Thursday, July 16, 2009

Another Green Scam

You've all seen Oreo Cakesters at the grocery, right? These are soft, cake like Oreos that will make your butt expand at the speed of light. They come in four flavors.

In yesterday's grocery run, I picked up a couple of boxes. I noticed they were different in size. Then I noticed green areas printed on the smaller box. "New eco-improved box" it claims. The green areas on the box are strategically placed so that you cannot look at the box at any angle without seeing green.

The box is eco-friendly because it is slightly smaller. OK, a little less cardboard, a little less raw material used, a little less trash to be discarded. I'll agree with that.

If Nabisco's concern was to reduce trash, then that is enough of a goal and reward to justify the change.

If Nabisco's concern was lowering their costs, mission accomplished.

Either of those reasons by themselves should be enough of a reason for the company to have done this, and provided adequate ROI. But no ... they have to trumpet their achievement in bright green on the box, catching the consumer's eye, saying "buy me, I'm green!".

I'm sorry, but in MY OPINION, Nabisco was far more concerned with trying to generate a competitive advantage in sales vs. saving the planet. Now, in a capitalist society, there is nothing at all wrong with that. But, in Obama's USSA, someone at Nabisco should be going to jail over this.

1 comment:

Kath said...

Is "eco-improved" a word? No, I don't think so. I hate when they just make up stuff like you'll go ohhhhh, let me buy this, it's eco-improved!! Hey, if it's smaller, was it cheaper, or were the cakesters (another NEW word) smaller? I'm gaining weight just talking about this!

I think it's funny in the groc. I shop in the most, they have the cereal aisle facing the juice and then the chips and pretzels face the sodas and so on. Most of the aisles, of course, are related.

But in the last remodel they did, the cookies and crackers aisle faces the diaper aisle. So I guess while you're getting diapers, you might as well grab those Cakesters!!
I used to work retail, but I've never seen that one done before.