You see it in your pantry, catch it during the
parade, and tour it in the third grade; what is it? It’s Jiffy Mix. Jiffy is a
brand of baking mixes marketed by the Chelsea Milling Company located in my
hometown, Chelsea, MI. As the first prepared baking
mix in the United States by Mabel White Holmes, Jiffy takes the “cake” for 65% market
share of all prepared muffin mixes, and 90% of the corn muffin mix. I will
admit, they do have good corn bread, but what is really so special about Jiffy
Mix? Why is it so successful? Before I answer that, I'm sure you are all
wondering why I have so much interest in learning more about this
business.
Living in Chelsea makes Jiffy Mix is
a huge part of my daily life. Aside from elementary school tours of the plant
and muffin mix being thrown at me during the town parade, I drive by the mill
every day, received presentations from different Holmes family members in high
school, and I like to eat jiffy mix, a lot. Also, I am obviously a packaging
major, and I am interested in getting more experience. What looks better on a job
resume than working for a business as successful as this one, that originated
in your hometown? This summer, if lucky, I want to work as an intern with the
“packagers” of Jiffy.
Luckily, the two things I’m trying to learn more
about correlate; the success of Jiffy and the packaging background of Jiffy.
Packaging, as previously learned, is not just about the package physically.
It’s about brand trust and unique/effective marketing. The thing that
stands out most about this business is how distinct it is compared to other
businesses. This is a family-owned business that has been passed down to the
retired Atlantic racecar driving champion, grandson, Howdy Holmes. The reason
this family ownership is so unique is because it “refuses debt-financing and
lucrative offers to hand the business over to a corporate conglomerate backed
by a big bank.” (qtd in Suter para. 5) To clear that up, this family is smart
with their money and is not going to let some brat from Wall Street tell them
how to run their company. Jiffy produces 1.6 million boxes of baking mix each
day and sells them for 40-60 cents a box. And how exactly do they do so well economically
if their products are sold for dirt cheap? They do no advertising and their
packaging never evolves. An interview with CEO Howdy Holmes revealed “the 30%
to 52% off final price jiffy saves not advertising or making flashy packaging
is passed on to customers in a form of low prices.” (qtd in Suter para. 4)
Packaging is solely a method to better the
company in different ways whether it be saving or making money. Time is money
though, right? Jiffy wastes no time creating complex packaging; the white box
and blue brand logo is remembered by all customers because it hasn’t changed
since 1930, and it is not changing any time soon. Consumers trust these colors
and design because with each batch of muffins they make, comes the thought of
the family-oriented, consumer-friendly business that made the taste possible. Jiffy
is consumer-friendly to say the least: Howdy Holmes stated that "most
Americans don't have two homes or much extra money to spend on things that
aren't necessary. We provide high-quality ingredients at the best price to help
as many customers as possible." (qtd in Suter para. 8) Jiffy is not just a
business, it’s your friend.
Sources Cited
“JIFFY” Mix – America’s Favorite – From Chelsea
Milling Company. Chelsea Milling Co., Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Suter, Cory. “7 Reasons This Muffin Mix Can
Save America.” Mic. Mic Network Inc.
All, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2016.
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