The Blue Man Group got us excited about computer chips. Ellen sells us water with a little something extra. Now, the fine folks at the Corn Refiners Association would like us to reconsider what goes inside all the sweet stuff that we consume.
In what Joe Weisenthal of Business Insider calls a “genius branding move,” the trade group is determined to rename High-Fructose Corn Syrup. They propose that we begin to use the moniker “Corn Sugar” and usher in a new era for their bread and butter, so to speak.
Parents no longer will scrutinize nutrition labels for the demon syrup. Gym-toned hard bodies can rest assured that their workouts won’t crash under the weight of the health-threatening ingredient. Weisenthal and the Corn Refiners Association would have you believe that all will be forgotten and the renaming will be a reset on all things sweet and gooey.
Not so fast.
Is it really that simple? Is a name change, albeit one with some powerful consumer beliefs baked in (ask a friend which is healthier: syrup or sugar), really going to turn a tide of consumer awareness and disapproval? In the age of mandatory labeling and hyper-vigilant prescreening, will consumers really buy the switch?
Is this truly a rebranding or just a case of crisis management wrapped in an all-natural, feel-good wrapper?