Editorial: Where a whole lot of lolly is at stake

OPINION: The number one Minties Moment on the Pascall website as of this morning came from Sharlene, and it goes like this: "It was a blind date and we went to the hot pools.

"I felt like I had been doing all the talking, all he did was nod his head and mumble. This went on for 20 minutes and I was starting to get a bit worried that I was boring him. I looked down and to my horror my bikini top had slipped and I was fully exposed."

"It's moments like these" is one of the most recognisable of marketing slogans and has long been a part of the Kiwi vernacular. It has been the opening line to speeches at weddings, anniversaries and conferences down through the decades – from long before the first Minties television adverts hit our screens. Sports commentators draw on the term to spice up their coverage of costly or comic fumbles and tumbles, own goals and other pivotal moments that are unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

For many of the culprits, victims or unintentional buffoons, it would take more than a hard-boiled mint-flavoured lolly to restore their equilibrium, but the general sentiment – that it is better to shrug off life's embarrassing moments than dwell on them too long or too hard – is an approach we could all benefit from. Especially if worthwhile lessons are learned in the process.

This is not always the case, however, and it would seem that Pascall owner Cadbury has had its fair share of "moments" in New Zealand of late. A year ago the company sparked angst and outrage by scrapping old favourites Snifters, Tangy Fruits and Sparkles.

There was controversy over another old standard, the Eskimo lolly, when Canadian Inuit tourist Seeka Lee Veevee Parsons, 21, said the name was an insult to her people.

Cadbury, perennial winner of "most trusted New Zealand company surveys, held firm on that one, and is also sticking with plans to move production of some lines, including Moros, to Australia. However, it received a lot of stick when it downsized its chocolate blocks, and was forced to backtrack on a bid to add palm oil to its popular dairy milk chocolate recipe.

Consumers reacted so fiercely that it had no option other than to restore the old recipe, and this week launched a campaign to bring its customers back by giving away thousands of its new-old bars. Ouch.

The latest marketing "moment" is centred on Minties itself. Not only has it had to reveal that the sweet is now being made offshore in Thailand, but – horrors – the recipe has been changed. Complaints have rolled in – but whether you accept Cadbury's explanation will depend on whether you like your lolly soft or hard. Minties might seem a – dare we use the term – "iconic" Kiwi product, but the company says the sweet was invented in Australia in the 1920s and not produced in New Zealand for another three decades.

The sweet-maker claims the main difference is that the moisture content has been tweaked in order to make Minties softer – in response to public demand. As always, the test will come at the checkout. If the recipes division has a rush of blood in future, the company might profit by considering another marketing phrase: At moments like these, if it ain't bust, don't fix it.

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