We miss you too Maggi!
After a testing time including financial damages and loss of reputation, Maggi’s resurgence looks solid and strong
This is the only snack that we will all unanimously agree to being in love with in our growing up days regardless of caste, religion, family background etc. After we grew up, it stayed in our lives; as singles when we came home after a hard day’s work, it lightened our moods and filled our tummies to our full satisfaction.
Maggi was started by Julius Maggi in Switzerland in 1875, when he took over the mill from his father. Maggi was tailored to feed nutritious food to worker families. This was the original idea; Maggi brought the first protein rich legume meal to the market, eventually expanding its production to ready-made soup based legume meal.
Maggi’s instant noodles became popular in India and Malaysia with Nestle holding 38% share in Malaysia and 90% share in India. Therefore, it came as a huge shock when the product was banned in India after finding harmful quantities of lead in.
This brought into light the state of processed food sold in India which are apparently not tested well enough. Following the ban, the company took a hit of 450 crore, destroying over 30,000 tonnes of instant noodles since June when the ban became effective.
The ban imposed by the food regulators was then lifted by the Bombay High Court after ordering new samples tested in three different laboratories. Nestle India Managing Director, Suresh Narayanan says the new formula will go in for testing in laboratories in Jaipur, Hyderabad and Punjab and he aims at bringing it back by the end of this year if not earlier.
While Nestle is dealing with the shock of having to take one of their most popular products off the market, they are also facing a class action suit from the Consumer Affairs Ministry which is seeking 640 crores in damages for alleged unfair trade practices, false labeling and misleading advertisements.
After all the trials and tribulations the hope is that the product will be back in the market by the end of this year if not earlier.
Even with all the accusations and the band, there have been spoofs supporting the brand. Below is one of them:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p095BneoEBY&feature=youtu.be]
To build the brand image and market it stronger, Maggi has put together a stronger team this time consisting of Prasoon Joshi and team who have come up with a series of ‘Maggi I miss you ads’.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWfvOMK6Mqs&hd=1]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKvoZyz23y4&hd=1]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJP5HW3KU8&hd=1]