iSnack was a registered name before Kraft closed comp

Honeyeater says:

06:39pm | 30/09/09

Could they have short listed the names they thought they would pick? Surely you can’t have a fake competition?

Bob H says:

06:41pm | 30/09/09

Enough already. 
Please no more on this phoney viral - you’ve earned your SEO fee just leave it at that.

Nathan says:

06:41pm | 30/09/09

Kraft have pulled a swifty-mite

Samuel says:

06:42pm | 30/09/09

Snackerific?  Crackermite?  These round out the top three entries?

Who were the judges?  And how do they have jobs?

Tony says:

07:01pm | 30/09/09

Kraft=Philip Morris=Tobacco, they have never done a shifty in their corparate history.  The other 2 names smell to high heaven as well…. Phewwww.

Leslie Nassar says:

07:06pm | 30/09/09

crackermite.com was registered April 10 this year. snackerific.com is still available; http://twitpic.com/jp4mq

Robbie says:

07:07pm | 30/09/09

I dont think putting in a trademark application (note, it was not a registered trademark, just an application) in hong kong really furthers either argument.

One possibility:
Kraft would want trademark protection before announcing the winner, but they wouldnt want to register it in Australia in case it was noticed (TM apps are available on the net within days of applying) and the result was found out early, possibly ruining their campaign.

So they applied in HK first and then used this application to get the earlier registration date for the Australian application. Less likely for someone to find/notice it on the HK TM website, but still get the earlier registration date.

Its actually quite a clever strategy.

my two cents on the name - isnack 2.0 is not a great name, but i am yet to see anything better in any of the comments ive read.

Clem says:

07:11pm | 30/09/09

The idea that this was a conspiracy is ludicrous. No company that cared about its corporate identity enough would deliberately trash its own brand and open up the potential for consumer backlash. The so-called free advertising they got in the media was simply a lucky upside to what was otherwise a pretty embarrassing and humiliating moment.

And so what if they registered the iSnack name before the competition closed. If they registered it before the competition opened you’d have a scoop. In this case you’ve got nothin’.

Chris says:

08:10pm | 30/09/09

it did say on the web site the competiotion would run untill a name was found, so that could be why it was the dates they say.

Stefano ( I's knackered) says:

08:34pm | 30/09/09

Yeast is yeast,
A test’s a test,
And the wrong one they have chose….........
Let’s go where they keep on eatin’
Those Saos and Jatz and sangas an’ bread,
No cream cheese, iPods or rubbish like those.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

12:18am | 01/10/09

OMG, stop it, I can’t stop laughing!  Only in Australia could a country’s citizens “go to war” over the naming of a sandwhich spread.  BTW I love the stuff, been eating it since forever - LOL!

Julian says:

12:53am | 01/10/09

Kraft is full of shit!! Hey ... that’s a good name ... FULL OF SHIT ... A SHITLOAD OF CHEESE AND VEGEMITE

Steve says:

02:06am | 01/10/09

Just because they registered some names before closing, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a genuine entry. They would have registered the names they liked as they come through during the competition. No terrific insight or discovery there.

Melissah says:

02:12am | 01/10/09

JUST CALL IT CHEESYMITE, FOR GOODNESS SAKE! It’s not rocket science.

Graeme Wills says:

02:49am | 01/10/09

I think they should call it VEGELITE

T.C. says:

08:03am | 01/10/09

I imagine my entry ‘Snack Smear’ must have come fourth.

Andrew says:

08:30am | 01/10/09

Competition close July 31st, not August 14th. Source: http://www.lottos.com.au/forum/viewthreadlite.php?tid=183010

Primmy says:

09:39am | 01/10/09

We all call it cheesymite anyway.  So what’s the problem!  That’s what it is.  These marketing people remind me of the Commonwealth Bank adds of American sensibilities trying to deal with issues which are way out of their understanding of the product.  Guess they have to earn their exhorbitent pay somehow.  No matter what you call it, its going to be cheesymite in the minds of people who buy it.

Kate says:

10:21am | 01/10/09

OH MY GOD this blows the story wide open. This is dynamite information. Please keep going with this investigation, I can’t get enough of it

kirsten says:

11:05am | 01/10/09

You know what would be hilarious…for 4 corners to do a full investigation into Vegegate, with silouetted insiders describing the inner workings at the company before, during and after the launch…disclosing leaked documents, etc etc. ‘How did this happen? Who were the players? What really happened at Kraft to make them reverse the name? And where are they now?’ Puhleeeze….isn’t this what investigative journalism is all about? The Australian public has a right to know.

Dave says:

11:19am | 01/10/09

Just keep an eye on what happens to the bloke in charge, if he’s gone within a month it was genuine incompetence, if not then it was a sham and he’s sitting pretty with a monster bonus cheque and a big promotion coming his way.  I think the whole thing is an illusion to cover up the fact that they have taken a relatively healthy product and pumped it full of fat.

Graham says:

12:38pm | 01/10/09

When it goes up to vote, vote for iSnack 2.0 - it’s now a household name (albeit for the wrong reasons!). Keep it!

Joel B1 says:

01:32pm | 01/10/09

Kraft are well known for their “promotion” (shall we say) of their products.
I remember a certain prominent Australian dietitian stating that there’s more salt in bread than in vegemite.
I don’t know about you, but I’ld gag after a single slice of toasted vegemite with margarine.

Bryndal says:

02:12pm | 01/10/09

The name Cheesymite is owned by Bakers Delight (?)  so couldn’t be used by Kraft. In hindsight they might have considered paying the price to use it - it have been cheaper in the lohng run. Why didn’t they go back to ‘Parwill’ in response to ‘Marmite’ or is it case of ‘marketmaybe’

Liz says:

04:03pm | 01/10/09

Too smart for their own good.I’d gag eating margarine JoelB1 but not the beloved Vegemite.

Bob says:

06:57pm | 01/10/09

Why don’t they get real and call it what it is ” Vegemite Mild ”

Pixie says:

03:39pm | 02/10/09

Hehehahah, soooo much to laugh about…...it gets better as the days pass on…..so, Bakers Delight have “Cheesymite”...ahhh what a shame…..how about a new one “Vegemite with cheese”....yes…and the crowd goes wild!!!!!
But my all time favourite woud be “PIXIEMITE” chuckle, chuckle.

Jasmeen says:

07:12pm | 02/10/09

Actually, what would make a really fanTASTIC publicity stunt would be Bakers Delight deciding to give up the copyright for “Cheesymite” or signing an undertaking saying that they wouldn’t sue Vegemite for using it… and have photos of the two CEOs shaking hands and splash THAT all over the media, and introduce a range of Bakers Delight products using the new Vegemite product… etc. Both companies would profit, the consumer would be subtly yet helplessly duped… it would be perfect! :D

Ben G says:

08:37pm | 02/10/09

Quote: ““You have my word on that,” he said.”
Calm down everyone. We have his word.

Jane says:

11:31pm | 02/10/09

Dunno and care less.  The shelves at our local supermarkets are still crammed with “Name Me” so I guess the other non consumers dunno and care less as well. Maybe they should be asking the USA to name it, they’re the ones who don’t like Vegemite

Glenn says:

11:16am | 05/10/09

Can i suggest that the new name for vegemite can be
              ” VEG TIME “
                B