The Rascals Re-Launch Fail

Did the news of the RASCALS brand re-launching with 3 new flavour offerings rustle up a bit of nostalgia in your bones? It definitely caught my eye when news broke that the legendary candy coated sweets would be hitting shelves again from July 2012! But, there is one problem with creating so much positive hype and fuss around the re-launch of your brand/product… Can you meet the requirements to make the actual re-launch into the market successful?

In my opinion (and many other South African consumers on social media platforms) this is where RASCALS failed to meet our expectations. Sure I want to taste things like Rascals when they hit the shelves with a bang, who doesn’t? But, I definitely don’t want to drive around to five different stores to get my hands on the product! This for me was the biggest issue with the Rascals re-launch. The social media strategy and all was decent, but their distribution strategy sucked balls… They got write ups and good online PR from many of the local blogs, but then they didn’t deliver on making the product readily available. I still haven’t seen the product in stores to be 100% honest. Rascals basically set us up for this scenario below:

Whether it is the sales team or Mister Sweet who are responsible for the RASCALS availability fail I have no clue. But they definitely should have the product in all leading retailers, wholesalers, grocery stores and spaza shops Nationwide. With 3 different product variations their share of shelf would be pretty decent too, allowing for a strong visual appeal to cosumers! With their brightly coloured packaging they should be aking up some prime space on front of isle and till displays. It would have gone down great with kids and attracting them to try the product. The range includes Wild Berries, Sours and the original Fruity Flavours which ensures there are taste profiles for every type of consumer!

What are your thoughts about the RASCALS re-launch campaign? Do you feel their distribution strategy is widespread enough to become the dominant sweets brand it was all those years ago? If you have tasted the product, is it the same? Has the taste and texture changed? I would love to hear your opinions about the Rascals re-launch, so please your thoughts in the comments section below if you have a few seconds to spare!

Follow Rascals On Twitter:

@RascalsSA

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10 Responses to “The Rascals Re-Launch Fail” Subscribe

  1. Natalie August 23, 2012 at 2:15 pm #

    The only place I have seen Rascals is at Clicks… I go to Clicks at most, four times a month, for toiletries and medicine. Would be better, as you mentioned, to place them in more “everyday” stores – grocery stores, corner cafes, garage shops – as they would reach a greater market. Definately a fail from their side.

    • Mr. Cape Town August 24, 2012 at 11:31 am #

      Yeah I have the same problem, and, since I don’t shop at Clicks you see my problem. The fact that they are not in 24 hour garages and major grocers Nationwide is the ultimate fail!!!

  2. Geoffrey Chisnall August 23, 2012 at 4:31 pm #

    The first few weeks I could not find rascals anywhere, but now I am able to find them easily now.

    • Mr. Cape Town August 24, 2012 at 11:37 am #

      Hmm I wish I could say the same. Again yesterday I checked at Harry’s corner shop in Sea Point, Engen, BP, Caltex and Total… Still nothing!

  3. andrew September 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm #

    Rascals are the best sweets .

    I defiantly need to try the new flavours ..

  4. Billy September 24, 2012 at 10:35 am #

    I managed to get my hands on a few packets from Clicks and to be quite honest, I was very disappointed. They definitely don’t taste the same and the sour ones are so sour that there is very little taste of anything else.
    I reckon this is a big fail for Mr Sweet.

  5. fraserburg April 18, 2013 at 12:12 am #

    We loved Rascals, are currently in NZ. I’ve packed 3 Rascal bottles in the container; which ended up stored in a box. Unpacked it the other day and my 5 year old very excitedly start to use them as water bottles to school.
    Sadly within 2 weeks ; 2 bottles sprung a leak. As he was only 5 months when we moved here , he never had the “privilege” of having a Rascal filled rascal bottle.
    He cried last night over the Blue bottle i had to throw out.

    My Q is ; are the Rascal figure shaped bottles still around. ??Want to try and get hold of a new one, somehow.

  6. Yvette November 11, 2014 at 12:59 pm #

    the rascals dont taste the same as it was, miss the real rascal falvours.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. TREND. | Socialising enterprise - October 29, 2012

    […] Confectionary brand Rascals made a big impact on their return to South Africa with a campaign seeded successfully through social media channels: http://1minutereview.co.za/rascals-sweets-are-back-in-south-africa/; but distribution problems turned much of the positive feedback into negative reviews: http://www.mrcapetown.co.za/brands-marketing/the-rascals-re-launch-fail/. […]

  2. TREND. | TREND. Dissect: Socialising enterprise - October 30, 2012

    […] through social media channels; but distribution problems turned much of the positive feedback into negative reviews. Like all marketing strategy, social media strategy needs to be driven by the brand objectives and […]

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