On a summer sojourn south, we discovered the ultimate
Carolina cross-branded culinary confection.
In 1917, the Carolina Beverage Company was established in
Salisbury NC, which is strategically located along a major railroad distribution
system. There the company manufactured a
soda with a deep burgundy color, a very sweet cherry flavor, and a huge
amount of carbonation. This bubbly,
fruity concoction was aptly branded "Cheerwine." The brand grew slowly - largely unnoticed by the
cola titans Pepsi and Coke - until it gained a large regional presence after
World War 2. Today, in many southern
grocery stores, in addition to the soda, you can buy Cheerwine ice cream and
sherbet and Cheerwine cake. The brand
continued to expand, until, in 2009, it underwent a major marketing overhaul...
In 1937, Vernon Rudolph bought a doughnut recipe from a French chef in New Orleans. He
brought it home to Winston-Salem NC, where he rented a building in a strategic
location to set up a bakery. His
goal was to deliver his product fresh to local grocery stores, but when
early-morning passersby got a whiff, they invariably knocked on his door and asked
if they could buy the doughnuts warm right from the oven. So Rudolph punched a hole in the wall and
started a retail operation right there in the alley. Soon after, he launched a chain of stores that
quickly became a legend: Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The company grew, expanded around the world, and
eventually went public in 2000 with an aggressive sales and marketing strategy...
Which brings us to the summer of 2010, and a marriage made in marketing
heaven. On June 30, executives from
Krispy Kreme and Cheerwine carried eleven boxes into the office of North
Carolina Governor Bev Purdue. When she
opened them, Governor Purdue found golden brown doughnuts covered in
chocolate frosting and red-and-white sprinkles. And when she took a bite - Boy Howdy! - the doughnuts had a cherry-and-whipped-cream-flavored filling.
Yes, folks, it's Cheerwine-filled Krispy Kreme
doughnuts! Now available to assault your
senses and sensibilities in Food Lions, Krogers and Piggly Wiggly stores throughout
Dixie.
But hurry, they're only here for the summer, so you better move fast.
(Limited time offer while supplies last at participating outlets.)
You can read previous installments of
the quick Sliver in our online archive. Just go here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs015/1103023679528/archive/1103033975377.html
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