Store renames fish to spare embarrassment
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Independent Minds
A handout photo issued by Sainsbury's of Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway with a limited edition packaged pollack
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Sainsbury's has renamed Pollack as Colin because, it said, potential buyers were too embarrassed to ask for pollack, a cheap and plentiful cod substitute. After a marketing revamp by the designer Wayne Hemingway, and extensive market research, Sainsbury's hopes colin will revitalise the market for the fish.
Colin is to be pronounced "colan", after the French term for cooked pollack. France buys 70 per cent of stocks from British waters. Packs of fish, in new packaging, will go on sale in 10 stores to determine whether the rebranding will appeal. "It seems daft that pollack isn't more popular, particularly when it's readily available off our own coast, tastes great and is cheaper than cod," said Hemingway, founder of the Red or Dead fashion brand.
"Image really is everything; so to help colin stand out on-shelf we've used bold, bright colours and a design that is cheekily inspired by another well-known 'Pollock' [the artist Jackson Pollock]. The new-look colin sleeve will be the star of the Sainsbury's store; we expect coach-loads to travel by land and sea to see it."
If this works, other little-eaten fish that could be renamed include gurnard (Derek?), ling (Timothy?), saithe (Jilly?) and flounder (Bert?).
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Comments
Why would anyone be ashamed of buying fish?
Someone @ Sainsbury's has way too much time on their hands if this is the result of being paid to think
While we are on the subject... you don't think you could change the name of fagots do you? they also look very tasty but i just don't have the confidence to be seen with fagots at the check out, whatever would the neighbors think?!
And maybe whole your at it, you could change your slogan to "we've gone fu*king nuts at sainsburys"
Maybe they could change the company name to spare me embarrassment.
Rename it "Moronic PR-crazy Tw*ts PLC", or something similarly inoffensive.
HOW DAFT CAN STORES GET
"POUND OF POLLACKS PLEASE"
S--------'- have made plonkers of themselves.
Not only is their argument spurious, but they've nicked the wrong French word. Serves them right for hiring a wanky trendmonger to repackage a perfectly good product instead of educating their customers.
Of course, that wouldn't be a cool thing to do, and they wouldn't have any "business justification" for putting the price up, would they.
They're pathetic, and I'll be damned if they get any business from me in future.
not Pollack as wrtten in article !
Maybe this was for political correctness..............
It's time he was renamed and repackaged.
And if we called condoms lollipops we could reduce the spread of HIV. "Anything for the weekend sir?"
"A packet of lollipops please"
Why do people continue to buy cod? Have they not heard of the embarrassing cod-piece?
Renaming fish to make it seem more palatable isn't new. Dogfish became huss became rock salmon.
But calling a fish colin is just plain stupid.
I love pollack but would never buy from Sainsbury's
It just goes to show how stupid these marketing idiots are but come on the Sainsbury's managers are fools to go with it
"Have you got Colin in today?"
"Yes, he's in on Fridays"
"Is he ready gutted?"
Do please remember that the Dogfish was renamed Rock Salmon (possibly because they were upset at eating a canine) and following the complaints made regarding the fact that the Dogfish was not in any way connected to the salmon genus - it was renamed yet again.
Possibly those that eat pouisson in a restaurant are concerned about a toxic chicken? Why do we constantly have to pander to dimwitted people? The world is full of them. Still it provides humour to those with a grain of intelligence who have the knowledge to be able to note the difference between a paedophile and a paediatrician!
and let those who enjoy pollock as plain pollock. What next ,call something muriel? Remember if you mis pronounce Colan wrong you get people asking for Colon! A. Westbere
I mean - Anus or testicle? You decide!
And how much, pray, did Sainsbury's spend on this utterly pointless and stupid piece of market research? Marketing psychology like this is clearly a load of Pollacks, and clearly shows that those who subscribe to it must have their heads shoved firmly up their Colins!