Goldfish named their famous cheese crackers Chilean Sea Bass, possibly realising what captures the public’s attention like a little rage.
The tactic, one is supposed to draw attention and perhaps offer some free promotion for the company, will not change the cracker’s flavour, looks, or, well, anything else. But one of the simplest ways for an entity to stand out in a world full of ads is to completely change its brand name.
When IHOP announced in 2018 that it changed its name to IHOb (International House of Burgers), it got a great deal more attention. The company’s burger sales grew four times as an effect of the name change, which was a head fake. In 2009, Pizza Hut changed its name to Pasta Hut to launch its new Tuscani pasta line. Also, Budweiser asked customers to use it as “America” for only a few months in 2016. Almost nobody did, but sales did go up a little.
So what’s the goal of this name change? Luring in older customers.
As to the maker, the name change will appeal to older snackers who liked to eat these if they were younger. The target audience is millennials and Generation Z.
But it should be stated that the supermarket shelves will not reflect this “name change.” You will need to purchase one (actually two; they are being offered in pairs for $7.38 to October 30) bag of Chilean Sea Bass-branded Goldfish crackers at a speciality website.
We know that Goldfish attracts people of all ages. In a statement, Goldfish vice president Danielle Brown said, “Chilean Sea Bass is a funny signal to adults that the iconic fish-shaped snack is for grown-up tastes too.
As we have not seen many elementary school kids in the grocery store checkout line, we must admit that the company’s statement that more than 50% of Goldfish customers are adults baffles us a little.