Edelman PR

Ananova reports on the success of an Internet campaign to bring a popular chocolate bar out of retirement. Cadbury is to bring back the Wispa chocolate bar and produce an initial run of 23million bars in October. The highlight of the article on Ananova is the quote from Cadbury spokesman Tony Bilsborough who states, “This is the first time we are going to give the internet a chance to prove itself and see whether it is all hype or genuine.”

Bilsborough makes a quite astute observation as online chatter may not necessarily translate into sales. While you should always listen to your customers, the loudest doesn’t necessarily represent the majority. As has been shown by a variety of surveys, consumers are not a homogenous group. Instead various subgroups respond in similar fashions. It’s a factor which makes the Internet particularly interesting as it allows a certain breed of consumer to mobilise online which can be leveraged from a commercial perspective

A lot of marketers will be watching Wispa’s sales figures, however if you think this is going to lead to a revival of numerous other products don’t be mistaken. A good case in point was the closure of Bewleys Cafe in Dublin. Despite all the protests from consumers who claimed it was a cornerstone of Irish culture, these were the same customers who turned to more refined cafes over the years leading to Bewleys’ eventual closure.

Technorati Tags: Edelman, Internet, Wispa

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