Well a while back McVities decided to change the packaging on some of its premium every day brands. Rather than a simple cellophane pack, the chocolate digestives, and chocolate HobNobs could also be purchased in cardboard tubes lined with a foil finish and topped off with a polythene lid. For those who want to buy their biscuits already cloaked in their own tin it's a good idea. The loyal Plain Chocolate HobNob people were given the ultimate test of their devotion when their biscuit and theirs alone became available solely in tubes and could no longer be bought in its sensible cellophane pack. So amazingly the biscuit which you voted into first place as your loyal favourite in our poll in which over two and half thousand of you took part as has been de-listed (they don't make them anymore). When we polled you on your thoughts about the tube packs half of you thought they were a means to bump up the price and only one person in six thought them a good idea. Our interpretation of the evidence is clear, most people aren't prepared to be forced to pay a premium even for their favourite biscuit. As a mark of respect we'll be turning our title black through out October. Mean while McVities have been furiously innovating in the HobNob range with Hazelnut and Caramel, Orange, Chocolate Orange and so forth. How can they be comfortable pouring resources into developing new products and yet happily letting tried and tested ones fall by the way side? Of course the situation isn't that black, McVities could easily resurrect the biscuits at a drop of a hat. What is really worrying is that this product has been managed and manipulated out of existence, whilst apparently blind to the fact that great deal of people still want to purchase it. |
