Robert Klute > wrote
> Rod Speed > wrote
>> Robert Klute > wrote
>>> Sqwertz > wrote
>>>> SMS <SMS >> wrote
>>>>> Sqwertz wrote
>>>>>> SMS <SMS >> wrote

>>>> Happy now? This is getting boring. You will never convince me that
>>>> you and any other person who follows religious dietary restrictions
>>>> are of sane mind and body. And nothing short of a scientifically
>>>> conducted poll would convince us that kosher products do/don't
>>>> sell better among non-koshers because they're kosher.

>>> To an extent you are right - in this newsgroup we are just speculating as
>>> to why. We don't know for sure if it is people who keep kosher, believe
>>> kosher is purer or tastes better, have food allergies, keep halal, etc.

>> Or even whether they even consider whether its got a kosher label on it or not.

>>> But, it doesn't matter.

>> Corse it matters, particularly if they dont even
>> check whether its got a kosher label or not.

> What doesn't matter is if they do check, why the check.

Wrong. We happened to be discussing whether the kosher
label significantly increases the sale of particular items.

> If they don't it they don't contribute to the increased sales

You dont know that they arent buying it because the product
appeals to them more than the alternatives available.

> and thus not part of the population the manufacturer is targeting.

We arent discussing targetting.

>>> What matters is that the manufacturers believe that
>>> getting a kosher designation increases their sales

>> You dont even know that. Campbells clearly doesnt believe
>> that if they really do only have one item with a kosher label.

> Well, yes, that is the point. Campbell's doesn't
> believe it is worth the cost for most of their products.

And when you havent established that the cost is significant, that
clearly shows that Campbells doesnt believe that the kosher label
significantly affects sales of at least the products they sell.

> Apparently, just one had enough of a audience,
> possibly strict vegetarians or vegans.

And you dont even know whether Campbells believes that the
kosher label significantly increases the sales of the particular
product, JUST that the tiny cost of the kosher label is worth
spending with that particular item or that they chose to give it a
whirl to see if it had any effect on the sales of that particular product.

Its sales clearly didnt convince them to bother with any
other products if that is the only one with a kosher label.

>>> and that the resulting profits more than offset the cost of getting that designation.

>> And that in spades.

>>> If getting the designation didn't, companies other than those
>>> intentionally serving the kosher market, like Hebrew National
>>> and Empire, would not bother with it.

>> Or the cost of the kosher certification is a trivial part of their total costs,
>> so they just take the easy way out and get it when it doesnt require any
>> fundamental change in the way the product is produced etc.

> Again, they do it when the increase in net revenue
> exceeds the costs of implementing it.

You dont know that, particularly when its going to be very difficult for
any manufacturer like Campbell to quantify just what increase in revenue
there is from having a kosher label on that particular product, when there
are so many other factors that also affect the sales of a particular product.

> I would include the cost of setting up separate production lines or
> changing the recipe as part of the costs of getting the designation.

The second is very unlikely, and you dont know that it doesnt have
a separate production line regardless of the kosher certification.

>>> After all profit is profit.

>> But it may not be feasible to work out just what
>> value the kosher label has in terms of sales.

> Maybe not the exact cost,

Not even close in fact when so many other factors also affect the sales
that a particular product will achieve with an operation like Campbells.

> but good enough to whether to do it.

Easy to claim, hell of a lot harder to actually substantiate that claim.

> If you are not that sure, then you do it for one product and see if
> there is enough of an increase to justify doing for other products.

Pity its impossible to be sure what a change in sales
volume of a particular product like that is due to.

It can be something as basic as no one else bothering to produce a soup
for vegetarians, whether stores bother to stock that particular soup based
on what they decide is likely to appeal to their customers, etc etc etc.