Lifestyle

Bad Product Launches by Billion-Dollar Companies: Where’s the Beef? Right Here.

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Tony Maples Photography

 

A number of bad marketing gimmicks and schemes have been thrown the way of consumers over the years that make us wonder just how gullible large companies think we are. If you’ve longed for the days when you could simply get a cup of coffee instead of some triple caffeine-latte-mocha conglomeration, you’re not alone. And, ad-makers that treat us like we’re sheep – and baby sheep at that, not sheep with college educations – could take a day off from trying to lead us to the trough of American consumerism by funneling inane ideas our way. What’s with the bad product launches and pushy marketing schemes?

Bad Product Launches by Billion-Dollar Companies: Where’s the Beef? Right Here.

Photo: Facebook/Monsters Unlimited

As an example of just how absurd things are getting, Fox Business recently reported on the fact that KFC (formerly recognized by anyone older than 15 as “Kentucky Fried Chicken”) was launching a chicken sandwich into space. The price tag that goes with launching a chicken sandwich into space could help provide healthy meals to those here on Earth that could really use it. Now, there’s a good marketing gimmick. When did we cross a line from inventive to inane? When did the “Where’s the beef?” commercial just not cut it anymore? For those that are unsure of that reference, it was a 1980s ad from Wendy’s acknowledging that other fast food joints had reduced their burger patties so much, there was almost no beef!

Bad Product Launches by Billion-Dollar Companies: Where’s the Beef? Right Here.

Photo: Facebook/Bidness Etc

Humor and inventiveness, together with ingenuity, engage consumers. However, some things that are being invented and marketed are insulting us and, as a whole, we’re allowing them to. Companies trying to come up with “bigger, brighter, better,” are sometimes missing the mark completely. Remember Clairol’s Touch of Yogurt shampoo? They thought it was a product that spoke to the “back to nature” set. Instead, there were some consumers that were so confused by its marketing, they actually…well…consumed it! That’s right. They ate the shampoo.

Bad Product Launches by Billion-Dollar Companies: Where’s the Beef? Right Here.

Photo: Facebook/104.9 The Fox

In addition, right here in the Lone Star State, Frito-Lay, based in Plano, Texas, releases new flavors annually to consumer catchments that we’re scratching our heads over. Cappuccino-flavored chips? Wasabi Ginger? Wasabi-with-that? Now the genius that came up with 2015’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy potato chips in Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” contest is someone after our own hearts! You rock Hailey Green, wherever you are! Ever heard of any bad product concepts and ideas? Tell us what you think.

Source:

The Dallas Morning News/GuideLive

247wallst.com

USA Today