Just when we thought we’d heard of large companies trying everything to launch brands that are be perceived as small, authentic, “craft” and (implicitly) independent (I’m looking at you, Caleb Cola), here’s a new wrinkle.
AdAge reports that Soy vay (a quirky brand of Jewish-Asian mash-up sauces and marinades) is raising money to fund a partnership with Southern-California Three Jerks on a new teriyaki-flavoured beef jerky on Kickstarter.
Sounds cool–and delicious–except for the fact that Soy Vay is owned by parent brand Clorox.
Should large CPG companies turn to Kickstarter? What happens when funders find out they’re funding Clorox, which, aside from providing a less-than-luscious association for beef jerky, can surely afford to launch its own products?
Adam Simons, head of the Emerging Brands Group at Clorox, said the move was, “less about we don’t have the cash. That was way low on the priority list.” The idea was to help foster a mindset of running as “entrepreneurial and scrappy, very much like the startup within the company.” For whom: consumers or employees?
Thoughts?
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/clorox-kickstarter-fund-venture-startup/308014/
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