August 10, 2007
Peter Pan Attempts to Regain Magic
Peter Pan peanut butter is in the process of making a comeback. The brand, which was forced into a national recall after it was discovered that some product was contaminated with salmonella, is going back onto store shelves with a packaging redesign and 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on the label.
"Consumer and retailer demand for Peter Pan has been very strong, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of their loyal following," said David Palfenier, president, Grocery, ConAgra Foods, in a press release.
According to ConAgra, 80 percent of those who used to buy Peter Pan peanut butter plan to purchase the product when it goes back onto store shelves. The brand’s top 30 accounts have committed to slotting the product into store planograms, according to ConAgra. The company said three of its top five customers have actually increased distribution of Peter Pan.
Mr. Palfenier said the company planned to offer free jars of the peanut butter to all that contacted it during the recall. Other consumers would get a $1-off coupon to get them to give Peter Pan a try.
"We are obviously deeply concerned for those consumers who were affected by Peter Pan and are taking, I’d say, extraordinary efforts to make that right," he told The Associated Press.
Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety, worked with ConAgra to make sure a repeat of the salmonella incident never happens again.
"It’s probably the best peanut butter processing plant in the world" in terms of safety, he told the AP.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 625 people in 47 states were stricken by salmonella poisoning connected to Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. ConAgra faces a number of lawsuits in connection to the case.
Discussion Questions: What is your assessment of what Peter Pan peanut butter faces as it returns to store shelves? Is ConAgra taking the right approach to reintroducing the brand to consumers? What should retailers be doing as Peter Pan makes its return?
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Brand equity is a wonderful thing. Many famous brands have been successfully resurrected after they were thought to be dead.
Peter Pan has been around for over 75 years. Many of us grew up with it. More importantly, many of today’s moms grew up with it as kids.
The recall was certainly a serious issue, but one which fades with time and may not even be strongly associated with the Peter Pan name. Look at the more recent spinach scare. Does anyone remember which brands of packaged spinach were recalled?
It sounds like ConAgra has already managed to regain distribution, which may have been the more difficult barrier. The consumer will judge it based on the perceived value it offers versus other peanut butter brands.
Nothing’s tougher than making a comeback after a safety issue. J&J is still wrestling with this more than a decade after the Tylenol scare.
However, I think ConAgra should reintroduce the product. It’s an old, well thought of brand and people may be willing to forgive if they see the company taking steps to do the right thing. This means continuing to insure people that Peter Pan, which is something of an icon in consumers’ pantries, is a product they can continue to rely on. Not easy but it can be done. But don’t abandon the brand–you’re only admitting guilt and failure.
There have been so many other stories since then, I’d almost forgotten about this one–and I wouldn’t be surprised if most consumers have too.
ConAgra is certainly working hard to both address what happened and demonstrate that they are committed to preventing something like this from ever happening again.
The only thing I wonder about is whether redesigning the packaging is a good idea. After being off the shelf so long, I would think you would want something that consumers are used to looking for. Otherwise, even if consumers want to buy it and it’s on the shelf, if they don’t “see” it, it’s as if the product was never there….
Years ago, Tylenol was recalled, yet the brand’s franchise didn’t suffer. I agree with Nikki: changing the label might be suboptimal. People like to reach for the familiar.
Reintroduction of a well known brand after a recall requires skilled communications to consumers as well as retailers. Trust is earned over time. Unless consumer research shows otherwise, I would keep the same name and logo for Peter Pan.
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Brand equity is a wonderful thing. Many famous brands have been successfully resurrected after they were thought to be dead.
Peter Pan has been around for over 75 years. Many of us grew up with it. More importantly, many of today’s moms grew up with it as kids.
The recall was certainly a serious issue, but one which fades with time and may not even be strongly associated with the Peter Pan name. Look at the more recent spinach scare. Does anyone remember which brands of packaged spinach were recalled?
It sounds like ConAgra has already managed to regain distribution, which may have been the more difficult barrier. The consumer will judge it based on the perceived value it offers versus other peanut butter brands.
Nothing’s tougher than making a comeback after a safety issue. J&J is still wrestling with this more than a decade after the Tylenol scare.
However, I think ConAgra should reintroduce the product. It’s an old, well thought of brand and people may be willing to forgive if they see the company taking steps to do the right thing. This means continuing to insure people that Peter Pan, which is something of an icon in consumers’ pantries, is a product they can continue to rely on. Not easy but it can be done. But don’t abandon the brand–you’re only admitting guilt and failure.
There have been so many other stories since then, I’d almost forgotten about this one–and I wouldn’t be surprised if most consumers have too.
ConAgra is certainly working hard to both address what happened and demonstrate that they are committed to preventing something like this from ever happening again.
The only thing I wonder about is whether redesigning the packaging is a good idea. After being off the shelf so long, I would think you would want something that consumers are used to looking for. Otherwise, even if consumers want to buy it and it’s on the shelf, if they don’t “see” it, it’s as if the product was never there….
Years ago, Tylenol was recalled, yet the brand’s franchise didn’t suffer. I agree with Nikki: changing the label might be suboptimal. People like to reach for the familiar.
Reintroduction of a well known brand after a recall requires skilled communications to consumers as well as retailers. Trust is earned over time. Unless consumer research shows otherwise, I would keep the same name and logo for Peter Pan.