Chokita instead of Negrita, Perpetum instead of Africa: old brand names that are perceived as disreputable are disappearing. Companies have to show their colors in the racism debate, says an expert.
The Negrita biscuit becomes Chokita biscuit: In the wake of the racism debate, Nestlé, the world’s largest Swiss food company, is now rummaging through its product range in order to eradicate offensive names.
In Germany, the Bahlsen biscuit Africa has just turned into Perpetum, at Knorr the gypsy sauce “Hungarian style paprika sauce” has become. The German companies resisted changing established product names before giving in. Was that correct, as science and the advertising industry almost unanimously say, or is brand sociologist Oliver Errichiello right?
“Large companies are incredibly afraid of being led to the slaughter on the field of public opinion,” says the director at the private European Media and Business Academy (EMBA) in Hamburg. “But there is no brand that has collapsed due to unethical behavior. One can find that sad, but in fact it is an indication that people only demand a limited ethical attitude from companies that go beyond the normal. “
Ethical appearance, in the advertising industry that means “purpose”. “Companies have to take on responsibility, they have to make society a little better and pave the way for change,” says brand strategist Lars Kreyenhagen from the Karl Anders agency, a “studio for branding, campaigns and design”. But that shouldn’t stop with the name change. Companies also have to look in-house to see where racist prejudices still exist and eliminate them. “Companies have to take on responsibility, they also have to make society a little better and pave the way for change,” he says.
For Errichiello, on the other hand, more focus on attitude than quality is “the economic result of a zeitgeist that devalues concrete service provision in favor of abstract lifestyle ideas – meaning instead of greed.”
The Black Lives Matter movement, with protests against discrimination against people whose main color is other than white, and the murder of George Floyd in US police custody have fueled the debate.
Last year, Pepsico put an end to its “Aunt Jemima” (Aunt Jemima) brand. For decades, the logo of a plump black woman with a headscarf was used to advertise breakfast pancakes and syrup. The picture was reminiscent of the good-natured house slave Mammy in the film “Gone with the Wind”: She was always concerned about the welfare of the white rulers. The film did not take place in the 21st century, but in the American Civil War in the 1860s. This image does not correspond to the basic values of the brand, it said at Pepsico. The brand is now called “Pearl Milling Company”.
Maintaining racist language will cement clichés and reinforce the associated negative attitudes, says Andrea Geier, a Germanist at the University of Trier who researches the tradition of racist portrayal. “A changed brand name is a signal that you don’t want to be part of such everyday racism.” A name change is an opportunity for companies: “The companies get feedback on such actions, even from people who think it is unnecessary. This gives them the chance to take a clear stand on issues that affect society, ”says Geier.
There are many examples of name changes: the ice cream “Eskimo Pie” became “Edy’s Pie” in the USA, and Nestlé’s “Red Skin” (Indian) lollipop in Australia became a “Red Ripper” lollipop. Uncle Ben’s rice is supposed to be Ben’s original. The picture of the black “uncle” who advertised rice is supposed to disappear. As with “Aunt Jemima”, “Uncle” Ben is seen as derogatory. The brand has the ambition to “create a more inclusive future,” she said.
Errichiello thinks changing the brand name and logo is risky. This could destroy a presence in the minds of consumers that had been built up over decades. Kreyenhagen admits such a risk. “But the few who complain when you rename the Z sauce, for example, are nothing compared to the many who applaud. The chance of reaching more people with an attitude is greater than the risk. “
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
