• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Sidebar
IU

Indiana University Indiana University IU

IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUIGo from Moment to Momentum

Hostess may change, but Twinkies stay the same, says Kelley professor

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Teresa Mackin

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—When Hostess Brands Inc. announced plans to wind down operations and sell off iconic brands such as Twinkies during bankruptcy, it meant plant closures and a loss of hundreds of jobs in Indiana.

“The brand itself has a lot of value but in that bakery business right now, there’s just massive overcapacity, similar to the auto industry,” said Todd Roberson, senior lecturer in finance at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. “And the bakery business just doesn’t have the political influence that the auto industry does. I don’t think the bakery industry’s going to get bailed out.”

On social media, Americans were feeling nostalgic about the classic American brand.

“People love Twinkies; they just don’t like to eat them,” says Roberson.

Roberson says Americans love the Twinkies brand more than they love the actual cream-filled sponge cakes.

“We have been told over the years that these products aren’t good for us. Ultimately, you hear that enough and it begins to have an impact on sales,” explains Roberson, who remembers Twinkies being offered as part of a school lunch.

“I think it was a low-cost, easy way for a mother with a lot to do to give her child a dessert. My mom always said to me, ‘Would you like a dessert? Here’s a Twinkie.’ It was very easy. I also believe if you look back at the packaging of Twinkies it was absolutely beautiful; really, it was almost artistic. And I think the primary colors and the way that the packaging was presented really stuck in people’s minds.”

While Hostess may sell off the Twinkie brand, Roberson is confident it will still exist.

“I don’t think the brand is going to go away. My guess is, as the company goes into bankruptcy, somebody’s going to snatch up that brand and revive it,” he says. “It’ll just probably be without a unionized labor force.

“I think Twinkies is an American icon, and I think that brand’s always going to have some place, if nothing else as a dessert item. It’s just ingrained in people’s minds.”


Filed under: Faculty, Finance, NewsTagged Archived

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Additional Content

About the Kelley School at IUPUI

The Kelley School of Business at IUPUI is home to a full-time undergraduate program and five graduate programs, including a graduate certificate for professionals in healthcare; master’s and graduate certificate programs in accounting, internal audit and taxation; the Physician MBA and the Evening MBA, which is ranked eleventh in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Categories

Search Posts

Receive Updates

Get the latest news from the Kelley School's Indianapolis programs, faculty, students and alumni delivered directly to your Inbox

Please, insert a valid email.

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent Posts

  • Tobias Leadership Center announces 2023 cohort of Tobias Fellows January 17, 2023
  • Practice administrator improves patient experience through healthcare management certificate January 12, 2023
  • VP of women’s health: The Physician MBA is the best investment I’ve made in my career January 9, 2023
  • Kelley finance alum creates and grows sustainable clothing subscription company January 5, 2023
  • Healthcare professional adds management experience with graduate certificate January 3, 2023

See Archived Posts

Kelley School Faculty at IUPUI

Full list of faculty based in Indianapolis.

Indiana University

Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University | Privacy Notice | Accessibility Help

Subscribe

Subscribe By Email

Get every new post delivered right to your inbox.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.