Today’s Illustration: “Expensive & Scarce” Are Typical Traveling Buddies, But Not Always

Who: Pietro Ferrero

Giovanni Ferrero, grandson to Pietro — the richest person in Italy — approximate worth – 36 Billion
The Ferrero Group — owners of Tic Tac, Kinder, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher

. . . .

What: Origination of “Nutella” — a combination of palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa solids, milk powder, and suga\ Nutella

. . . . .

“The uniqueness of Nutella is not due to the quality of the product, or to the quality/price ratio but to advertising. Many attempts to imitate the recipe failed miserably, not because Nutella is unreachable from the quality point of view, but because no one was able to produce something equally attractive at the same price. In the popular imagination, Nutella is now the absolute leader and all imitations are seen as inferior. The consumer is accustomed to the taste of Nutella, and wants only that, considering inferior even products with a different, but better taste.”
— Italyheritage

. . . . .

“One of the reasons behind Nutella’s success over the years has been Ferrero’s formidable ability to create demand and to adapt the advertising message to the times. In the 1960s, campaigns aimed at parents, who were encouraged to give a small prize to their children; then, in the 1970s Ferrero addressed children directly, emphasizing the merits of the “genuine” snack with pane e Nutella. With the emergence of protests against advertising as creating false needs, Ferrero has again adapted, leveraging on the consumer’s emotional and subjective gratification. Finally, in the third millennium Nutella has focused on personalization – like having one’s name on the jar – on promoting stories in the social networks of Nutella moments, with decorated gender-friendly jars and even introducing Nutella bluetooth speakers.”
— Italyheritage

. . . .

When: 1946

— Originally created in Europe (Alba, Italy) and made its way to the United States in the 1980s
— key nut used, Hazelnuts / 25 % of all hazelnuts harvested are used for the making of Nutella / 52 Hazelnuts per jar
— over 730,000 lbs of Nutella are made a year
— a jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds
— “It wasn’t really a spread at all! Ferrero originally designed the chocolate-hazelnut paste as a loaf, which could then be sliced and placed on individual pieces of bread, like you might do with a cut of meat or piece of American cheese.”
— World Nutella Day — February 5th

. . . .

Why: Chocolate was hard to find and purchase during wartime, and this was an alternative to chocolate

“During World War II, chocolate was both expensive and scarce across Europe. Determined cocoa-lover and Italian pastry-maker Pietro Ferrero mixed hazelnuts with his rations of the delicacy to make it last longer. Thus, an early version of Nutella was born.” — eatthis.com

. . . .

Key Biblical Thoughts:

substitutes / alternatives
temptation
Satan
imitations
sin

. . . . .

Useful Key Words:

expensive & scarce
formidable ability to create demand
campaigns aimed at parents
addressed children directly
creating false needs
emotional and subjective gratification
focused on personalization

. . . . .

Sermonic Example #1: Expensive & Scarce

[Include whatever details you find useful]

During WWII, chocolate was expensive and scarce because, as some called it, it was “American’s Secret Weapon!”

“The Hershey Company in Hershey, Pennsylvania, made more than 40 million special chocolate bars for the military during the war.”

While chocolate bars weren’t as tasty then as they are today, they were used as an energy boast for the American military and . . . . therefore . . . .they were expensive and scarce.

Because of the high cost of chocolate and its scarcity, Giovanni Ferrero dveloped an alternative to the chocolate bar — we call it “Nutella” today. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry because chocolate was epensive and scarce.

You see — expensive and scarce are typical cousins that travel together. If it is scarce, it is expensive. We call that the law of “supply and demand.”

“Expensive & Scarce”
Are Typical Traveling Buddies,
But Not Always

However, there are exceptions in God’s world. For instance sin is expensive and plentiful. Sin is plentiful but it is very expensive. The expensiveness of sin does not make it less plentiful! Proverbs 5 lays out the expensive nature of sin, but the cost does not deter. We see that in our society and culture — the price that some men of wealth and postion are willing to risk for sinful pleasures is mind-boggling!

. . . . .

Sermonic Example #2:

[Include whatever details you find useful]

What is very interesting about this product is what one articles states concerning why it has become a billion dollar industry and is sold across the world. The two reasons which are stated are not that other companies have not tried to immitate and market other hazelnut spreads, or that the pricing of the product is so attractive or unbeatable, or even that the quality of Nutella is so high — it is not.

Rather the two reasons are . . . .

1 – its originally taste — it was on the market first and its taste was considered the gold standard
and
2- advertising – the ability of Giovanni Ferrero to adapt and also create demand

The article states . . . .

1 – “Nutella is now the absolute leader and all imitations are seen as inferior. The consumer is accustomed to the taste of Nutella, and wants only that, considering inferior even products with a different, but better taste.”

AND

2- “One of the reasons behind Nutella’s success over the years has been Ferrero’s formidable ability to create demand and to adapt the advertising message to the times. In the 1960s.”

Those two factors also account for Satan’s success at temptation. Nothing has change since the original temptation in the Garden — that tree was seen as good for food, it was pleasant to the eyes, and the promise was to make one wise. Nothing has replaced those three elements of temptation — Sin offers satisfaction, sin looks good, and sin promises success. That has always been the gold standard for rebelling against the Lord. They were the first motivations for sin, and nothing has changed in their appeal!

AND

Satan is the world’s greatest advertiser who also knows how to create demand for those self-serving choices.