When you hear the name Colgate what comes to mind? It’s toothpaste, right? I’m sure you weren’t thinking of delicious meals that are premade and can be cooked in your oven in less than thirty minutes, right? Well, let’s dial it back to the 1980s when Colgate wasn’t just an oral hygiene line.
It’s 1982 and Colgate has decided to enter the frozen entree food market. The company decided to expand its brand with “Colgate Kitchen Entrees”. Mmm, enticing! Colgate was a well-known brand at the time (and still is) but they assumed consumers would accept them in any market since they were so popular. Now, that is where they went wrong. They targeted working mothers and college students. This market typically wants to enjoy healthier, wholesome meals but doesn’t have the time to cook a homemade meal with their responsibilities. That is why Colgate made the meals frozen, portioned, and ready in under thirty minutes. Makes sense!
But, why did this not work for Colgate if they were so popular and their target consumers were interested in this type of meal? Well, again, when you think of Colgate I’m sure you think of that minty fresh taste after brushing your teeth. Not a portion-controlled slice of lasagna that tastes just like when grandma makes it for Sunday dinner.
Unfortunately, I’d have to agree with consumers here. Seeing the name “Colgate” on food would be a huge turn-off for me. I can feel the minty sensation in my mouth already, yuck. It seems that Colgate has learned its lesson though and these meals were short-lived. In the future, I would recommend that a brand with so much power in their current market just create a new division of their company and brand it differently. Had Colgate done such a thing we may still see these frozen meals in our supermarkets today…
