Why I didn’t buy Bananas…

Options
2»

Replies

  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Options
    I think advertising on fruit could be a great thing -- maybe (HOPEFULLY) some of the money is going back to the farmers who work hard to grow our food. I mean -- advertising is everywhere else (most packaged food, bus benches, billboards, tv, MFP), and why not? I personally don't understand why you take issue with it. If ads were not everywhere, you'd have to pay a lot more to do things (like to use MFP & other websites or for the food itself).

    I may agree about the cheap grapes. It makes me wonder if the store is taking the hit just to get more people through the door (I think this is likely the case...) or if the farmers/transporters are being undercompensated in order to get prices so low (in which case, I would not want to purchase the grapes).
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
    Options
    i can't count the number of times i have eaten cookies, chips, or other junk foods with advertising all over them. who cares if fruit is getting monopolized.
  • sblim
    sblim Posts: 99
    Options
    I live in South America and I can easily see how grapes could be $1 per pound (even in the USA) especially if the store is subsidizing the price as someone else mentioned. In many of the countries around me, more than half the population lives off $1 per day. Yeah, you read that right. $1. Life is much different here, but the fruit is AMAZING and cheap! :)
  • meokk
    meokk Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    I'm totally with you. I have spent a lot of time on food equity issues over the past few years. With local food I call it domestic fair trade. Indeed the farmers selling those grapes did not get a living wage. Food in our country is artificially cheap due to a lot of things. Anyone depating it should read omnivores dilema, A year of Eating Locally, and watch Food, Inc.

    I agree, try to buy locally which means in season, and you may be able to avoid this issue. It will certainly limit what you can buy, especially if you are in a cold climate. I've been trying for the past few years to do this and it is really hard but at least I try. Even if I still buy 50% out of state/country it's a step in the right direction.

    Good for you not buying those grapes. Every purchase we make in the grocery store is a vote. If enough people made the same choice and asked their supermarket managers for more local produce then we could be in a better place.

    As for the advertising, I loathe it in general but I would rather see ads on fruit than see ads for horrible sugary fatty products marketed to Children. I noticed yesterday that my store has "sponge bob" frozen edamame. It's a bit annoying but if it gets kids to eat edamame instead of cookies then so be it.
  • catfan
    catfan Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    I couldn't care less about what advertising is on my bananas- what matters is that I'm buying bananas and not chocolate bars.

    I have no trouble tuning out the advertisements around me. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't have a problem with them. Advertising makes companies money. Companies who make money then create jobs, put food on families' tables, put money back into the economy. The big ol' wheel keeps on turning.

    Besides, marketing like that is more driven towards children- and if my children are going to be marketed to (it's unavoidable) I'd rather a company be pushing nutritious food like bananas over, say, Happy Meals.

    Well said!!!!
  • MiniRose2B
    MiniRose2B Posts: 53
    Options
    I have gotten totally immune to unwanted advertisements, so it does not bother me in the least, also is that what that monkey was representing? I thought it just meant bananas were monkey food. lol
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Options
    I love bananas and I love monkey ball. Win win. LOL

    I kind of enjoy the obvious marketing of products in movies etc. They don't even try to be subtle anymore. It makes me laugh.
  • cbnorris
    cbnorris Posts: 204 Member
    Options
    On the flip side... my son saw AiAi from the Monkey Balls video game on the bananas and wanted me to buy them... WHY NOT? After 12 years of having my kid ask me to buy Fruit Loops, Cocoa Pebbles or some other cereal because there was a special toy related to a movie, a game or something else.... or begging me to go to Burger King or McDonalds so that he could get a toy in his happy meal relating to a movie or a game... I'll gladly buy him Bananas.

    The funnier thing there is my husband is probably the one who is most excited about the new Monkey Ball video game - we had the old one for the Game Cube - now that we can use the balance board for the Wii... I'm thinking... Happy Father's Day!!!!

    The grapes thing... I guess I don't see how not buying them is going to help... they'll just go bad and be thrown away... I'd rather eat them at a cheaper price, I guess.

    Agree. There are advertisements on everything from coke to cereal to yougurt to crackers, and I'm assuming there was a point in all of our lives where we have all bought those. And hey, maybe, if that cartoon monkey changes the mind of one child who would have asked for a candy bar instead, then awesome. I don't see anything wrong with it. Just the world we live in today.

    I don't buy bananas cause I can't stand the taste. :sick:
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    Options
    I've never heard of Monkey Ball, so I can't comment on that. As far as the advertising on fruit/veggies, who cares!!! I think it's great that the produce companies are marketing to children. If it gets kids to eat their fruits/veggies and not a Happy Meal, then so be it. I too, have become immune to all of the marketing and advertising that is everywhere in today's world. It's just something you have to ignore.

    As far as prices for fruits/veggies, I do try to shop at farmer's markets if possible to support the local growers. However, even this can become expensive. I am disabled and live on a fixed income, so the food budget is very tight. If grapes are super cheap, I'll buy them. I do not have the luxury of caring where they came from or how they got here. If I have the money in the budget to splurge on grapes, then by all means, into the cart they go.

    Not to sound mean, but in today's world and with the state of the economy, having an anti-capitalist mentality just isn't going to put food on the table or pay the bills. Just my opinion.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Options
    I bought over 5lbs of bananas last week at the store when they went on sale for $0.44 :blushing:.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    Options
    Part of my job is inventory analysis. Not fruit per se. But you might be seeing a loss leader on the grapes and other stock in the gorcery store. The store prices certain items at a loss, in order to get you in the door and you will buy other stuff that's more profitable for them.

    Also, you might have caught them at a time when they needed to move grapes to make room for fresher grapes. Lots of reasons for pricing.

    I guess what I'm trying to say there are a lot of factors that go into the price of a product beyond the actual cost of the product regardless of industry.

    Not that this would have stopped me from buying the banana's. Because I buy them regardless of price, as long as they look good I'm buying banana's.

    I admire creative advertising so I probably would have laughed.
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
    Options
    Besides, marketing like that is more driven towards children- and if my children are going to be marketed to (it's unavoidable) I'd rather a company be pushing nutritious food like bananas over, say, Happy Meals.

    Agreed.

    I understand what you're saying about responsible consumerism. We all need to place a priority on buying as local as possible and paying fair prices. We all have the power to change circumstances with our buying dollars.

    And I absolutely dispise slimy marketing tactics. But on the other hand, it tickles me no end that maybe the movement towards eating healthier is now warranting those creepy marketing guys to place ads on the healthy stuff!
  • mlove1307
    mlove1307 Posts: 151
    Options
    I bought the bananas and made SURE I got a bunch with the cute little monkey. I really don't focus on the fact that they have partnered with Wii to attract more customers.

    Honestly, I love bananas. They are a great fruit and if putting a stupid monkey on the little sticker on a bunch of bananas gets more people to look at FRUIT and maybe buy some, then I think thats awesome. As consumers, we don't have to be gullible to advertisements. I certainly didn't go out and buy a wii and the monkey balls game. But I did have my banana oatmeal for breakfast. :]

    I guess it's all about perspective. I hope maybe with all these opinions floating around about the post those who are furious with the advertisers will see the other side of the argument.
  • sweetrevenge
    sweetrevenge Posts: 188
    Options
    Confused a bit.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
    Options
    I think the marketing of the bananas with a Wii game is great. I know recently a lot of children's television and companies (Disney, Nickelodeon, etc) were leaned on pretty heavily to get their marketing off of candy and cookies and onto fruit and veg. LOVE this. I blame a lot of the issue of kids eating crap because it's got a TV or game character on it on parents because they can't/won't say "No," but even looking at it like that, any help parents can get (especially ones that have a problem with "no") is a good thing!

    I thought it was both hilarious and awesome when I found SpongeBob Squarepants on frozen edamame. It may sound horrible, but he could be on ice cream on the same aisle. He's going to be on something so it might as well be on the edamame.

    Just as an added note "gamer" food used to be (and for some still is) things like frozen pizza and Mountain Dew. Good to see a company targeting that audience with health food.

    Everyone spends a lot of time complaining about McDs, BK, cigarette companies, etc marketing to children... why should we be upset when something great like a fruit company does it?

Categories