Icecream-brands

[Paul-Antwerp]

A few days ago, somewhere halfway on a flight to Chicago, I was served with icecream. The brand was Häagen-Dazs.

It got me thinking about a time long gone, the beginning of the 1990''s. Now, I have never been an icecream-afficionado, but I had the impression that brands like Häagen-Dazs and Ben&Jerry''s were considered premium-brands in those days. It is weird, but I even remember my first visit to California, upon which I had my first taste of Ben&Jerry''s.

Now, I can buy B&J''s at any nightshop in Antwerp, and I get served H-D for free on a flight to the U.S. What happened to these brands? What happened to the public''s perception of these brands? Were they once private ventures, and not bought up by a major food-multinational?

And finally, can we, producers of premium branded diamonds, learn something from premium branded ice-cream?

Any thoughts on this?

Live long,

 

[Regular Guy]

Paul,

Hopefully, you'll get more substantial feedback, but meanwhile...

We all try to add value, in whatever way makes sense.

Do you remember the airline? Do you think you may be more likely to fly it, knowing you were served Haagen Daas once?

I have a cousin who once was in a HD commercial.

When visiting Vermont not too long ago, my family visited Ben & Jerry's. I know them not for only their ice cream, but also, for doing good works, and (still?) having a pay threshold for their CEO a constrained multiple (8, 12?) times their lowest paid worker.

 

[MelissaSue]

Haagen-Das and B&J are still "premium" brands of ice cream. They are definitely the most expensive ice cream you can buy at a supermarket here..

 

[bling*diva*]

Date: 10/16/2006 10:30:29 AM
Author: MelissaSue
Haagen-Das and B&J are still ''premium'' brands of ice cream. They are definitely the most expensive ice cream you can buy at a supermarket here..

~~I agree...I was just at the store a couple of days ago (buying Edy''s Slow Churned) and the Edy''s cost me about $2.50 for half a gallon and the Haagen-Das was about $2.84 for a pint...I buy it every once in a while though cause it really is good ice cream!!

 

[Julian]

You know what is SO funny?

I saw on Food Network that Häagen-Dazs was invented by an American from the Bronx!

He chose that German name because it sounded expensive, luxurious and old world.

It worked!!!

Just goes to show how powerful marketing is.

Ya gotta admit, Häagen-Dazs is a better name for a luxury brand than Mr. Mattus Bronx Ice Cream!

 

[eks6426]

Wait a minute! I have never been served any sort of icecream on a plane. I definitely must be flying the wrong airlines!


I agree with Melissa Sue. Haagan Das and Ben & Jerry''s are still considered premium icecreams at the grocery store. I think just by the size of the carton (pint) keeps them more exclusive feeling. On sale I can get the pints for $2.50...the same price as an 1/2 gallon of the Breyers which is one of the better regular icecreams.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/16/2006 9:57:35 AM
Author:Paul-Antwerp
A few days ago, somewhere halfway on a flight to Chicago, I was served with icecream. The brand was Häagen-Dazs.

It got me thinking about a time long gone, the beginning of the 1990''s. Now, I have never been an icecream-afficionado, but I had the impression that brands like Häagen-Dazs and Ben&Jerry''s were considered premium-brands in those days. It is weird, but I even remember my first visit to California, upon which I had my first taste of Ben&Jerry''s.

Now, I can buy B&J''s at any nightshop in Antwerp, and I get served H-D for free on a flight to the U.S. What happened to these brands? What happened to the public''s perception of these brands? Were they once private ventures, and not bought up by a major food-multinational?

And finally, can we, producers of premium branded diamonds, learn something from premium branded ice-cream?

Any thoughts on this?

Live long,

Well the premium branded ice creams go on sale 2 for $5 sometimes... I could TOTALLY go for two diamonds

And yes, you can get this also at any store - but have you tried the godiva ice cream?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 10/16/2006 12:15:59 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/16/2006 9:57:35 AM

but have you tried the godiva ice cream?

Oh, their dark chocolate ice cream is SOOO good. I think Godiva makes great ice cream!!!

 

[JulieN]

middle market premium. B&J's is a sell-out to it's former standards (?) Must look this up...

Coldstone is high premium. $5 for one serving

Became popular after dot com bust. Ultra luxury item that was still affordable as a treat, instead of a family dinner at a nice restaurant. Opposite case from diamonds?

 

[Regular Guy]

I''m not a fan of Coldstone, though we have one in our neck ofthe woods.

We''re straining at Paul''s orignal note, but then, maybe not.

Julie, I thought I read what you note, and now see you''re right. But...with respect the brand that is Ben & Jerry''s, I''ll bet it''s not that simple. For example, I see they did sell to Unilever. Almost certainly the ratio of bottom to top dog is toast. But, the social values associated with it remains. See this:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30909

...from a google search.

Just image? Something about the branding continues, despite the sale...for the good, I think.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 10/17/2006 3:42:06 AM
Author: Regular Guy
I''m not a fan of Coldstone, though we have one in our neck ofthe woods.

We''re straining at Paul''s orignal note, but then, maybe not.

Julie, I thought I read what you note, and now see you''re right. But...with respect the brand that is Ben & Jerry''s, I''ll bet it''s not that simple. For example, I see they did sell to Unilever. Almost certainly the ratio of bottom to top dog is toast. But, the social values associated with it remains. See this:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30909

...from a google search.

Just image? Something about the branding continues, despite the sale...for the good, I think.

Um, Regular Guy... I''m not sure if you''re kidding or not, can''t get the tone in the message, but The Onion is purely satirical and that flavor doesn''t exist.

I am interested in trying "The Gobfather: The icecream you can''t refuse" though... wonder if they sell that near me!

 

[Regular Guy]

Sumbride,

You didn't pick up satire from me, because...based on 10 seconds or really less of analysis, I hoisted what I quickly read to be liberal copy, and forwarded it to ya all. My bad.

Mainly, though, through several pages of not expertly crafted google searching (Ben & Jerry's, I think, was my search terms), I just got routine looking hits, and only a little digging unearthed the sale. There is clearly a sense, I think, that was the case with the brand, is the case. Whether this is truth or malarkey is substantively the question, and I'm not sure I can answer it, or really even frame it very well.

Renewing the search gets similar results, and a similar set of analysis. This post shows the original guys coming back, taking advantage of the "earned" name to make a point.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/16/2006 9:15:09 PM
Author: JulieN
middle market premium. B&J''s is a sell-out to it''s former standards (?) Must look this up...

Coldstone is high premium. $5 for one serving

Became popular after dot com bust. Ultra luxury item that was still affordable as a treat, instead of a family dinner at a nice restaurant. Opposite case from diamonds?

it was a coldstone that led me to my jeweler lol cocoa banana cabana!!

the best ice creams i ever had were....

at a haagan daas store/restaurant here in oregon where the had Bavarian Chocolate which is awesome but I''ve never seen it in a grocery store....

at the swensens in nob hill area san francisco they used to (don''t know if they still do) make their ice creams and tweak them sometimes on the spur and the one there made their swiss orange chip the way the others did PLUS added those orange gel candies.... that was awesome!!

at mitchell''s ice cream on gurerro in san francisco - they were the last place I''ve ever seen with Tuti Fruti ice cream and it was my all time favorite!!!!

and I have to mention buds, also in san francisco, who had the best french vanilla ever concocted!!!

 

[firebirdgold]

I consider B&J''s and Hagen Daz to be quality ice-creams but not premium. For me premium ice-creams are the small batch artisenal type icecreams. The gelato store that makes it''s own, the locally made pinon icecream, whoever it is that makes the ginger icecream with real crystallized ginger *yum*. For me it''s premium ingredients and extra care that makes an icecream premium, not marketing mass manufactured ice cream.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

The possible analogy with diamonds still makes sense to me.

So, B&J''s have been bought up by Unilever, but are still considered as a brand of higher quality. Some people apparently point to other brands, unknown to me, maybe new brands in the marketplace, but in any case, they might be the new prefered brands.

On the other hand, I see IndieJones'' remark about real premium ice-cream being the one produced by artisanal shops. This of course reminds me also of Garry Holloway and his wife Drena, enjoying waffles in such an Antwerp shop, and reminiscing about this every time we meet.

I find this exchange of ideas very interesting, I must say. Please go on.