for a proper explanation: GOURMET: (Adj.) food which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented, high-quality food.

So I felt troubled that this product appeared to be disguising itself as a high-value, premium product. And this isn’t just Pringles—‘gourmet’ is one of the fast growing consumer food and beverage trends, I shared my observation with Nicole, my colleague here at Concentric. She too questioned the validity of the increased use of ‘gourmet’ on food & beverage products… and how good a ‘steak and onion’ chip could really taste.

To find answers, we took a field trip to an average, non-specialty grocery store and purchased a half dozen brands that offered a product in both a “original” and “gourmet” style. We brought them back to the office and carefully studied the packaging, aroma, appearance, taste, price and target audience of all comparisons. With our in depth research findings and our stomachs aching, we went to our laptops to answer the one question we found ourselves debating:

Is the word GOURMET inappropriately used?

Lisa Says:
I am 33 year old female who has lived, traveled and worked in over 10 countries; I am an art director and image consultant, I earn a living based on my eye for aesthetics; I have co-owned a specialty Italian food & wine shop; I started cooking as a toddler and currently date a chef. So yes, (big surprise) in my opinion the word ‘gourmet’ has become the new EXTREME. The word extreme became watered down and menacing because of it’s excessive use on everything from gum to dating! When the word gourmet is placed on products that contain ingredients like dehydrated potatoes, maltodextrin and emulsifier: E 471, one can be sure it is quickly on it’s way of becoming indistinct. I have no issues with products that use descriptors like select or premium. What our simple research and comparison testing of a handful of brands “original” and “gourmet” versions, revealed that while I felt nine out of ten didn’t warrant the use of the word ‘gourmet’ in the name, most products proved that there was an improved quality of ingredients, appearance and/or flavor.

I think there are a few variables that are big enablers to the sales and of such pseudo-gourmet products. First there’s the packaging–the ‘gourmet’ versions get specialty VIP treatment. They tend to use more stylized lettering, some higher quality materials and unique packaging shapes.

I noticed many products advertise the name of an idyllic foreign country. Does the country of origin of one or more ingredients have that loyal a follower? Italian Pasta? Russian Caviar? I believe that an average consumer does choose between products based on one or more ingredients’ country of origin, because the exotic nature of such implies a value-added purchase. For example: spices. How would one choose between Bay Leaves and Turkish Bay Leaves? While Turkish Bay Leaves sound more exotic, it might be a compulsory purchase, just for the packaging. In some cases the advertisement of the country of origin, such as Turkey, does not effectively communicate a higher value added product. Especially for the novice—how would one distinguish between the two—and is there really a difference?

One of my favorite things is sharing my knowledge of food with others and introducing the endless possibilities for exciting culinary experiences. But that doesn’t mean that it has to come from an expensive package or fancy store. It means preparing a meal with the freshest quality ingredients. To me, it is the marriage of these quality ingredients that make a “gourmet” food, not the “gourmet” food that makes a meal. Buon Appetito!

Nicole Says:
As we scoured our local grocery store for comparative items, we found specialty items labeled with and without a ‘Gourmet” connotation. As lunchtime grew nearer, I took a closer, comparative look at each of the specialty/non-specialty items with the following criteria in mind:

Does the specialty product have higher quality ingredients?

Is the preparation somehow different or better?

Are the tastes and flavors more sophisticated?

I won’t bore you with all of the details of my analysis, but I think that a few observations are noteworthy.

First, I think that all of us can agree that a boxed, dry pasta salad will more than likely not be considered a gourmet item by anyone, and it’s gourmet title in this particular case is silly. After examining McCormick Bay leaves, I saw no difference in the quality or taste of the product and found myself wondering if there was a major difference between those and a “Turkish” bay leaf.

Despite the above disappointment, there were two instances where I found all three of my criteria met. After comparing regular Lipton Hot Tea with a new premium White Tea (with peach and mango flavor), I was very pleasantly surprised by the fact that the tea was obviously a higher grade of tea (apparent by comparing the leaves), it’s preparation with REAL bits of orange leaves and lemongrass was far superior to that of a regular flavored tea, and the ‘island flavors’ were developed for a far more distinguished palate. I was also delighted to find that Quaker’s “Supreme” Oatmeal was of a far better cut (thicker oats) had an added ingredient of real pecans, and the flavors were much more intense of that than their regular oatmeal.

One thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t a cut and dry issue. The word isn’t always going to be used in the appropriate manner (i.e. boxed pasta salad), and consumers need to be on the lookout for products that are truly of a higher quality, and just those that are “dressed up” with fancy packaging and a higher price. All in all, I think it’s very exciting to see specialty products for a more discerning consumer available for everyone at the local grocery store. I think that more manufacturers need to consider bringing ‘gourmet’ to the everyday shopping experience, and can feel good about labeling their product without it being simply a marketing scheme.