Retail

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Chock Full O’ Nuts Coffee: Now Even Richer*

Chock Full O Nuts coffee can

For a change of pace, this story looks at the lighter side of product marketing and changes.

Chock Full O’ Nuts coffee is certainly a brand name from the past and is now making a come back with a new owner and a big advertising campaign.

Their popular jingle is still probably in the heads of millions of Americans: “Chock Full O’ Nuts is the heavenly coffee, heavenly coffee … better coffee a millionaire’s money can’t buy.”  [Watch the 1974 TV commercial reprising one from the 50s or 60s.]

The new owners still want to convey the superiority of their coffee and even held a contest to find the best new singer for their old jingle. Of course, with so many rich people in America now, a coffee good enough for a mere millionaire isn’t saying much. So, Chock Full O’ Nuts has inconspicuously modified their jingle accordingly [listen carefully to the 2007 version]:

*MOUSE PRINT: 

chock banner

It looks like inflation has even taken its toll on millionaires.

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Totes Boots: Guaranteed Waterproof*

Totes waterproofTotes is synonymous with umbrellas and other foul weather gear.

Recently, Mr. Consumer was shopping for boots and found a pair of Totes boots. These were not the flexible rubber kind, but rather more like a real boot with more rigid sides and sole, and with fleecy lining. Of concern was the zipper. If the zipper fails, then the boot will be virtually useless.

What Mr. Consumer was not concerned about was that the boot was waterproof. It said so on the box, and also on the hangtag (right).

On the back of the hangtag, was a guarantee that Mr. Consumer had not noticed in the store:

*MOUSE PRINT:

 Totes guarantee

For boots with a list price of $59.99, one would certainly expect them to remain waterproof for more than one season, and for the company to stand behind them if they did not.

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Woot: Got a Problem? It’s Your Fault!

Woot.com was likely the first site to only sell a single item per day at rockbottom prices. Every night at midnight, they discontinue offering that day’s product and introduce a new one.

How do they survive only selling one product per day?  For one, they can sell a lot of them. On a recent day, they sold 2500 Logitech mice. Even Amazon does not sell that many a day. Another way they save money is through customer service (or lack there of). The following is not an April Fool’s joke:

*MOUSE PRINT:

woot

At least they have a sense of humor about their (almost) all sales final policy.Whether customers find it funny may be a different story.

Woot will try to make good on defective goods if all else fails.

[For many stories about Woot from happy customers, please read the comments section below.]Â