Potato Chips and Chocolate

     In 2011 Joshua Freedman, an undergraduate student at Stanford University, did a study on the connections between potato chip packaging and the audience to which it was being marketed to - upper or lower class individuals. Freedman wrote that more expensive bags of chips had more text on the back advertising the product. They also advertised how the chips were 'healthy' for you (ie. no trans fat etc) and declared that only the best ingredients were used in their product. On the other hand, less expensive chips valued tradition and taste. They also had used simpler words than their more expensive counterparts.

     In the spirit of that study, I would like to present some findings of my own. Today I went to the supermarket to see if Freedman's findings applied to a different food product - chocolate.
There were four different brands that I looked at:

• Hershey's
• Ferrero Rocher
• Cadbury
• Lindt

     Among each of these brands were several different kinds of chocolates. I tried my best to stay true to a similar kind, but some variation was necessary. Also, for price comparison I used the price per ounce, instead of the unit pricing for the whole package.

Unsurprisingly, the least expensive brand was Hershey's, at 33.3 cents per ounce, which had no words at all on the back of the packaging. So far Freedman's theory was staying true.



     The next expensive chocolates were the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Carmello (50 cents per ounce).



     The packaging gives history for the company and uses words like 'tradition,' 'passion,' and 'exquisite.' An empasis is place on tradition, as the Cadbury name has been around since 1824. The sentences are also fairly short and simple.

     Next were the Lindt Lindor Truffles (86.1 cents per ounce).



     The packaging declares that these truffles have been made by master Swiss chocolatiers since 1845. So obviously we are dealing with professionals. They also use words like 'smooth,' 'melting,' 'luscious,' and 'delicate.'

     Finally, the most expensive brand was Ferrero Rocher, at 94.2 cents per ounce.



     Ferrero Rocher did not have as much copy on the packaging as the Lindor Truffles, however lots of high quality words like, 'luscious,' and 'delicate' were used. Also, the whole of the copy is comprised of one complex sentence.

     All in all, the body of evidence matches up with Freedman's findings in 2011, even if some allowances are made for the difference in product.

Note: This is an assignment done for my Food and Language class at school.