Manischewitz Wants to Move to a Mainstream Aisle

[Gifted Gourmet]

NYTimes Business section

Manischewitz, is expanding efforts to reach mainstream shoppers with what the company is calling its first campaign aimed at the general market ... The multimillion-dollar campaign, now under way, carries the theme "Simply Manischewitz." The goal is to encourage consumers to ask grocers and other retailers to stock Manischewitz items not in the smaller kosher sections of stores, but in the more heavily trafficked aisles devoted to broad product categories ...It is estimated that only one of five buyers of kosher foods is the traditional Jewish customer... fueling the popularity of foods certified to be kosher, including the boom in ethnic foods and the intensifying interest in food ingredients, quality, labeling and nutrition. Research has found that many non-Jewish consumers perceive kosher foods, made in accordance with centuries-old dietary laws, to be purer and higher in quality than their nonkosher counterparts.

If you do not buy kosher products now, would this be appealing to you as a general food market consumer?

Do you perceive kosher food to be "purer and higher in quality" as the article mentions?

Do you ever buy any of the Manischewitz products currently?

(this is not a market research query, you know!)

Win a New Kitchen Contest

[Jason Perlow]

I think that Manischewitz would do best by perhaps re-branding some of their stuff for sale during the non-holidays, and perhaps updating their box artwork to look more modern to attract a younger demographic. Their logo still looks totally early 1960's, and if I may quote Jackie Mason -- "Too Jewish".

I still buy a lot of Manishewitz stuff during the holidays, especially Passover. Their Passover junk food, like their potato stix, absolutely rocks. "Everything" Tam Tams... was a better cracker ever invented? I say no.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Their Passover junk food, like their potato stix, absolutely rocks. "Everything" Tam Tams... was a better cracker ever invented? I say no.

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I have to assume that they will be doing a lot to make this campaign look less Jewish and more modern and mainstream ... but keeping their essential products ...

Speaking of Tam Tams .. I am entering the "Win a New Kitchen" contest by using a recipe with crushed TamTams ... That new $20,000 kitchen would make my life so much more complete, ya know ...

[Pam R]

Actually, they have re-done a lot of their packaging. It was hot news around here at Passover .

Are the prices for Man. products in the US incredibly high? Their products cost close to double than other similar items from Israel, and are more expensive than products from Goodman's, Rokeach, Mishpacha, etc. This may not be the case in the US - but if it is, I'd look at their price-points.

This was a hot topic at Kosherfest last year (I believe Jeff Nathan spoke about this). I find it all very interesting - but then, I would.

[Daniel Rogov]

On a perhaps somewhat amusing note, a reliable correspondent who resides in Lebanon has repoted that Manishewitz gefilte fish is offered in several gourmet shops in Beirut. I do not, however, have the feeling that their wines are going to make it to anything but the kosher shelves. And in that, I cannot help but remind all of us that nowhere in the wisdom or laws of Judaism that one has to drink bad wine at Passover!

[Jason Perlow]

Actually, they have re-done a lot of their packaging.  It was hot news around here at Passover . 

Are the prices for Man. products in the US incredibly high?  Their products cost close to double than other similar items from Israel, and are more expensive than products from Goodman's, Rokeach, Mishpacha, etc.  This may not be the case in the US - but if it is, I'd look at their price-points.

This was a hot topic at Kosherfest last year  (I believe Jeff Nathan spoke about this).  I find it all very interesting - but then, I would.

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Actually depending on what store I go to, the OSEM stuff and some of the other Israeli brands are comparable in price to Manischewitz.

Manischewitz's main matzo bakery, btw, is located in Canada. And they make several other brands there including Horowitz Mangareten and an few others from that place.

[Pam R]

Actually depending on what store I go to, the OSEM stuff and some of the other Israeli brands are comparable in price to Manischewitz.

Manischewitz's main matzo bakery, btw, is located in Canada. And they make several other brands there including Horowitz Mangareten and an few others from that place.

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I was aware that Man. had plant/s in Canada - they used to make the onion soup mix so necessary in Jewish kitchens up here (they no longer make it). I don't know if those items get to my suppliers before they go to the US - or if they must cross the border twice before we see them.

I'm not sure why it's so expensive here. We always thought it was the exchange rate - but while the Canadian $ is doing so much better, of course none of the suppliers have lowered the prices on US items. I was told by somebody who imports Israeli items that the Israeli government gives produces a better exchange rate on American/Canadian dollars, so they're really subsidizing food exports.

To get back to Manishewitz's goal - I think they have their work cut out for them. A lot of my Jewish customers would rather buy 'regular' items that just happen to be kosher, rather than 'Jewish' items (Israeli products are an exception here - it seems all Israeli products are good products). A lot of their products are good - but if they want generic consumers to pick of the Manishewitz marinara sauce over any of the other brands, then some recipe tweaking may be in order. It needs to compete in cost and obviously in flavour and quality.

[markk]

Every time I look at their products in the store, they seem to be loaded with MSG.

So "NO", I wouldn't buy them on a bet!

[Jason Perlow]

Every time I look at their products in the store, they seem to be loaded with MSG.

So "NO", I wouldn't buy them on a bet!

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I like their Matzo Ball soup mix, but we only use the "Soup" packet for boiling the Matzo Balls in themselves and giving them flavor. We throw the MSG-laden liquid out after putting the Matzo Balls in home made soup stock.

[Gifted Gourmet]

we only use the "Soup" packet for boiling the Matzo Balls in themselves and giving them flavor.

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Ditto here, Jason! Actually, the matzo ball mix is as good as the homemade ... I often doctor it up with chopped parsley before boiling ...

[Jason Perlow]

The chopped parsley in the 'Shewitz balls are great. Actually, try it with spinach sometime, with some chopped spinach leaves cooked in soup.

Edited July 8, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[bloviatrix]

I've just surveyed my pantry. I have only one of their products - a box of matzah meal. I'm suprised I even have that. (I do have boxes of soup mix from their Goodman's line, though.)

[Gifted Gourmet]

I've just surveyed my pantry.  I have only one of their products - a box of matzah meal.  I'm suprised I even have that. 

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In preparing to enter their contest, I made a list of their products and it was quite lengthy .. items that even I was unaware existed: just a scant few Manischewitz' numerous products and then there are even more of their products...

While many of us here at eGS prepare soups from scratch, the religiously observant often have little time and large families to cook for ... on a holiday, these type of kosher conveniences come in handy quite nicely!

[Rebecca263]

Eight years ago Kiddle bought a bag of Manischewitz' soup mix and 'cooked' dinner for me on Mother's Day! The soup was actually pretty good! My first surprise Mother's day meal, I'll never forget it.

[mizducky]

Do I even have any kosher products in the house right now? ... Wait, yes I do--I have a box of Wollf's kasha that I finally tracked down.

Growing up, assorted kosher brand products did show up on our family's shelves pretty regularly. My mom often started her split pea or beef/barley soups with those tube-shaped cellophane sleeves of soup mix--wait, are those made by Manishevitz? I haven't bought one in forever. What else? Pickles, all the time--we definitely prefered the kosher brands. Pickled herring. Horseradish. Hebrew National hot dogs and salami. Very occasionally, jarred gefilte fish--and not even for Passover; my mom and I went through phases of eating it because we supposed it was "dietetic".

Also, matzoh was a regular everyday snacking cracker around our house. Not the Tam-Tams--the full-sheet matzohs. My personal opinion is that Manishevitz et al could really have a hit on their hands if they marketed the hell out of matzoh to the general population as a super-healthy snack cracker. Sure beats the hell outta most rice cakes.

[Gifted Gourmet]

My personal opinion is that Manishevitz et al could really have a hit on their hands if they marketed the hell out of matzoh to the general population as a super-healthy snack cracker.

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Matzoh? Not just for house siding any more ....

Matzoh: the snack cracker with yichus!

connotes distinguished family and forbears, pedigree actually ... one who has yichus has distinguished ancestors.

[Jason Perlow]

I'm thinking that the big M needs a commerical with notable hip-hop or rap personality to attract the urban demographic. Like P Diddy or Snoop perhaps. Even Flava Flav. Dressed appropriately with a giant gold "M" hung around their neck. With a slogan like...

"Yo! The 'Shewitz is the Shizznit, Muthafuc.........ah! Where fine Muthafuc...in Kosher Products are Sold, Beeeeyyyyyyyatch!"

[mizducky]

Just to underline that everything old is new again: remember that ad campaign a few decades ago for Levy's Jewish rye bread, with the slogan "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's"? There were several versions of the print ad--the version I recall best featured an (extremely photogenic) young African-American boy chowing down on a sandwich with a big grin on his face. I recall seeing the posters in the New York subways back in the day. How did Levy's make out with that ad campaign, by the way? Anybody know how successful it was?

[Pam R]

I'm thinking that the big M needs a commerical with notable hip-hop or rap personality to attract the urban demographic. Like P Diddy or Snoop perhaps. Even Flava Flav. Dressed appropriately with a giant gold "M" hung around their neck. With a slogan like...

"Yo! The 'Shewitz is the Shizznit, Muthafuc.........ah! Where fine Muthafuc...in Kosher Products are Sold, Beeeeyyyyyyyatch!"

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Not Matisyahu?

Are they talking about moving items like matzo ball mix and matzah to the regular shelves -- or items like spaghetti sauce and crackers? Or both? I think they're different issues.

You can make a darn good bean and barley soup out of one of those cello tubes. Add some mushrooms, carrots, onion and celery, salt and pepper and Bob's your uncle.

[mizducky]

My personal opinion is that Manishevitz et al could really have a hit on their hands if they marketed the hell out of matzoh to the general population as a super-healthy snack cracker.

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Matzoh? Not just for house siding any more ....

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Shades of an ancient "Saturday Night Live" fake commercial routine:

"It's a floor wax!"

"It's a dessert topping!"

"No, you're both right! It's a floor wax and a dessert topping!"

Sorry, couldn't resist ...

[Swisskaese]

This cracks me up. We were shocked and appalled when we saw Maneschewitz matzah here in Israel this past Passover. We have enough homegrown matzah and other Kosher products. Why do we need to import them from the US?

I think they bring them in for the Anglos that can't live without their US, British, South African and Canadian products.

Edited July 10, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)