I am a faithful user of the WASC recipe, my customer seem to love it.  I just went to the grocery store to pick up some Duncan Hines and I saw a box for Buddy's cake mix.  The packaging was ugly, and it had his picture on it, of course.  So I read the ingredients, and they are typical box mix ingredients with 10-letter words for preservatives.  What I thought was interesting was the price.  It was the same amount of mix, but it was 3X the cost of Duncan Hines....and...it was distributed by Dawn Foods.  It's the DAWN FOODS MIX.  The average consumer won't know this, they might see Buddy's face and buy the mix.   Also, the box had the word moist in big, bold print on the front.  Buddy and Moist sell, I guess!  Although, from a pricing standpoint, I'm not sure how well it will do in our local grocery store.  People will just buy the less expensive mix.  Afterall, it's just cake mix, not beautiful scratch cake.

I wouldn't buy it. Why would I want to drive my ingredients cost up and cut into my profit margin when what I have is working perfectly well?

EDIT: I would be willing to do it if it would make my product better, easier or I could raise my prices. But my customers aren't going to know if it's Buddy's or DH

AI suspect that products like this are aimed at the same people who, as children, had the snacks with their favourite cartoon character on the box.

And as adults has to buy their dress from Macy's rather than the exact same one, brand and all at a closeout store

I would maybe think about buying it once, for my own personal use, just out of curiosity.  But being sure that it'd be a waste of money as it probably tastes like any other box mix, I'd end up passing on it.  Being a scratch baker, I doubt I would be impressed.

When I tell people I bake the first question they always ask, with WIDE eyes is "Do you watch Cake Boss?" Um, no, I don't.  I prefer to learn from Cakecentral.

ADuff Goldman has been selling a mix for ages, I assume they sell quite a few given that it's still on the shelf. People are suckers for a 'celebrity' branded product, if you've ever tasted Skinnygirl Margarita it's obvious that most people are buying it because they think it makes them friends with Bethenny Frankel, not because they like it.

I have actually tried the Duff's red velvet before I began baking. It seemed REALLY good at the time. Wonder if I would still think the same thing?

I bought some of his pots and pans. Not impressed there either...they will put their name on anything to make a buck

AA lot of people still associate the brand with her and the show though and she still does promotion for them. I believe she has a deal to develop the new flavors with them too, like the wines and vodka.

Skinnygirl Margaritas have a lower alcohol content in them, so I drink just as many calories trying to get a little tipsy off of them...  LOL

AI went to Krogers the other day and they had some cakes pre made and decorated (in the freezer case with the bakery cakes) boxed with Buddy's face on them. They were 6" rounds decorated with bright blue icing and pink/red balloons, I couldn't believe it! I can't remember how much they cost but you know people will buy them and think wow these are fresh from Carlos Bakery.

Well that's ridiculous. You know he comes to each store and bakes them there. That way they are really fresh frozen.

ALol I know! But people will still buy them and think they are delicious

AWho is Bethenny Frankel?

She was the only nice person on Real Housewives of New York

If I was a baker...I would never endorse a product that wasn't mine.   I think that is the most ridiculous, most confusing thing for consumers.   Maybe endorse a mixer or something but cake civilians are going to think that is HIS product.   Just amazes me.  

My guess is that Buddy has always used Dawn Foods mix, so it's "his."  He's a smart guy, making millions in endorsements.  At least he started in a genuine way, unlike a lot of other celebrities who endorse products.

ALike most celebrities, he's in it for the money, not to gain respect as a baker. When you license your name, a good agent will get you some say in the products it goes on but most of the time the short term money is in getting it onto any old junk. Why would he spend money developing his own mix when he uses a mix made by someone else in his bakery?

If it's a Dawn cake mix.That's what one of the big box store uses :)  comes in 50 lb.bags.

I've had Buddy's cake before this from his N.J. bakery and it was not good!

A[RIGHT][/RIGHT]

Sure he did! It's made out of styrofoam and plywood - just like 90% of each of his "cakes". :-)

^  

Jan

A*snork*