Masterfoods caves into veggies!

[Shippou-Sensei]

i can't help but think this is something of an advertising success for mars...

 

[editor]

i can't help but think this is something of an advertising success for mars...

You think so? They're coming over as looking pretty stupid to me.

I imagine all that fiddling about with the recipe/suppliers/packaging has cost them a few quid too.

 

[chymaera]

Do Mars Bars have "suitable for vegetarians" on the label somewhere.
If they haven't I can't see what all the fuss is about. There are loads of drink and foodstuff sthat have animal derived products in them, including real ale unless it is specified otherwise.

 

[_angel_]

Do Mars Bars have "suitable for vegitarians" on the label somewhere.
If they haven't I can't see what all the fuss is about. There are loads of drink and foodstuff sthat have animal derived products in them, including real ale unless it is specified otherwise.

Labelling on alcohol and medicines would be handy also.

 

[chymaera]

Labelling on alcohol and medicines would be handy also.

Labelling on medicines is under review, as for labelling on real ale thankfully real ale suitable for vegetarians is labelled on the beer engine or the bottle as is organic beer. Which is fortunate for me as I can avoid both as they give me terrible flatulence.

 

[_angel_]

Labelling on medicines is under review, as for labelling on real ale thankfully real ale suitable for vegetarians is labelled on the beer engine or the bottle as is organic beer. Which is fortunate for me as I can avoid both as they give me terrible flatulence.

Haven't seen any on wines. Been on veggie website but they only seem to have assessed coop, tesco and sainsburies. Everything round here is Morries or Somerfield or Asda.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

You think so? They're coming over as looking pretty stupid to me.

I imagine all that fiddling about with the recipe/suppliers/packaging has cost them a few quid too.

the company may look foolish but it may well account for a boost in sales ... partly because it is free advertising to the fact mars is actually ok for vegetarians... partly just for the increase of the name in the public eye

a touch of Succès de scandale

 

[editor]

the company may look foolish but it may well account for a boost in sales ... partly because it is free advertising to the fact mars is actually ok for vegetarians... partly just for the increase of the name in the public eye

Hasn't made me want to rush out and buy any of their products. How about you?

 

[_angel_]

the company may look foolish but it may well account for a boost in sales ... partly because it is free advertising to the fact mars is actually ok for vegetarians... partly just for the increase of the name in the public eye

a touch of Succès de scandale

Hum I'm doubtful about this.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

the company may look foolish but it may well account for a boost in sales ... partly because it is free advertising to the fact mars is actually ok for vegetarians... partly just for the increase of the name in the public eye

a touch of Succès de scandale

But's it not totally okay for vegetarians. It was okay up until 1 May. And now at some point in the future it may be okay again.

But all those mars bars and other chocolate bars produced between 1 May 2007 and whenever they switch the production back to the veggie version are *not* okay for vegetarians.

The non-veggie version has already gone into production and is already out there. If you're a veggie, what are you going to do? Buy one and eat it knowing that it may or may not be veggie? Or play safe and buy a chocolate that you know is definitely veggie.

I think this isn't a PR success for Mars, it's more like a PR disaster.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

it was justr a cynical afterthought

you'd have to look into sales records to see if sale slump or increase after such an incident before really knowing if it was a benifit

 

[TAE]

They've certainly had a bunch of publicity. And I've just noticed a Mars advert on TV.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

i can't helpthinking that the descsion would have been one of profits not of moral imperitive and that they have only relased ayign they bowed to pressure for the PR ... no company gives a rats arse unless it is going to affect their profits 7 million veggies just isn't a big enough dent in their profit margins to have been the only deciding factor...

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

7 million veggies just isn't a big enough dent in their profit margins to have been the only deciding factor...

Actually it might be. Where's the bad PR in using stuff scraped from calves stomachs if 50 plus million eat stuff like that all the time?

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

Actually it might be. Where's the bad PR in using stuff scraped from calves stomachs if 50 plus million eat stuff like that all the time?

how many people know about the quality of mcdonals food or about the cancer causing chemicals in diet coke or the "quality" chicken breast in Kan't Find the Chicken the fat in trkey twislers etc yet they buy it anyway... cow gut in choclate bars .... being the deciding factor... come on...

 

[_angel_]

i can't helpthinking that the descsion would have been one of profits not of moral imperitive and that they have only relased ayign they bowed to pressure for the PR ... no company gives a rats arse unless it is going to affect their profits 7 million veggies just isn't a big enough dent in their profit margins to have been the only deciding factor...

You seem to contradict yourself in this post.

 

[editor]

Those grovelling full page ads from Masterfoods in the papers today must have cost a pretty penny too.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

...7 million veggies just isn't a big enough dent in their profit margins to have been the only deciding factor...

According to the Vegetarian Society there are 3 million veggies.

But if you add on top of that the muslims, hindus, jews, buddhists for whom it was no longer veggie/beef free/halal/kosher, then that adds a further 2.5 million.

So that's 5.5 million people who wouldn't be able to eat mars chocolate products for ethical/religious reasons.

That's around 10 per cent of the country's population for starters.

On top of that you've got the Jamie's School Dinner's brigade, all the people who have become much more conscious about the source of their food/ingredients who aren't particularly bothered on ethical or religious grounds, but might have the same reaction to bits of cows' stomachs in their chocolate bars as the reaction to animal nastiness in turkey twizzlers.

So you're talking about what? At least 10 per cent of the country's population out of the market for mars chocolate on religious/ethical grounds, and then another, what? 5 per cent? 10 per cent? who won't eat it on ickiness grounds.

That's a lot of people who can't/won't be eating mars chocolate. Disastrous business decision to wipe out maybe 15-20 per cent of your potential market.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

You seem to contradict yourself in this post.

no i dont' i'm saythign the prolly found out that rennet woud cost them more per unit that the veggie alternative or that they found a cheaper veggie alternative version which cost them less per unit... not that they gave a fuck about the financial impact of 7 million veggies as they already issued a statement saying it wouldn't affect all but the hardcore veggies thus showing what their thoughts are about that sector of the market.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

According to the Vegetarian Society there are 3 million veggies.

But if you add on top of that the muslims, hindus, jews, buddhists for whom it was no longer veggie/beef free/halal/kosher, then that adds a further 2.5 million.

So that's 5.5 million people who wouldn't be able to eat mars chocolate products for ethical/religious reasons.

That's around 10 per cent of the country's population for starters.

On top of that you've got the Jamie's School Dinner's brigade, all the people who have become much more conscious about the source of their food/ingredients who aren't particularly bothered on ethical or religious grounds, but might have the same reaction to bits of cows' stomachs in their chocolate bars as the reaction to animal nastiness in turkey twizzlers.

So you're talking about what? At least 10 per cent of the country's population out of the market for mars chocolate on religious/ethical grounds, and then another, what? 5 per cent? 10 per cent? who won't eat it on ickiness grounds.

That's a lot of people who can't/won't be eating mars chocolate. Disastrous business decision to wipe out maybe 15-20 per cent of your potential market.

of potential market yes but not world wide... i doubt there's a country int he world where you can't now buy a mars bar...

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

of potential market yes but not world wide... i doubt there's a country int he world where you can't now buy a mars bar...

Different subsidiaries in different countries. Yes, spread out over a global market the difference might not have been so noticeable, might have been a minor blip, but when it's wiping out perhaps 1/5th of the potential UK market and hitting the bottom line of a UK subsidiary, it would show up on their bottom line and in their statistics.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Those grovelling full page ads from Masterfoods in the papers today must have cost a pretty penny too.

A few grand for a company that makes billions? Can't see them feeling the pinch that much tbh...

 

[editor]

A few grand for a company that makes billions?

"A few grand"?!!! For full page adverts in national newspapers?!!

Methinks you need to check your sums, old chap.

 

[TAE]

I've not placed one in a long time how much do they cost these days ?

 

[WouldBe]

Veggie and non-veggie chocolate.

 

[Guineveretoo]

I got an apologetic email from Masterfoods today, which had an FAQ attached.

What I didn't know, and wish I still didn't, is that Twix, Bounty and Celebrations are not vegetarian.

Did everyone know that except me?

 

[editor]

I got an apologetic email from Masterfoods today, which had an FAQ attached.

What I didn't know, and wish I still didn't, is that Twix, Bounty and Celebrations are not vegetarian.

Did everyone know that except me?

Never eat any of 'em so I've never bothered to check!

 

[Guineveretoo]

I often eat Twix, and I love the dark chocolate Bounty, which you can rarely get these days.

My problem is that I am still boycotting Nestle, so Twix is a common snack for me!

I don't particularly like Mars bars - a bit too sickly for me - but I do like a twix

 

[_angel_]

I often eat Twix, and I love the dark chocolate Bounty, which you can rarely get these days.

My problem is that I am still boycotting Nestle, so Twix is a common snack for me!

I don't particularly like Mars bars - a bit too sickly for me - but I do like a twix

Same here. Surely they're saying they're using non animal rennet in all their products? But check the wrappers for the veggie sign I guess.