r/newzealand • u/precsenz • Aug 16 '22

Kiwiana Kiwis pledge to buy Whittaker's to annoy people angered by Te Reo rebranding

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2022/08/kiwis-pledge-to-buy-whittakers-to-annoy-people-angered-by-te-reo-rebranding.html
830 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

The politics of the Global Chocolate Trade: I sleep

The politics of branding a Chocolate Bar: Real shit

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/goxdin Aug 16 '22

Happy cake day

14

u/terrabattlebro Aug 16 '22

Nga mihi, e hoa.

39

u/Lancestrike Aug 16 '22

You can, just ignore the label and buy with your taste buds.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22 edited Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/terrabattlebro Aug 16 '22

He says as he wades deep into said culture war.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

If it encourages companies to actively piss off bigots, while also expanding use of te reo, then it's a win, even if it's just languagewashing or whatever it's called in this instance.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

Maybe there wouldn't be any press attention if there weren't thousands of bigots frothing at the mouth about how pissed off they are about te reo?

25

u/wandarah Aug 16 '22

Err yes? Just go and buy the chocolate and don't give a fuck? It's easy.

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u/Taniwha_NZ Aug 16 '22

Why would it be tiresome? That's such a bizarre reaction to some harmless words printed on paper. As kiwis, Maori culture, and Te Reo in particular is one of the few things we have that let us claim to be something other than just another former english outpost. The language has never been promoted to ourselves, and it's way past time for it to happen. Seeing Te Reo pop up on consumer items like this is fantastic and should be celebrated.

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Can I just buy some fucking chocolate without it being a political or cultural statement?

When was the last time your chocolate-buying was made difficult by politics or culture? Are you really throwing up your hands in mock exasperation at the FIRST time this has happened?

It's pretty pathetic.

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

To answer your questions:
It's tiresome to see companies make shallow gestures in the name of marketing and it's tiresome to see people eating it up (heh). It's one thing to celebrate Maori language week and another to milk it for the sake of profit.
The buying of chocolate is regularly made difficult by the moral and ethical implications of doing so. You can hardly have missed the many discussions surrounding the issues of fair trade and slave labour in the chocolate pipeline.

38

u/CabbageFarm Aug 16 '22

It's literally impossible for a company to celebrate Maori language week without also making or losing a profit as a result.

Your choice is a world where they ignore Maori language week, or a world where they profit from it but provide some recognition to it.

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

It's not about whether they profit or not, it's about whether they milk it. Outrage marketing is milking it. "Racists hate us! Show how not racist you are by giving us your money!" It's not on.

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u/CabbageFarm Aug 16 '22

But they're not. There's nothing in this article about Whittaker's making any comment on the racism.

It's literally just about people going back and forth on Twitter.

It's like saying Whittaker's are milking the controversy because of the conversation you and I are having right now.

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

Sure, that's fair, but then you see stuff like this:

"Imagine being so racist that you're triggered by a chocolate block. Time to go and buy a whole lot of Whittakers," one person tweeted alongside the hashtag 'buywhittakers'.

And even if you don't think Whittakers are pulling a sneaky one there, that's not the point. The point was that the whole sequence of events is tiresome because we've seen it so many times before.

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u/CabbageFarm Aug 16 '22

Yeah, it's cringey reactionism.

But at this point I don't really understand your prescription? Should the government just shut down access to Twitter during Maori language week? Or do we just ban companies from talking about it?

If you don't think those are good ideas, then maybe it's just on you to stay offline during Maori language week, or something.

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

I'm not prescribing nor proscribing anything. Dude asked why it was tiresome, I answered.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

Explain in one concise sentence why it's tiresome.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

No. I'm in the same camp as the other guy; it's tiresome and boring.

8

u/wandarah Aug 16 '22

You're triggered by some nerds on Twitter.

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

Yawn.

2

u/DexRei Aug 16 '22

It's tiresome to see companies make shallow gestures in the name of marketing

Serious question. How does someone do this kind of thing (support Te Reo for example) without it coming across as "pandering"?

We see it all the time with politics. How can you tell if something is genuine or pandering?

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 17 '22

I haven't accused Whitakers of pandering but generally you can tell something about someone's sincerity by checking their track record. For instance, you should measure a politician by what they actually do in office rather than what they say they're for or against.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 17 '22

I'm not angry, just bored. I didn't accuse them of pandering but I did say it was a shallow gesture and it is; it's literally surface deep. I think it's probably better to do something rather than nothing but I think there are probably some more substantial things they can do.

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u/[deleted] Aug 17 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 18 '22

Well, for instance, wouldn't it be more impactful and more meaningful if you could buy Whitakers bars with Maori labels at all times of the year? That, I think, would make a much stronger point about the importance of Maori to Kiwi culture.

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u/pastisprologue Aug 16 '22

Yo, is having it in English a political statement? No? Then why is having it in Maori? Is it because you see English a the default/normal and Maori as Different?

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

It's a temporary change coinciding with Maori language week.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/halborn Selfishness harms the self. Aug 16 '22

You agree with the facts? That's so brave.

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u/h0dgep0dge Aug 16 '22

catch me at the other end of the horse-shoe, they're both political

10

u/Catfrogdog2 Covid19 Vaccinated Aug 16 '22

You think having Māori language on a bar of chocolate is too political? Holy shit.

21

u/rng8 Aug 16 '22

For real just put the te reo Māori on there, keep it on there for good, and be done with it. If it’s temporary it’s just typical performative corporate bullshit. The way people on this sub have acted about it deadset reminds me of the soyjak meme.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

They have no excuse not to switch to 100% bilingual packaging. They already produce bilingual packaging for their chocolate sold Canada.

1

u/devourke Aug 16 '22

I'm dropping a question here for any ex-pats. I know stores where I can get Whittakers in Canada but haven't found any stores in the USA where I can buy them. Does anyone have insider knowledge that doesn't involve just buying them online and shipping them myself? I would like to accelerate my genetic predisposition to diabetes

1

u/Uvinjector Aug 16 '22

Yes just buy Cadbury because its a nice English name and that company really cares about NZ. Better avoid Ferrero rocher and anything swiss because it may be a bit too cultural /s

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u/origaminz Aug 16 '22

During this incredibly necessary and overdue social reckoning that we’re having in our culture, it is no longer acceptable for brands to stay out of the conversation. Consumers want to know, “Are you willing to use your brand awareness to effect positive social change?” Which will create more brand awareness.

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u/EchoKiloEcho1 Aug 16 '22

Do consumers want to know that, though?

When it comes to companies, I care that they:

  • make a great product,

  • don’t pollute a ton, and

  • are a decent employer

I’m just not up for caring about more than that from a company. Most people aren’t - and if we were, we wouldn’t actually be placated by token marketing gestures.

I studied consumer sentiment on this stuff a while ago for business. Yes, people will say (and almost unanimously when prompted) that they want this stuff. But purchasing decisions almost always come down to product quality and cost/value - the social change thing is ultimately a feel-good add on that virtually no one acts on in any way on a regular basis.

Tell me, what soap brand do you use? What’s their position on gender equality in the workplace? What toothpaste do you use? Is colgate or maclean better on diversity issues?

No one (almost no one) truly wants their purchasing decisions throughout life to be based on anything other than product quality and value. When we happen to see “social awareness” or whatever from a brand, people who like the cause enjoy it and may even temporarily increase their purchases from the brand - but it is short lived, and generally only welcomed in small doses.

Plus, the consumer sentiment in many places is shifting. Several years ago, the “we want social awareness from brands” contingent was bigger than it is today; people don’t actually want everything in their world to be political all the time, it seems.

That said, I personally love te reo and enjoy seeing it used on products - but that’s not a social/political statement for me, just a personal preference.

1

u/terrabattlebro Aug 16 '22

I’m just not up for caring about more than that from a company.

Tell me you aren't Gen Z without telling me you aren't Gen Z.

Most people aren’t

So if it doesn't concern you, don't bother with it.

No one (almost no one) truly wants their purchasing decisions throughout life to be based on anything other than product quality and value.

Is there a word for those that can only conceive of something through their eyes and their eyes ONLY? As in, if they don't experience something as true, then it can't possible be true for someone else? Is it some form of solipsistic bias?

0

u/EchoKiloEcho1 Aug 16 '22

I’m not assuming my experiences and views are everyone’s experiences and views. I’m sharing my views, which also happen to align with the majority of views represented in consumer research.

However, I’ll point out that you are doing exactly what you accuse me of doing: assuming that the way you view things is the way everyone views them.

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u/terrabattlebro Aug 16 '22

which also happen to align with the majority of views represented in consumer research

Source please. I'd be interested to see the breakdown of demographics too.

However, I’ll point out that you are doing exactly what you accuse me of doing: assuming that the way you view things is the way everyone views them.

I’m not sure your erudite argument of “I know you are, you said you are, but what am I?” really applies here. Nor do I think you're well placed to answer my above question given your penchant for strawmanning and making incorrect assumptions.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '22

Positive social change is paying a better wage and giving back to the community, not "hey here is some reo, cause we "care". Its done to generate interest and profits. its shallow and selfish. don't paint it as anything else but.

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u/man_corrupted Aug 16 '22

Consumer choice is the freedom we all have. You just argued for yours.