Vintage roadside

1mach1 · Apr 17, 2018

Fading Fast said:
I'm so with you. As noted, I don't know if the old (awesome peanut) shaped ones are gone as they appear to still be available on line (but that could be old stock), but my supermarket only has the hateful, stupid, new round-shaped ones.

I don't understand why this happened. It can't be to save money, since they already have had the peanut shape molds for decades. Good grief.

Next thing you know, Goldfish crackers will be round.

Fading Fast · Apr 17, 2018

1mach1 said:
...Next thing you know, Goldfish crackers will be round.

You take that back...right now.

1mach1 said:
I don't understand why this happened. It can't be to save money, since they already have had the peanut shape molds for decades. Good grief.....

Everything you said, plus, are you kidding me: they had a peanut butter cookie branded - bored into customers' minds for decades - with the shape and scoring of a peanut shell; companies would pay insane amounts of money to accomplish that. It's a Don-Draper-worthy idea.

There is no logical reason, but knowing how "short-termism" and "cost cutting" can grip the brain of some companies, could it be cheaper to make, ship, package, put on shelves or something the (hateful) round-shaped cookie / packaging? Could there be some benefit - inverting your point - to using a common, more-uniform mold and not the odd-shaped peanut shell one?

Those ⇧ are all stupid reasons, but something must be driving it as no sane company would undo world class branding without, at least, a dumb reason.

What's next, Teddy Grahams that don't look like teddy bears? Where does the craziness stop?

3fingers · Apr 17, 2018

There are a number of things that I have liked that have been changed/ruined by ham handed bean counters or morons of various titles. It usually precedes their being discontinued because "the market has changed". No you insufferable idiots, you ruined it and people quit buying. Every day must be their first day on the job since they don't seem to learn. Of course what's left of Nabisco's corpse is owned by a conglomerate, so I'd expect general next quarter stupidity.

Fading Fast · Apr 17, 2018

3fingers said:
There are a number of things that I have liked that have been changed/ruined by ham handed bean counters or morons of various titles. It usually precedes their being discontinued because "the market has changed". No you insufferable idiots, you ruined it and people quit buying. Every day must be their first day on the job since they don't seem to learn. Of course what's left of Nabisco's corpse is owned by a conglomerate, so I'd expect general next quarter stupidity.

One of the smartest managers I had used to say, "let's start from the assumption that the business model we have inherited was constructed by smart people, so before we change anything..."

Too many managers were change-for-change-sake managers (even thought they'd never admit it). When I was managing, I stole the "let's start from the assumption..." line as it had a powerful effect that stopped the inclination of everyone to just tinker for tinkering sake.

LizzieMaine · Apr 17, 2018

I suspect that it has something to do with the packing system -- there was probably some cam or fitting that had to be replaced on the packaging line to handle the odd-shaped cookies, and some bright beanwrangler in the mid-echelon accounting section at Kraft figured out they could save 1/10 of a cent per unit if they changed the cookie shape so that they could go thru the standard Oreo packaging line instead. Congratulations, Poindexter, here's your Employee Of The Month button.

Nabisco was gravely wounded when it was owned by RJR, but the coup de grace was administered by Kraft. Bah.

Fading Fast · Apr 17, 2018

LizzieMaine said:
I suspect that it has something to do with the packing system -- there was probably some cam or fitting that had to be replaced on the packaging line to handle the odd-shaped cookies, and some bright beanwrangler in the mid-echelon accounting section at Kraft figured out they could save 1/10 of a cent per unit if they changed the cookie shape so that they could go thru the standard Oreo packaging line instead. Congratulations, Poindexter, here's your Employee Of The Month button.

Nabisco was gravely wounded when it was owned by RJR, but the coup de grace was administered by Kraft. Bah.

We all suspected something like that - grrrrrrrrrrr.

Do you think the peanut shape is really gone for good? As noted, I still see it online and (today, I checked) the single-serve size packages at the checkout lines still have peanut-shaped cookies. Or is it just a matter of time till they make 'em all round?

Companies do stupid things all the time - but voluntarily giving up the peanut shape would have to go into the Hall of Fame of stupid decisions.

Fading Fast · Apr 17, 2018

LizzieMaine said:
... Congratulations, Poindexter, here's your Employee Of The Month button....

Fair point, but I'd be beyond stunned if that decision - branding is very powerful in every company and, in particular, in consumer product companies - didn't go reasonably high up the management chain, meaning several big-shots signed off on it.

Ghostsoldier · Apr 17, 2018

If you hold a peanut up, and look at it longitudinally, it appears to be round. [emoji16]

Rob

Zombie_61 · Apr 17, 2018

Fading Fast said:
One of the smartest managers I had used to say, "let's start from the assumption that the business model we have inherited was constructed by smart people, so before we change anything..."

Too many managers were change-for-change-sake managers (even thought they'd never admit it). When I was managing, I stole the "let's start from the assumption..." line as it had a powerful effect that stopped the inclination of everyone to just tinker for tinkering sake.

At my dad's funeral one of his former co-workers approached me to express his condolences. While he "had my ear" he also explained how and why dad had earned the respect of his co-workers. Dad had entered the company as "middle management" and, according to this gentleman, every time that had happened in the past the new manager immediately wanted to make changes for the sole purpose of proving to the company that he knew what he was doing; the end result was almost always the opposite, and those managers instead proved they didn't know what they were doing. When dad came on board they expected history to repeat itself, but the operation (a tuna cannery) continued as it had been. After several months dad made a minor adjustment, then waited to see if it was an improvement; it was. A while later dad made another minor adjustment, which was again an improvement. This gentleman soon realized dad was smart enough to know he needed to learn how things worked before he could try to "fix" them, waited for the right time to make these changes, then waited to see if they worked; according to this gentleman, they always did. Dad was also not afraid of work, and regularly pitched in when necessary to keep things flowing smoothly; something none of the previous managers had ever done.

Now, a funeral might not have been the most appropriate occasion for this conversation, but I knew this gentleman because I hung out at the tuna cannery when I was young and he apparently felt comfortable enough with me to use the opportunity to share this information with me. And I honestly appreciated this--dad was the "lead by example" type who impressed his work ethic upon me from an early age, and he was still teaching me even though he was no longer here. Those "lessons" did not go to waste, and have served me well throughout my working life.

Fading Fast · Apr 17, 2018

Zombie_61 said:
At my dad's funeral one of his former co-workers approached me to express his condolences. While he "had my ear" he also explained how and why dad had earned the respect of his co-workers. Dad had entered the company as "middle management" and, according to this gentleman, every time that had happened in the past the new manager immediately wanted to make changes for the sole purpose of proving to the company that he knew what he was doing; the end result was almost always the opposite, and those managers instead proved they didn't know what they were doing. When dad came on board they expected history to repeat itself, but the operation (a tuna cannery) continued as it had been. After several months dad made a minor adjustment, then waited to see if it was an improvement; it was. A while later dad made another minor adjustment, which was again an improvement. This gentleman soon realized dad was smart enough to know he needed to learn how things worked before he could try to "fix" them, waited for the right time to make these changes, then waited to see if they worked; according to this gentleman, they always did. Dad was also not afraid of work, and regularly pitched in when necessary to keep things flowing smoothly; something none of the previous managers had ever done.

Now, a funeral might not have been the most appropriate occasion for this conversation, but I knew this gentleman because I hung out at the tuna cannery when I was young and he apparently felt comfortable enough with me to use the opportunity to share this information with me. And I honestly appreciated this--dad was the "lead by example" type who impressed his work ethic upon me from an early age, and he was still teaching me even though he was no longer here. Those "lessons" did not go to waste, and have served me well throughout my working life.

Absolutely great story. IMH and sincere opinion, a funeral is the perfect place for that conversation as it shows how positively he touched that person / how much that gentleman (meant in the true meaning of that word) wanted to share that experience with you.

While I'm sure not to at the level or with the skill that your dad did, I tried to manage my businesses - I was a middle manager at several financial firms for many years - the same way: Learn first, make incremental changes, roll up your sleeves and work with the team, give credit to those who deserve it and admit mistakes openly.

It was a pretty successful formula, but oddly, not one many want to follow.

Inkstainedwretch · Apr 18, 2018

Remember New Coke? Probably the most infamous marketing blunder of all time. Take a century-old, insanely successful product and change it. They thought they would lure the Pepsi drinkers to Coke. They actually tried to imitate the inferior product. The Pepsi drinkers stayed loyal to Pepsi and nobody liked New Coke. There must have been some acrimonious boardroom meetings at Coca-Cola for a while. Then they came to their senses and brought out "Classic Coke," the product that never needed changing in the first place.

Zombie_61 · Apr 18, 2018

Fading Fast said:
Absolutely great story. IMH and sincere opinion, a funeral is the perfect place for that conversation as it shows how positively he touched that person / how much that gentleman (meant in the true meaning of that word) wanted to share that experience with you...

Thank you. I've long thought funerals should be more a celebration of a person's life than the depressing and weepy affair they generally become, and it was nice to hear dad had made such a positive impression on the people he worked with.

Fading Fast said:
...While I'm sure not to at the level or with the skill that your dad did, I tried to manage my businesses - I was a middle manager at several financial firms for many years - the same way: Learn first, make incremental changes, roll up your sleeves and work with the team, give credit to those who deserve it and admit mistakes openly.

It was a pretty successful formula, but oddly, not one many want to follow.

I agree completely, and I think "team" is the key word in your post. At every job I've had I had a self-imposed awareness that I was a part of a larger organization, and that working with people as a team always made things easier.

belfastboy · Apr 18, 2018

Fading Fast said:
One of the smartest managers I had used to say, "let's start from the assumption that the business model we have inherited was constructed by smart people, so before we change anything..."

Too many managers were change-for-change-sake managers (even thought they'd never admit it). When I was managing, I stole the "let's start from the assumption..." line as it had a powerful effect that stopped the inclination of everyone to just tinker for tinkering sake.

My career was in industrial sales. Whenever we were inflicted with a new sales manager he of course had to place his stamp. New strategies...new programs....etc etc. It was funny watching the young salesmen complain and resist the changes. Us veterans had learned to smile and say yes while continuing to do what we had always done......"this too shall pass"

KY Gentleman · Apr 18, 2018

Frunobulax said:
I can't speak to the veracity of all these claims, but the last one is incontrovertible.

And they changed Nutter Butters? That should have required an amendment to the Constitution.

Now, I guess they are just another peanut butter sandwich cookie.

Sent directly from my mind to yours.

“Have a ‘nother nutter brother sandwich cookie!”

LizzieMaine · Apr 18, 2018

Inkstainedwretch said:
Remember New Coke? Probably the most infamous marketing blunder of all time. Take a century-old, insanely successful product and change it. They thought they would lure the Pepsi drinkers to Coke. They actually tried to imitate the inferior product. The Pepsi drinkers stayed loyal to Pepsi and nobody liked New Coke. There must have been some acrimonious boardroom meetings at Coca-Cola for a while. Then they came to their senses and brought out "Classic Coke," the product that never needed changing in the first place.

Roberto Guizeta, who was the head cheese at Coca-Cola when the whole fiasco happened, never lived it down -- and he went to his grave defiantly insisting that "New Coke" really did taste better. But there was also a lesser-known purpose: Coke was having trouble getting the a consistent supply of the decocainized coca leaves used as the base for the ingredient known as "Merchandise Number 5" due to the Reagan Administration's activities in Colombia, and the New Coke formula had the advantage of not including Merchandise Number 5. There are those who believe that the "taste test" explanation was simply the public explanation for what was basically a change made necessary by international politics.

In a way "New Coke" does live on -- the flavor profile it used was essentially that used to this day in the ubiquitous Diet Coke, which also contains no Merchandise No. 5.

Fading Fast · Apr 18, 2018

LizzieMaine said:
Roberto Guizeta, who was the head cheese at Coca-Cola when the whole fiasco happened, never lived it down -- and he went to his grave defiantly insisting that "New Coke" really did taste better.....

Life is not fair. If you play in the really big leagues, you run the risk of having a life-defining Bill Buckner moment.

And like with Buckner, the reality is usually more complex than the accepted narrative, but again, life is not fair and those are the risks of playing in the big leagues.

1mach1 · Apr 27, 2018

Charlottesville, VA

Fading Fast · Apr 27, 2018

1mach1 said:
Charlottesville, VA

Only thing that would make it better would be if those book carts were the old style wood ones.

It looks like the wind showed that tablecloth who's boss.

Fading Fast · Apr 27, 2018

Fading Fast said:
Good call on the Constitutional amendment - finally, a serous reason to change that august doc that will help all the people.

I don't know if the classic shaped ones are gone (they are still available online, but is that just old stock - don't know), but my local supermarket now only stocks this ⇩ abomination:

While this ⇩ is what the world wants

Apparently, my one-man boycott is having no effect whatsoever (an interesting compound word) on Nabisco as the stupid hateful round Nutter Butters are still all my supermarket is stocking. I'm sensing my Norma Rae moment is coming.

LizzieMaine · Apr 27, 2018

Solidarity Forever. And while you're at it, tell them I WANT MY FRIGGIN UNEEDA BISCUITS BACK.

I've been boycotting Nabisco/Kraft for years now without even trying -- they've discontinued everything they made that I liked.

Vintage roadside

1mach1

Fading Fast

3fingers

One Too Many

Fading Fast

LizzieMaine

Fading Fast

Fading Fast

Ghostsoldier

Call Me a Cab

Zombie_61

Fading Fast

Inkstainedwretch

One Too Many

Zombie_61

belfastboy

KY Gentleman

One Too Many

LizzieMaine

Fading Fast

1mach1

Fading Fast

Fading Fast

LizzieMaine

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