Hellmann's and Best Foods
Encyclopedia
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
that are used for the same line of mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, and also in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Best Foods brand is sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
west of the Rockies, and also in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Hellmann's and Best Foods are basically marketed the same way. They both have similar logos and web sites, and they have the same English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
slogan: "Bring out the best." The Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
slogan is "Haz una cara...Hellmann's!" (roughly translated to "Make a Hellman's face!"). In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
it is "Hellmann's, a verdadeira maionese" (Hellmann's, the true mayonnaise).
Both brands were previously sold by the U.S.-based Bestfoods Corporation, which also sold several other food products in addition to Hellmann's and Best Foods mayonnaise. Bestfoods, before 1997 known as CPC international, was acquired by Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 2000.
History
In 1905, Richard Hellmann from VetschauVetschau
Vetschau is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated in the Spreewald, 18 km west of Cottbus. Lower Sorbian name is Wětošow.-Buildings:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, opened a delicatessen
Delicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
on Columbus Avenue in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he used his wife's recipe to sell the first ready-made mayonnaise. It became so popular that he began selling it in bulk to other stores. In 1912 he built a factory for producing Mrs. Hellmann's mayonnaise. It was mass marketed and called Hellmann's Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise. It was so successful, Hellmann closed his delicatessen by 1917 to devote full time to his mayonnaise business.
While Hellmann's Mayonnaise thrived on the U.S. East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, the California company Best Foods introduced their own mayonnaise. Best Foods Mayonnaise became popular on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
In 1932, Best Foods bought the Hellmann's brand. By then both mayonnaises had such commanding market shares in their respective halves of the country that the company decided that both brands and recipes be preserved. To this day:
- Best Foods Mayonnaise is sold west of the Rocky Mountains, specifically, in or west of MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. - Hellmann's is sold east of the Rockies, specifically, in or east of North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
In 1955, Best Foods acquired Rosefield Packing Co., makers of Skippy peanut butter
Skippy peanut butter
Skippy is a commercial brand of peanut butter made in the United States. Ninety million jars of Skippy are sold annually. It was first sold on February 1, 1933.- History :...
.
Then Best Foods was bought by Corn Products Refining Company
Corn Products International
Corn Products International, Inc. is an Illinois-based refiner and processor of corn-based food additives and sweeteners. It operates factories in 15 countries.- Company :...
in 1958 to form Corn Products Company, which in 1969 became CPC International Inc. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Hellmann's mayonnaise arrived in 1961. By the late 1980s, it had over 50% market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
. http://www.unilever.co.uk/ourbrands/foods/Hellmanns.asp
Around 1968 the Best Foods brand added the Blue Ribbon from the Hellmann's brand, making them more sister products. Since 2007, both brands have exactly the same design.
In 1997, CPC International split in 2 companies: Bestfoods, becoming its own company once more, and Corn Product International.
Bestfoods was acquired by Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 2000.
Recipe and marketing issues
When Best Foods acquired the Hellmann's brand, it decided to preserve the respective recipes for both mayonnaises. Today, the two products are made in the same plant. However, at least as recently as June 2003, the recipes were almost, but not entirely, identical. From the company's FAQs at the time:- The products are basically the same. Both trademarks evolved simultaneously — Hellmann's in the East and Best Foods in the West. Taste preferences vary; some people find that Best Foods mayonnaise is slightly more tangy.
Both labels contain the same ingredients in the same 'relative quantity' order: soybean oil, water, whole eggs & egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, calcium disodium EDTA, and natural flavors. Best Foods' may contain more lemon juice, though the ingredients rank ordered by volume are the same as Hellmann's. Still, the fine print in the company's marketing and web sites state that "Hellmann's is known as Best Foods west of the Rockies" and "Best Foods is known as Hellmann's east of the Rockies" [emphasis added].
Maintaining the separate identities of both brands poses some unique challenges. Marketing campaigns for both products are identical; however, Hellmann's and Best Foods must make separate television commercials for each product and cannot utilize nationwide media to market their product.
List of products
The following is a list of products that are sold under the Hellmann's and Best Foods brands in the United States and Canada. In other countries, especially Europe, Hellmann's is a major player in the dressings market too, with a wide range of flavors and formats:- Real Mayonnaise — the original mayonnaise product.
- Light Mayonnaise — mayonnaise with half the calories and fat of the Real version.
- Extra Light Mayonnaise (UK)
- Garlic Mayonnaise (UK)
- Canola Real Mayonnaise — mayonnaise made with canola oil.
- Reduced Fat Mayonnaise Dressing — mayonnaise with only 2 grams of fat per serving and no cholesterol.
- Mayonnaise with Lime Juice
- Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dijonnaise — mayonnaise blended with Dijon mustard.
- Honey Mustard — mustard blended with honey.
- Tartar sauce
- Sandwich Spread — a blend of mayonnaise and relish.
In Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
:
- Best Foods Real Mayonnaise (the only product sold under the "Best Foods" brand)
- Hellman's Mayonesa Real — the original mayonnaise product
- Hellman's Delicia — mayonnaise made of milk
- Hellman's Mayonesa Espesa — thick mayonnaise, for salads
- Hellman's Mayonesa sin Colesterol — Reduced fat mayonnaise without cholesterol
In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
:
- Maionese Hellmann's — the original mayonnaise product.
- Maionese Hellmann's Mais Limão — mayonnaise with lime juice.
- Maionese Hellmann's 0% Colesterol — mayonnaise without cholesterol.
- Hellmann's Alho — mayonnaise with garlic.
- Hellmann's Atum — mayonnaise with tuna.
- Hellmann's Azeite — mayonnaise with olive oil.
- Hellmann's Azeitona — mayonnaise with olives.
- Hellmann's Hot — mayonnaise with red pepper
- Hellmann's Fresh — mayonnaise with herbs, garlic and lemon juice
- Hellmann's Tártaro — mayonnaise with carrots, cucumbers and onions
- Hellmann's Deleite — milk-based mayonnaise
In Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
:
- Hellmann's Peruvian Flavor — mayonnaise with Peruvian lime juice
- Hellmann's Ketchup
- Hellmann's Mustard
In Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
:
- Hellmann's Mayonesa — the original mayonnaise product.
- Hellmann's Mayonesa Doblemente Batida (Extra batter style)
- Hellmann's Salsa GolfSalsa golfSalsa golf is a cold sauce of somewhat thick consistency, common in Argentina. According to legend, it was invented by Nobel laureate Luis Federico Leloir in the mid-1920s at the "Golf Club" at the seaside resort Mar del Plata...
— mayonnaise with tomato paste. - Hellmann's Hot Ketchup
- Savora — a mustard brand introduced to Argentina in 1938 by J. & J. ColmanColman'sColman's is a UK manufacturer of mustard and various other sauces, based at Carrow, in Norwich, Norfolk. Presently an operational division of the multinational Unilever company, Colman's is one of the oldest existing food brands, famous for a limited range of products, almost all varieties of...
External links
- Unilever Website
- Best Foods Website
- Hellmann's Website
- http://www.hellmanns.ca