Mike Hutcheson: Former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi on RJ's discontinuing Jaffas

The end of an era for one of our most iconic sweets. 

Levin confectioner RJ's has discontinued production of Jaffas, due to poor sales. 

The orange-coated balls of chocolate were previously produced by Cadbury in Dunedin and have been on our shelves for almost a century. 

Mike Hutcheson, former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, told Mike Hosking that a competitor would pick up Jaffas in a heartbeat. 

He says it’s not just a sweet, it’s a symbol, and it’s possible to turn it around and make Jaffas a brand that means something. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Confectionery company R Jay's. They pulled the plug on the

(00:02):
old Jeffers. It's the old story, declining sales. They also
pulled them from Australian shelves in twenty twenty three. Mike Hutchinson,
of course, is marketing expert, former managing director of Sarching
SARCI and as well as Mike Morning, Good morning. What's
the value of a name just you know, from a
branding marketing point of viewer name you say, Jeffers, Is
that worth something?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hell? Yes, I mean I would think they could better,
should pick it up in the heartbeat. I mean, it's
not just a sweet, it's a symbol and it's come
to me in all kinds of different things rather than
just as sweet. And I can't believe that they let
it go or letting it go. I mean there are
products like em and M's, which is simply you know,

(00:42):
candy colored candy covered chocolate, which are doing really, really well.
Why I would make a real thing of it. I
would have a special effort and create a real campaign
around the whole notion of Jeffers. The packaging is wrong.
The troubles that's owned by an Australian company now Darryl Lee,
and they were placed it down on Eis, but they
wouldn't have the sense of what jeff has mean to

(01:04):
New Zealand. And I think it's just crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Is there too much in the market space at the moment.
In other words, it's one of those markets where you
just it's turnover, turnover, turnover, new product, new product, new product,
and therefore something traditional doesn't last.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
But that's lazy, that's lazy marketing thinking I'd make something
of this. And you think you can turn a brand around,
you can turn a product around, like too he did
with beer, make it fun and Jaffa is a fun Certainly,
if you grow up in the provinces like I did,
you're rolling jeff Is down the theater.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
But I just wonder if that was I saying that
someone earlier on this morning moment. I just wonder if
we're old farts who long for the kids these days
don't know what a Jeffer is not do they care? Therefore,
if you and I aren't buying them, which I assuming
we're not, or maybe we are, I don't know, But
if we're not buying them, then the new generation has
moved on, haven't they.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, they possibly have, but they've gone to EM and M's,
which are an international product and inferior. I would still
stick with with Jeff. I spent part of my childhood memory,
so I've gone it. Quite fond of Jason going past
the factory in Licorus, all sorts of Jaffers, We're all
part of a liquid shot about growing up. I love
that I'd make something of it. There's some account in

(02:13):
Australia has pulled upin not a marketer.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Okay, so you could take a product, go to them
and say, look, here's how I would do it, and
you would be confident of being able to achieve some
sort of success.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Absolutely, and I'd make it fun, turn it and not
just as a not just as a sweet, but as
an icon and make it a brand that means something.
Red Bull have done it. I mean that there are
lots of people have done things like this. I'd pick
it up and run with it.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Good on your mind, let's talk do you appreciate it?
Mike Hutchinson, marketing expert form the STRATESUS and Status.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio,