Popcorn, Molly McButter, and the dying art of the shelf talker

It’s National Popcorn Poppin’ Month. Of course, it’s also National Apple Month, National Chili Month, National Cookie Month, and National Eat Country Ham Month (and today is National Vodka Day). For the purposes of this blog entry, however, we’re focusing on popcorn. (And by the way, it’s poppin’ month, not popping month. If you say it with the “g” on the end, you’ll just look foolish and out of touch.)

Last month, we talked about our efforts to revive a “retro brand” like Mrs. Dash. B&G Foods has sent us down memory lane once again, this time by asking us to design a shelf talker (below) for Molly McButter. This particular talker will greet grocery shoppers wherever Molly McButter is sold.

If you ask us, the shelf talker – also referred to as a “shelf screamer” by less subtle marketers – is an often overlooked part of the point-of-purchase marketing formula. Much like a billboard, a good shelf talker should grab a shopper’s attention and clearly communicate a key brand message in the nano-second during which you have that attention. That’s not easy to do, but this particular example accomplishes that, don’t you think?

Now if you’ll excuse us, we have to satisfy our sudden craving for popcorn, apples, chili, cookies, country ham and vodka. It’s going to be a long night.