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An Insanely Hot Topic

Our January cover story followed Dave Hirschkop, owner of Dave's Gourmet--best known for its extremely hot Insanity Sauce--as he considered a complete branding makeover. In the end, he rejected the suggestions of Deskey, a design firm that had offered its services to Hirschkop gratis. In the headline, we asked, "Is Dave Insane?" We were inundated with responses to that question from our readers.

Taking to the Bottle

As a former branding manager who now runs a gourmet food company, I was torn about what Dave Hirschkop should do. The brand manager in me said Deskey's recommendations were right on the mark. However, the entrepreneur in me said Hirschkop shouldn't mess with success.

Ultimately, Hirschkop did not implement Deskey's ideas for fear of alienating his customers and diluting his brand. But the equity that Hirschkop so fiercely wants to protect is already being diluted. The company's brand equity comes from its extremely hot Insanity Sauce. So why introduce a dessert sauce and spice rub?

When we created our food company, we asked, "What do we want the brand to stand for?" Everything we create stems from that identity. If Dave's Gourmet were to ask that question, I'm not sure there would be a clear answer.

Andrew Chae
Co-owner
Ohana Foods
Paramount, California

The one key fact that Deskey seemed to overlook is that the hot sauce market is anything but gourmet. Some of the most recognizable brands in the category have names like Hemorrhoid Helper, Crazy Mother Pucker's, and Ass Reaper. Dave is definitely making the right decision when it comes to his hot sauce.

Bob Nelson
Director
cBizSoft
Dallas

I think the key word in this entire scenario is insanity. How else do you explain why someone presented with six thoroughly thought-out branding options wouldn't adopt any of them?

Richard Love Jr.
Charleston, South Carolina

Dave Hirschkop needs to reconsider Deskey's final suggestion for all of the non-Insanity products. Since Insanity Sauce is an established, successful product, I can see why he might not want to tamper much with the label. On the other hand, if Hirschkop really wants to appeal to a female gourmet audience, Deskey's design is a great piece of creative work. The graphics are charming, witty, and artful, with a level of sophistication and cohesion that's currently missing in the rest of the Dave's Gourmet brand. This was a great gift from Deskey, and Dave should grab it before someone else does.

Ineke Ruhland
San Francisco

Your article ought to be a business school case study about how not to help an established brand. Clearly, sampling the product did nothing for Deskey's understanding of Dave's core business, his industry, or his customers' loyalty. The final rebranding proposal's "visual elegance and dry wit" shows just how much Deskey is out of touch. Someone who buys an 180,000-scoville-unit sauce is not buying visual elegance, he's buying extreme hot. Dave was right to ignore Deskey's advice.

Ernest Troth
President
Primum Group Technologies
Reston, Virginia

It was rather impetuous of Deskey to require Dave Hirschkop, the founder of the successful Insanity brand, to start over from scratch. Deskey would have served Hirschkop better by building on the Dave's Gourmet brand rather than imposing its own (and in my opinion, comparatively weak) visions. The essence of great branding is developing products that meet consumer needs, as Dave has done, and then talking about them authentically. Don't garble the conversation with cutesy visual inventions that have little or no relation to the entrepreneur's vision, his company, or his products.

Bob Jacobson
Principal
Bluefire Consulting
Santa Monica, California

Dave Hirschkop has two drastically different animals: the Insanity Sauce and the gourmet food line. Attempting to merge these products in one line of packaging either dilutes the strength of the Insanity Sauce brand or destroys the homegrown, traditional feel of the gourmet food line. Hirschkop should keep his Insanity Sauce labeling to avoid alienating his solid consumer base. But his gourmet food line should be united under Deskey's design.

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