Diving further into the Corn Refiners Association's campaign, it has now come to light that the group is petitioning the FDA to officially change the name "high fructose corn syrup" to the much easier on the ears "corn syrup." The group believes that once people are able to easily understand the ingredient when they first hear the name, sales (which have still been low) will increase. This was the case with both "canola oil" and "dried plums," which had been "low euric acid rapeseed oil" (which just sounds scary) and the ever connotative "prunes."
This would be a very smart marketing move on their part, because HFCS is gaining a negative reputation similar to trans-fats, with companies shedding the ingredient as quickly as they can, so starting fresh with a new name could be well worth it. However, as Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University says, "The public is skeptical, so the move will be met with criticism." (source)
The group should be careful, however, that it does not seem as if they are trying to deceivingly parade out an old ingredient under a new name, without adequate explanation. If this name change is approved by the FDA, the Corn Refiners Association should put together an entire campaign to announce the name change, and make it a major event. The campaign should focus on education--that the new name better reflects what the ingredient actually is, because it has the same nutritional quality as sugar. Also, the phrase "corn sugar" better reflects the natural quality of the ingredient, whereas HFCS has a more chemical-sounding name.
In conclusion on high fructose corn syrup, the TV campaign they have been running about myths and hearsay about the ingredient has been effective, because it highlights consumer choice. In future campaigns, especially if the name changes to "corn sugar," the association should continue to education the consumer and encourage them to find out more on their own, as this encourages trust.
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