Marketing Betty Crocker - 'just add an egg'

Betty Crocker cake mix was launched by General Mills in 1952 as a quick and easy product that still retained a home-made quality. When it didn’t sell the company called on business psychologists to help market it. The problem, they said, was eggs. They believed that powdered eggs, often used in cake mixes, should be left out, so women could add a few fresh eggs into the batter, giving them a sense of creative contribution. The requirement to add eggs at home was marketed as a benefit, conferring the quality of 'home-made' authenticity upon the box cake mix. Whether using fresh eggs instead of powdered eggs actually enhanced taste was beside the point. See also: "Betty Crocker - 'just add an egg'" http://cube1986.blogspot.com/2007/04/betty-crocker-just-add-egg.html