Death of Twinkies

Hate them or love them, we can’t deny the fact we all have heard the name Twinkies at least once during our childhood. But it is not the only one of Hostess Brands Inc. that came to an end. Other brands under the umbrella of Hostess including Devil Dogs and Ding Dongs also filed for bankruptcy.

While there many factors to blame, including weak management, and poor judgment by investors. An important reason is because of the union contract hit. Even if that’s the case, we also cannot deny another vital reason why Hostess is pulling the plug. It is the same problem that they have been dragging on for almost 2 decades. The company’s marketing has completely failed to innovate.

In the 60s and 70s, Hostess products was essential parts of lunchboxes of many school kids across America. Many of us in the baby boomer generation grew up with sandwiches made from Wonder Bread and Hostess Twinkies, and even Ding Dongs for dessert. But over the past 20 years, most consumers moved away from these products due to changing views on healthy eating. Weighing in at 9 grams of fat and 300 calories per 2-pack, Twinkies obviously barely held on to the grocery list as one of the last items for general consumers.

It seems like a given but many companies, such as Hostess, still run into the same problem. As times change, brands, businesses and companies must develop with them. Marketers must continue to find new ways to make their brands relevant through innovation. Hostess failed at this, it was an obvious sign since many consumers were walking away from the brand.

Oddly, Hostess’s closing of the company could have been a great marketing move. It has generated millions of dollars in free publicity for the brand and set off a public uproar  from loyal Hostess consumers as they try to buy up and even auction off remaining product.

Whoever is next in the hot seat of this brand, if he/she can put effort into creating some new and meaningful innovations for the brand. It could potentially rise up and become an icon again.