In a recent blog post by a fellow Comm 101 student, Austin Feltham, he discussed the new marketing campaign for Maynard’s Wine Gums.
Maynard’s chooses to differentiate themselves in their new campaign by portraying wine gums in a classy way, as if it were a fine wine. By essentially parodying themselves, Maynard’s makes their product more memorable and unlike other candy on the shelves. Innovative marketing that grabs the attention of a target market is always essential, but their latest campaign targets a different market. Unlike other Maynard’s products such as Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Berries, or Fuzzy Peaches, which are marketed towards children, Wine Gums are being advertised to an older, more adult audience with the hopes of expanding their market in a fun and silly way. The youtube ad ridiculously depicts a self-proclaimed wine gum expert offering wine gums to taste at a wine tasting convention. By doing this, Maynard’s emphasizes their main point of difference – they are WINE gums, not just any gummy for a child. At the same time, the fun spin of the campaign removes the seriousness and reminds the audience that Maynard’s Wine Gums are fun candy, just like the aforementioned Maynard’s signature candies.