Since Mouse Print* began in 2006, we have featured product after product that has been downsized. Manufacturers remove an ounce here and there, and for paper products, they shave off fractions of an inch in width or length, or reduce the number of sheets provided.
Now comes Ken’s Steak House salad dressing. Looking at the picture on the left, the bottle on the left appears bigger than the one on the right, and one might conclude that they too have just downsized. Surprise, the opposite is true.
*MOUSE PRINT:
Ken’s actually added an ounce of dressing to their traditional eight ounce bottle when they made the switch from glass to plastic bottles. This was a deliberate move by this family-run company to buck the downsizing trend.
Too bad they missed the opportunity to tout the fact on the bottle that they are now giving the consumer more at the same old price. (They had limited space, and couldn’t figure out how to best communicate that fact according to a spokesperson for the company.) In the comments below, feel free to offer your suggestions.
They had limited space? hmm how whimsically old-fashioned. Space has never been a problem for companies downsizing their products. I applaud this company.
What a great move! I think calling out the increase in size with a simple strech cord and tag around the neck of the bottle (like you see with coupons on other bottled products) would be a good strategy. You could even incorporate a coupon on the tag to “celebrate” the increase in size.
Nice. I hope they haven’t ditched the glass bottles all together though. They were great.
It doesn’t bother me at all if they toot the fact or not. If companies can sneakily downsize their products, how can I complain when they sneakily upsize it? Three thumbs up to Ken’s.
This needs to be on the evening news. I will definitely continue to buy Ken’s now. Proud to be a buyer.
Add print to label that reads: Same high quality, new look and 1 oz. free.
They could have eliminated the word “Tableside” (what does that mean?) and used that space with a “New Size” callout somewhere else in the label.
Just make the 9 in the 9 oz. bigger and bolder. It would draw the eye to it. Consumer would then wonder “why is that bold-is it a mistake?” And to check they will look at another brand next to it and see for themselves.
Personally, I prefer to buy foods in glass as opposed to plastic. Even with the extra ounce, Ken’s is losing my business because of this.
It is too bad that they changed from re-recyclable glass to plastic, but perhaps their bottle is made out of recyclable plastic. However, they should be blasting the fact that it is a larger size for the same price. If for no other reason, but to blast the competition. With grocery prices up 33.3% we need every break we can get.
Edgar replies: The plastic bottle is “eco-friendly recyclable plastic,” according to the company.
“KEN’S” just made a new buyer out of me. Kudo’s to them! As a consumer in this downtrodden economy, it’s GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!
Push the name Ken’s Steakhouse up higher to the little red design. Take Tableside and Caesar and squeeze it down maybe a 16th of an inch and move it up as well. Make the picture of the veggies a little smaller and condense it more to the left. You could then say “Proud to give you an extra ounce at the same price” I’ve worked for 4 years in screen printing.
Truth is, if the company ADVERTISED the increase in size, it wouldn’t have been
featured on Mouseprint.
With regards to Patricia Rochester’s comment, I got to thinking: It’s obvious that if companies sneak downsizing, it should make both consumer and seller unaware, thus the price stays the same. Now what if as Patricia points out that they make it very obvious. Suppose this catches the attention of the seller that Ken’s added one more ounce and decides to raise the price proportionally to the total contents of the bottle. A little bit far fetched I know, but there’s always that possibility, perhaps not widespread.
Did the price change?
Edgar replies: The price stayed the same.
Big ups to KENS, I try to buy there salad dressings all the time.
I recently bought several bottles on sale. I noticed the 9 ounces and asked a friend if I was reading it wrong. Good for Ken’s! I love their dressings even more now.
Was the extra oz water or oil?
Edgar replies: The ingredients list and calories remained the same, so it was merely more dressing, not something watering it down.
If space is limited, put the old “8 oz” & cross out and put “9 oz” just below it.
Sample: https://sites.google.com/site/seemypicsonlie/a/comment.png
Nice job- Big fan of Kens salad dressings Glade to get more of what I like so much Thanks John
That is fantastic! Thanks for sharing a positive story.
They could have had the security sticker (the tape that goes around the twist-top so you can tell if it has been unsealed) printed up with something succinct. “More sauce. Same price”. Something like that.
No space? Without changing the design they could have made the “9 oz.” boldface. They need a new spokesperson. That was a lame excuse that the public easily sees through.
Who says they have to promote the change? It’s their company – let them handle it however they want. Maybe they’re just good people doing a good thing and not seeking the spotlight? Perhaps it simply makes more business sense this way (more costly to retool the production line than to add the extra ounce.) That said, I wish my nose didn’t equate their Bleu Cheese with the smell of lacquer.
We enjoy Ken’s dressings..buy that brand almost exclusively.
Have not seen the “Tableside Caesar” yet.. will look for it.
I like the Sweet Onion dressing, and my husband really enjoys the Caesar.
The Sweet Onion is very good as a dip with pretzels as well.
I say good for Ken’s..plenty of good will for them. Smart move.
Finally, an honest entrepreneur! I love Ken’s dressings, but now I will buy the brand exclusively. Congratulations!!