Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 28, 2010 under Out of the Box | 
By Menachem Lubinsky
Leafing through a local weekly newspaper, I noticed an ad that read: “It’s 2010; Do You Know Where Your Marketing Is?” It went on to offer “free consulting” on brand image, but appeared to be more of a design firm’s quest for customers to redesign their logos and corporate image in general. On occasion, people turn to me for advice on a professional that could help with them with their marketing, which actually led me to write this column.
Continue reading “Who’s Who in Marketing?” on Lubicom’s Marketing Blog.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 26, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
I noted with glee that the most recent meeting of the kashrus committees in Dallas dealt with a Bill of Rights for Mashgichim. Sponsored by the Association of Kashrus Organizations, the new policy would seek to safeguard the working conditions and compensation of thousands of kosher supervisors. I also noticed that some of these issues are being openly discussed by kashrus organizations, despite the fact that the largest kashrus organizations have been leap years ahead in protecting their mashgichim from unsafe and unpleasant work environments. I have no doubt that this is a very important development in preserving the high standards of kashrus.
Similarly, there appears to be a new awareness that mashgichim and shochtim in processing plants must have a degree of autonomy and not be subject to the same restraints placed on ordinary workers. Charged with safeguarding the kashrus, it is important for the mashgichim and rabbonim to enjoy a measure of independence, as one would expect from a strictly kosher plant. This too, when observed properly, will have an enormous positive impact on kashrus, which must constantly strive to upgrade standards. Sure, there is no perfect world and the consumer recognizes that, but at the same time the average customer expects constant efforts to assure that kosher is as near perfect as possible. In fact, in kashrus the customer has come to expect a perfect world, and as far as I am concerned, that’s perfect!
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 25, 2010 under Kosher Companies |
New York…by Zechariah Mehler…Two well-known kosher caterers joined forces recently in a merger that sources say should help both well known kosher caterers. Simply Divine, a premier New York kosher caterer and event planner, has become a division of Foremost Caterers. The combination of Foremost and Simply Divine caterers gives both companies the ability and resources to create an expanded boutique catering and event planning experience. Also expanding is Simply Divine’s line of prepared foods which is sold at Zabars. Judy Marlow, the creator of Simply Divine describes her company as “the Calvin Klein of Kosher Caterers”. She says that Simply Divine excels at providing food which is simple but exceptional. Officially Simply Divine will be acting as a division of Foremost. This will allow them to retain the unique style Executive Chef Brian Sutor has created for them. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Sutor spent 13 years as Sous Chef at the 5-Star Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia and the last 5 years at Simply Divine. The merger will also allow regular customers of Foremost to have a greater number of options for their events. One source familiar with the deal said that such mergers are designed to share in overhead while increasing business, particularly in a recession environment.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher Companies |
Tel Aviv…by Idele Ross, KT Israel Bureau Chief…Tnuva, Osem and the Shupersol (Supersol) ‘Yesh’ supermarket chain are the most identifiable brand names among Charedi orthodox households. There are some 125,000 of these households in Israel and the community is growing at a rate of 6.7% a year making it a very desirable market for food manufacturers. The Hebrew language Globes business news website reports on marketing research carried out by the ‘Hamevaser’. A senior advertising executive whose agency caters to the observant community said that most of Israel‘s major manufacturers understand that the Orthodox sector is the country’s fastest growing community and will continue that way for the next ten years. The independent study carried out among 538 respondents found that the most recognizable brand in the community is Tnuva dairies, followed by Osem and in third place ‘Yesh’ a subsidiary of Supersol. The authors of the study attributed Tnuva and Osem’s familiarity to their many years in the food industry. The ‘Yesh’ chain, a relative newcomer, they said, has outlets in most Charedi communities. Also in the findings is the fact that the Hared consumer is loyal to the known brands and trusts their stricter mehadrin kashrus even if products are more expensive. For example, Coca Cola is a favorite soft drink among those who were asked. Some 36 percent expressed their preference for Coke over other soft drink bands which are less expensive.
Sociologist Professor Oz Almog, who studies the consumer behavior of the religious community, said that their shopping habits and their image have changed. They no longer buy the least expensive brands. He said that they prefer the brand names even for basic foodstuffs like dairy products and breakfast cereals. Almog added that the Hared newspapers in Israel are full of ads for quality goods. He found a 25 percent increase in sales of high end wines and a 35 percent increase in the sales of beer indicting a growing middle class amongst the Charedi community.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 24, 2010 under Kosher, Kosher Stores |
Fairlawn, NJ…by Zechariah Mehler…The great Hammantashen debate? It was a debate raging amongst Israelis last year on whether the triangular shaped frequently prune filled pastries for Purim (February 28th) could ever compete with the sufganiyot (donuts) on Chanukah. In the US, at least at Zadies Bakery in Fair Lawn NJ, the clear winner is hammantaschen (named for the evil Haman who sought to destroy the Jews in ancient Persia). Zadies is popular for Purim celebrants because they do not only fill their dough with prune. Apricot, sesame and strawberry are crowd favorites but it’s the truly unique creations that keep them coming back. Among the standard flavors are Hammentaschen that are filled with brownie and pudding. These wonderful cookies are the creation of Josh Steinberg, one of Zadies owners. “We like to experiment with new ideas as much as possible” Josh said. “We are working at something new for this year too. Maybe apple. We’ll see”. As one of New Jerseys biggest distributors of baked goods, the pressure of keeping up with demand can take its toll. “Unlike a lot of places, all of our hammentaschen are hand made and not by machine. Some days demand is so great that all I do is make hammentaschen.“
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kashrus Organization |
By Menachem Lubinsky
Postville, IA…The owners of Agri Star, the successors of Agriprocessing, may have learnt a valuable lesson last week when one of its main hechsherim pulled its certification. The departure of Rabbi Menachem M. Weissmnadl caused an immediate uproar, prompting the owners to threaten legal action and recourse in a rabbinical court. Sources say that friction between the team of Rabbi Weissmandl and the ownership of Mr. Heshi Friedman had been going on for weeks. In his brief announcement, Rabbi Weissmandl noted that he was removing his kosher certification from all the various brands of AgriStar. Sources say that the loss of the hechsher to Agri could further complicate the company’s recovery efforts. One source familiar with similar changes in kosher certifications said: “The cost of changing the labels alone is enough to cause someone to think twice, let alone of the fallout from a dropped hechsher.” In addition to Rabbi Weissmandl’s hechsher, Agri Star products are also certified by the Orthodox Union (OU). Although Rabbi Weissmandl was careful not to cast aspersions on the kashrus, many of his followers and others are questioning the motives behind his departure. A source close to the controversy said: “Let us just say that the cultures were not compatible.” Agri Star continues to be a major producer of kosher poultry and to date has not yet resumed the slaughter of cattle since its predecessor Agriprocessing declared bankruptcy. A source close to the Friedmans told Kosher Today that the resumption of the schechita of cattle was imminent. Many questions loomed in the wake of the developments at Agri Star, including the fate of some of the shochtim who are part of the operation of Agri Star. A spokesman for the Orthodox Union said that the OU would continue to certify Agri just as it has for many years. They emphasized that the integrity of the kashrus was not compromised by the change.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 23, 2010 under Kosher Stores |
By Menachem Lubinsky
New York…Jewish newspapers are suddenly flush with full-page image ads by kosher supermarkets, health food stores, and even poultry manufacturers as many seek to imitate the extraordinary marketing success of Pomegranate, the upscale Flatbush kosher supermarket. This has almost overnight created a bonanza for cash starved Jewish weeklies who are the direct beneficiaries of the “full-page war,” as one advertising executive termed it. “They believe that the colorful ads with those gorgeous food shots have helped make the store (Pomegranate) a real success,” he said. He added that in the past just to get some of these stores to advertise at all was like “pulling teeth.” Many of the stores now stress their wide aisles, parking, and fresh meats as part of an image campaign that is vintage Pomegranate. There are photos of owners and butchers, all in an effort to project an image of upscale as opposed to price sensitive. Many of the stores and purveyors who are now part of this media war admit that they may not be able to sustain this effort long-term. In fact, marketing experts predict that even Pomegranate will at one point “tone down” its advertising, out a conviction that it has already won the market share that it could have hoped for. In the ongoing poultry war, the winner is clearly the consumer, but in the end the consumer may win the retail war as well.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher, Kosher Wine |
New York…by Zechariah Mehler…Quality wines are so much a part of the culture and history of France that it is automatically given the edge when it comes to winemaking. Yet, of late Israeli wineries have fared extremely well in international competitions even against the best French wines, and yes Israel with its rich tradition in general has a long history in winemaking. A good example is the Psagot Winery, which is located in the Judean Hills just north of Jerusalem overlooking the Edom Mountains to the east. This area was once the home of hundreds of ancient wineries whose remnant can still be seen today. Psagot’s wine cellar is an ancient cave used for winemaking that dates back to the time of the second temple. In this wine cellar Psagot ages enough wine to produce about 80,000 bottles a year. Their signature wine is called Edom and it is made from a collection of the various grapes at the wineries. Smooth and rewarding Edom is rich with the flavor of berries, vanilla and oriental spices. “The flavor comes from the mountains surrounding Jerusalem”, says Yaakov Berg, one of Psagot’s owners. “The soil is very rocky and in order to plant we need to drill into the rocks. Because of this the grapes receive a lot of minerals from the soil that add to the overall taste of the wine”. With eight different wines, Psagot Winery is primed to become one of the premier labels in Kosher wine.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 22, 2010 under Kosher, Kosher Stores |
By Menachem Lubinsky
Brooklyn…A Kosher Today story that the closure of Fruit Palace on Avenue J was due to the mounting debt of credit extended to customers in what is known as the “book,” was immediately challenged by local merchants, investors, and at least one distributor. The culprit, say the food officials, is Pomegranate, which has sharply curtailed traffic on the Flatbush commercial strip. One source told Kosher Today that most of the food stores “on the Avenue” were down between 30% – 40% since the large gourmet upscale supermarket opened only several blocks away in August 2008. An investor with Food Palace told Kosher Today that “orders on a typical Friday were down by nearly 40% in most of the food stores on Avenue J.” Yet, one source also noted that the book may have been a factor, noting that one account at Fruit Palace owed the store more than $70,000. A source close to nearby Blue Ribbon said that his book totaled more than $200,000. Another Flatbush store put his number at “somewhere between $140,000 – $160,000. But the food sources say that the book is not the reason for the doldrums at some of the stores as those payables have always existed. “It is clearly Pomegranate that has simply cut traffic on the avenue significantly,” said one source that has been on the avenue for over a quarter of a century. He added: “Look, we are trying to help our customers and when you wrote about the book, you neglected to mention how much free food we all give away. That’s what hurts so much. We’ve done so much for this community and suddenly many of them are gone, just like that.”
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher, Passover |
New York…by Eda Kram…As supermarkets around the country open their Passover 2010 sets, consumers will find an unprecedented array of new foods and wines that will make this holiday “more interesting than in recent years,” according to one source. Many of the new products are designed to bring the Passover taste closer to that of year-round items while others are simply meant to add the broad array of items already available for Pesach. There is also an emphasis on healthier products. In its exclusive annual review, Kosher Today looks at an impressive list (that is far from complete) designed to preview what is being described as “one of the most exciting groups of new products in a long time.”
This year’s list of new products includes many new sauces, condiments and oils for Passover. They include Leiber‘s Macadamia Oil, Taanug Olive Oil Spray (Lantev Distribution Corp.), Gefen Sauerkraut and Chrayonnaise, Chili Sauce, Mustard, and Spicy Ketchup from Blanchard; 100% Fruit Spreads (no sugar added and in a variety of flavors- from Beit Yitzhak, Israel), Ein Harod’s Pure Honeys in 5 varieties, and Tishbi Wine Jellies and Preserves (upscale line of wine jellies and preserves by Oshra Tishbi, available in such varieties as: Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet; as well as Fruit and Wine Preserves combinations such as Strawberry Merlot, Apple Cabernet, and Passion Fruit).
In the category of drinks, juices and sauces are such new items as Chamomile Peppermint and Senna Leaf Tea (Taanug), Lemon Juice and Apple Sauce (Mishpacha), Clover Honey Squeeze Bear (Manischewitz), Gift set ofWissotzky line of teas (now distributed by Kedem), and Kedem’s new Peach and Blush Grape Juice flavors. There are many new soup related items on the shelves this year, including Osem Mini Crouton Soup Mandel, Telma Reduced Sodium Chicken Consomme Mix and Telma Reduced Sodium Chicken Consomme Cube, and Halperin Jerusalem Matzah Ball Mix and Kneidle Mix. In prepared foods, Osem introduces its Mashed Potatoes N Onion, Streits is out with its Quinoa Original and with Garlic, and Sugat (one of its many interesting products which are distributed by Osem) introduces its White Quinoa Royal, and Savion Falafel Mix.
While more and more supermarkets sell Shmura Matzohs, the shelves will be decked with all kinds of new Matzah and Matzah related products, including Holyland Handmade Shmura Matzah, Halperin Jerusalem Egg and Whole Wheat Matzah, Yehuda Mini Matzah, Streits Oat Matzah, Osem Whole Wheat Israeli Matzah, Negev Matzah, Aviv’s Whole Wheat Original, Mini Egg, Mini Egg N Garlic, Mini Egg N Onion, Egg, Egg N Onion, Egg N Garlic, Honey, and Wheat Bran and Rye Matzos, Halperin’s 18-Minute Matzah Farfel, Halperin Jerusalem Cake Meal, Streits Spelt (part of an increased number of spelt Passover items), Matzo Meal, Whole Wheat, Original and Cake Meal, Manischewitz Matzo Farfel . Yehuda Matzo Crackers and Yehuda Mini Matzo. Streit and Gefen are out with Chow Mein Noodles, as well as a thin and medium version of all-natural, Gluten Free and Chow Mein Noodles.
There are many additions for breakfast and desserts, including Gefen’s Honey & Fruity Flavored Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, and Chocolate Flavored Cheerios, Savion’s Crispy-O’s Fat-Free Frosted, Sugat’s line of baking products include Baking Powder, Imitation Vanilla Extract Sugar, Sesame Seeds Hulled, Coconut Flakes Sweetened, Glick‘s Chocolate and Vanilla Cookies and Glick‘s Chocolate Brownie Cookie, Klein’s new Viennese Ice Cream Cake, Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe’s Chocolate Chip Mandel breit, Cinnamon Almond mandel breit, Chocolate dipped vanilla meringues ,Vanilla meringues Raspberry Jelly slice, Apricot Jelly slice, Chocolate Dipped macaroons and Chocolate Chiffon cakes
In the meat and fish category, Abeles & Heymann (now of Super Bowl fame) is introducing a Premium Sliced Turkey line and Smoked Turkey Mini Sausages. Remember Season? They’re back with their 100% Premium Quality Solid White Albacore Tuna, available in both water and olive oil. Also back are many new items from Haddar, a brand that used to be a basic staple on Passover and was recently reintroduced by new ownership.
In the sweets department for both adults and kids are a number of new products from Mishpacha, including a new line of macaroons (Coconut, Chocolate and Chocolate Chip), Grab n’ go all-natural apple sauces, lemon juice, and delicious pineapple products, Magic Max Cotton CandySoft and Fluffy, Magic Max Pink Cotton Candy, Manischewitz Dark Chocolate Almond Bark, BBM’s Swiss Selection Premium Chocolate, and from Streit’s- Lollypops in Assorted Flavors, Peach Yogurt Hard Candy, Strawberry Hard Candy, Butterscotch Hard Candy and Cappuccino Hard Candy, Chocolate & Coconut Macaroon in Travel Pack, Streit’s Raspberry Jelly Rings, Savion Marshmallow Cream, Elite’s variety of flavored Lentils, Mini Chocolate Mixes and a Milk Mekupelet Bar, Carmit has new Chocolate Balls in Dairy, Pareve and White Chocolate, Gedilla Ice Cream Cups - gluten-free alternative to the traditional ice cream cone and Klein’s Premium Sorbet Lemon in a Quart and Pint size.
In addition to foods, many new novelty items will be on sale in time for the holiday. They include Kar-Ben’s three new Passover Haggadahs for families, Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah; Sammy Spider leads the Passover Seder,
Rite Lite’s Passover Pleasers (child friendly cookbook), My Passover Haggadah (for the youngest of children), and Melamine Childrens Plate.
(Please note that the Passover Wine Review will be in our March 8th edition.)
