Richard Gottlieb

GOOD IDEA: Reviving Old Brands

Am I the only one who remembers Hydrox cookies?  They were like Oreos but better*. In fact, they predate Oreos having beaten them to the store shelf by four years. 

Well, it looks like I'll get to find out if my memory is correct.  It seems that Hydrox is coming back. 

In fact, lots of old brands are on the way back. According to a August 21, 2008 New York Times article, “Those Shelved Brands Start to Look Tempting,” abandoned brands like Eagle Snacks and Postum as well as neglected brands like Alka-Seltzer, Bayer and Flintstones are being brought back from the dead or being revived. 

Why is this activity taking place now? Because during tough economic times “[i]t can cost significantly less to bring back a brand — or restore the luster to a faded one — than to develop a new product, because spending huge sums to generate awareness is not necessary.”

Another element to consider in reviving old brands is the power of the Internet. It seems there are on line communities emotionally dedicated to these “forgotten” products. 

So, maybe it's time for toy manufacturers to go into the attic (their archives and the Strong National Museum of Play) and crawl around the nooks and crannies of the web. They may find that there are some valuable old brands waiting to be rediscovered. 

*Apparently I'm not the only one who thought they were better. According to Wikipedia, “… the Hydrox had a ‘tangy, less-sweet filling’ and a crunchier cookie that stood up better in milk.”

Posted by Richard Gottlieb on August 27, 2008 | Comments (3)