Introduction

In this article, Malcolm Gladwell explains how there came to be many kinds of mustard in supermarkets but only one ketchup.   He tells how an almost unheard of Dijon mustard called Grey Poupon stole market share from the dominant mild yellow variety.    Importantly, its flavour meant an incredible proportion of people (in food marketing terms) would change brands after a single taste. Combined with a sophisticated ad campaign its success showed that tastes could change. Mustard didn’t have to be yellow. Now supermarket shelves are filled with different mustards.

Henry J Heinz entered the ketchup market in 1906. In the process of developing a ketchup without benzoate preservative, he made a condiment that was bitter and salty, sweet (lots of extra sugar) and sour (lots more vinegar), and by using ripe tomatoes increased the ‘umami’ or ‘body’ (the same effect mono-sodium glutamate provides). By 1907, Heinz was producing 12 m bottles of ketchup a year and exporting them around the world¹

But, not everyone likes it. And there are other ketchups. Jim Wigon, inspired by Grey Poupon’s success, put great effort into creating the ‘World’s Best’ ketchup. It has more tomato, hand-chopped basil leaves and maple syrup instead of corn syrup.  But he sold only 90 jars a day and didn’t draw a salary in five years. In the consumer mind ketchup isn’t ‘ketchup’ unless it’s Heinz.

What can this have to do with health services research and policy?

read on here…

http://jhsrp.rsmjournals.com/content/early/2013/04/24/1355819613480764.full?sid=03b3aa97-0705-4f94-a869-49853c819782