After PepsiCo announced the withdrawal of ProNutro cereal from the market, which has been familiar to South African consumers for decades, the South African-based company Biltong & Bangers put forward an offer to purchase the brand. This gives hope to South Africans who did not want to say goodbye to ProNutro.
Biltong & Bangers is interested not only in the name itself. The company aims to acquire the original recipe, intellectual property, manufacturing know-how, and even the old equipment used to make the cereal.
On social media, Biltong & Bangers contacted PepsiCo with the question: 'Okay, PepsiCo, how much do you want?' Although the British company, which has been selling South African products since 2008, admits that cereal production is very different from its usual business, its offer caused a wide resonance.
South Africans began offering their expertise in production, tooling, supplier sourcing, and contracts, while others expressed willingness to invest if an attempt was made to revive ProNutro. This is an unexpected turn for a brand that seemed to have reached its end last week.
PepsiCo confirmed the decision to discontinue ProNutro after being unable to recreate the taste and texture associated with the original product by consumers. The new version of ProNutro had already been subject to a month of criticism from customers who complained that it was not the product they grew up with.
PepsiCo explained the changes in production that led to the new version, citing outdated infrastructure and unreliable production equipment. However, public reaction demonstrated how strong the attachment of South Africans to the original version is.
Now Biltong & Bangers wants to know if PepsiCo is willing to let someone else try to restore the brand. The company publicly invited PepsiCo to contact it regarding a possible sale, although there is still a long way between the social media offer and ProNutro returning to supermarket shelves.