Although roads were becoming passable last week, people still congregated at the Plymouth Town Hall every lunchtime to get the latest news, a free meal courtesy of Farm and Wilderness, and much needed supplies.

Thanks to the airlift last week, there is a massive supply of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) and bottled water. Locals have also donated fresh fruit and vegetables. But what really seems to attract people’s attention are the tables piled high with everyday items like canned and dried goods and household supplies. Familiar brand names like Del Monte, Kellogg’s, Barilla, Duracell, Clorox and Bounty are on prominent display.

At the time I did not really think about why these brands were attracting so much attention. Then the next morning I caught this quote on the radio:

There is so much to be said for the morale boost of having grocery items instead of the MREs. MREs are fantastic and they're lucky to have them, but there's nothing like a  can of Campbell's soup, you know?

It seems that familiar brand names have the feel good factor! They are a sign of the return to normalcy that many here crave. And, of course, brands like Campbell’s bring with them a lifetime of positive memories and associations. Just the sight of the familiar packaging evokes a positive emotional response. As the familiar slogan states Campbell’s is, “Mmm, Mmm, good.”

It is arguable whether the branded foods are as nutritional as the MREs or as healthy as the fresh veggies, but they do bring with them other benefits, like comfort and reassurance. We know that people turn to nostalgic brands in times of uncertainty.

While these brands may not qualify as “nostalgic” since they are everyday items on many people’s shopping lists, they still seem to fulfill the same function.

Hopefully this post brought you a little food for thought. What familiar brands would you want to have with you when cut off from the outside world?

 

Nigel Hollis is Executive Vice President and Chief Global Analyst at Millward Brown.

This post was spotted on Straight Talk with Nigel Hollis, the original post can be found here.