Comments on: Having To Say You Work For A Bimbo

By: Beverly

Beverly — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:34:41 +0000

Not such an amusing name. It would take a lot to make me try one of their products, and this is not the effect that a brand name should have on a consumer. I have not seen Bimbo branded products in the stores in my area, northeastern US, but I have seen delivery trucks recently. I simply cannot imagine serving my two teenage girls bread from a package called “Bimbo” no matter how the company would like it to be pronounced, it still reads badly. You see, it’s not about what the company’s intent is, it’s about the consumers’ perception.

By: Jsalsta

Jsalsta — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 19:54:01 +0000

Cmon! If the purchaser is smart, he or she will know the real meaning of the company’s name! And for David who said he tried one product and was disappointed I recommend you try another of their 100 products and realize the real value and quality that Bimbo offers! Kudos to Mexico for a variety of awesome products and an amusing name!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:39:19 +0000

Come on, that is the name of the company and in Mexico were it was created it has no offensive meaning. They are not telling the the women that buy it that they are Bimbos, but if the suit fits…!!!

By: Amer1749

Amer1749 — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:54:08 +0000

A billboard I drive past now and then says it’s pronounced BEEM-boh.

By: BIG Kahuna

BIG Kahuna — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:20:23 +0000

Hey John Bimbo,

Maybe you should re-read the article again, because I don’t care what they call themselves in Mexico. I’m talking about the name in the US.

I know all about brand equity…and they have none in the USA. People laugh when they read the name or simply get offended.

Tell ya what send some Bimbo cookies to your grandma and ask her opinion…

By: John "Bimbo"

John "Bimbo" — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:20:35 +0000

Big K,
I really think you reconsider calling yourself a branding guy…you should know better.

The brands in Mexico with the greatest monetary value are:
Bimbo (US$648 million)
Telmex (US$578 million)
Banamex (US$358 million)
Cemex (US$305 million)
Televisa, Elektram (US$150 million)
Liverpool (US$118 million)
Telcel (US$106 million)
Bacocho (US$93 million),

according to a study carried out by Interbrand.

Big K, please grab a marketing text book and get a feeling of the term “Brand Equity”

By: BIG Kahuna

BIG Kahuna — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:11:18 +0000

Cool Josh, thanks so much for posting! So you are the one that actually says you work for a Bimbo huh? In all seriousness, the fact that it was born Mexican and is a big company make no difference. They could have easily renamed the US operations something more appropriate for the US market. That’s my point.

The name DOES have meaning in the US. It means fluzy or sleazy or even worse, sl*t. That’s the meaning in the US. That’s the problem with keeping a foreign product/corporate name the same when you enter a new country. The powers that be should have realized this and made a name change.

Just my humble opinion as a branding guy.

By: JOSH

JOSH — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:45:50 +0000

HI, I actually work for Bimbo Bakeries. Here are a few facts about my company. The company was started in Mexico City, Mexico, with the name Super Pan, and after awhile the name was finally changed to Bimbo. The name comes from a popular game at the time (Bingo) and the name Bambi….BIMBO. In Mexican Spanish the name doesn’t have any meaning like it does in the US. The actual name of the company is Grupo Bimbo, but in the US it is Bimbo Bakeries USA. Yes, they do sell bimbo bread as well as other products under that name, but alot of the business comes from their other companies…Oroweat, Arnold, Brownberry, Thomas’, Entennmans, Boboli, Marinela, and others. Grupo Bimbo is the 4th largest food corporations in the world, and by 2010 they could possibly be the leader in all bread sales. …. ok ok i think ive said enough lol. I think, because the name truely has no meaning…it should be ok.

By: BIG Kahuna

BIG Kahuna — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:41:28 +0000

Hey Tom, welcome! I think they are definately trying to capture the US market as they have a US Headquarters in good ole Texas…

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:16:23 +0000

I would concur w/your analysis if it were about this brand trying to penetrate the US born and raised consumer, but I don’t believe that this is where they are heading. Furthermore – I would suggest that it would be offensive if the name were shown with a “Bratz” like character, which it is not.

Regarding taste profile – they differ in each market – what works for one might now work for another. Just because one does not like the flavor does not mean that others who grew up with that flavor won’t.

By: Scott White

Scott White — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:26:28 +0000

Yea, except they didn’t plan on the buzz. This is how they got “Bimbo”:

The official version has it that the name Bimbo, coined in 1945 when the company was rebranded from its previous name, Super Pan S.A., is the mixing of the words “bambi” with “bingo” a popular game at the time. At the time they changed their name to Bimbo, another small bakery from Ciudad Ju?rez, Chihuahua had had the same name some years ago, so they talked to the owner of these bakeries who yielded the name of “Bimbo” to this new big company.

Genius huh?

By: David

David — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:59 +0000

Thanks to this article, I recently purchased a Bimbo product while in Puerto Rico. The snack itself was disappointing and I won?t purchase another one, based on that fact alone. I believe this illustrates another upside of this ?unusual? name: it generates a buzz, which will in turn, generate sales. Now all they need is a decent-tasting product.

By: Brandcurve - branding and marketing

Brandcurve - branding and marketing — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:19:26 +0000

The Dangers of Translating Brand Names…

There have been many examples of U.S. brand names or ad copy that have not translated well into other languages, but what about brand names of products from other countries? How do those translate to the American market.
Thanks to Scott White at Brand…

By: Scott White

Scott White — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:43:52 +0000

Just wanted to thank everyone for commenting so far. I really value your opinion! Come back again and debate with me…

By: Scott White

Scott White — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:41:33 +0000

Jerry, The image is from the same Bimbo company (I laugh even writing that). And I agree that Bimbo is a very succesfull company. That’s not in question. But in the US the name Bimbo means negative things. If that’s how they want to be portrayed….

By: Jerry Vizcaino

Jerry Vizcaino — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:17:09 +0000

By the way the image that acompanies this blog entry is not from the same Bimbo company

By: Jerry Vizcaino

Jerry Vizcaino — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:13:28 +0000

Not everything has to be as marketing people says, BIMBO is a successfull company and it seems that the Name of the company doesn’t affect their sales in a negative way.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:12:41 +0000

Scott,

That was my point. It is an unrealistic perspective regarding making a case for or against the name in the US or anywhere else. The whitebread thing is totally irrelevant as is the name Bimbo. We can’t gain an accurate perspective on the brand because it was not started here in this country and it was born over 50 years ago. To answer your question, “no” i would not name my product or company, Bimbo. With that being said, there are alot of things that I would not name my company. I do happen to agree with you and any other person who feels that the name should be reconsidered. I wish that all companies thought before they branded especially in foreign markets. For the record: I was born and raised in Massachusetts and I never saw the brand (Bimbo) anywhere but I have recently relocated to North Carolina and the name and products are everywhere. It is an unbelievably popular product. You got me? the consumers don’t really seem to care. The bottom line is that I do agree with you about the risks of the name I just wanted to see how strongly everyone felt.

By: Scott White

Scott White — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:05:22 +0000

I agree that names that don’t translate to other countries are also wrong. Send me a few and I’ll blog about them. Don’t go off the point. The point is that the name Bimbo in the US is bad and to some could be offensive. Unless you can make a case for Bimbo.

By: Scott White

Scott White — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:58:06 +0000

Mark, make a case for the name “Bimbo” sold in the US (the White analogy is not offensive).

Take out whether you think it’s offensive or not.

Would you name your company or product “Bimbo” in the US? Yes or No.