Marketing a Flop

My wife recently got something that’s a brilliant marketing move. What does Jelly Belly do with all their “defective” jelly beans? Well, they sell them – just packaged into 2-lb. bags called Belly Flops!

They taste just like regular Jelly Belly beans, but the shapes are somewhat…creative. I have a jar of them 3 feet behind me on a shelf right now, tasty little diet-busters that they are.

Turns out you can also order them on-line – here’s the site.

Some companies seem absolutely embarrassed by anything less than perfect – and, of course, this approach wouldn’t work for many products (“Come on down to our Ford Flops outlet!”). But I like the posture these folks have taken, having some fun with the inevitable imperfections of product manufacturing. This shows a company that is secure enough in their brand identity to poke a little fun at their own expense.