August 30, 2009 Entry 4

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Maybe change really is sweeping the nation. Heinz has changed the look of the label on its iconic ketchup bottle for the first time since the 1940s, replacing the gherkin below the product's name with a tomato dangling from a vine. The result: a more-healthful perception.

According to Heinz's consumer research, the new 'grown-not-made' label confirms the 'wholesomeness of Heinz tomato ketchup' for 68% of consumers.

"With all due respect to the pickle, which has served Heinz dutifully for 110 years, it's time to shift the focus on the tomato," said Noel Geoffroy, director-Heinz ketchup. According to Heinz's consumer research, Ms. Geoffroy said, the new "Grown not made" label confirms the "wholesomeness of Heinz tomato ketchup" for 68% of consumers.

Heinz is the latest in a slew of marketers in recent weeks to underscore the fruits or vegetables from which their products are derived. Consumers have been recently reminded that Classic Lay'scome from potatoes, that Tostitos are made from corn, and that Tropicana orange juice is 100% orange. According to Mintel International,"natural" was the most common claim made about new food and beverage products launched in 2008, with one in four bearing that distinction.

View article here: http://adage.com/article?article_id=133984