CONSUMERS STILL WANT IT THEIR WAY…AND HEINZ WANTS TO OBLIGE

If you thought your customer would come around to his or her senses and want to be like everyone else, you were wrong. It seems the independent spirit that boomers sought to foster in their off-springs is fermented into their psyches. That may be the reason that young people don’t like anything they see in triplicate. They disdain marketers who see them as part of generation X, Y or Z and they seem to adore clothing and accessory manufactures who nurture their uniqueness.

That could be the reason there is a demand for limited run production and one-of-a-kind accessories. But how do you do that in the headwear industry? It is hard, but it is not hard to create new styles that other companies don’t have. It is good to have embroidery machines in-stores, like Lids has in Manhattan, as well as novelty pins and patches that customers can buy to sew on their hats. The rebel is the reformed here.

To show they are one of the good guys, Heinz Ketchup has a new promotion. They are offering consumers the opportunity to buy ketchup with custom-made labels that they design for themselves (MyHeinz.com). You are allowed up to three lines of copy imprinted on the labels. The ketchup is then shipped directly to the customer (at a charge of $6 a bottle).

The only rule is nothing can be libelous, defamatory, pornographic, unlawful, racially or ethnically offensive, harassing or profane.