Peeps

Here I am--polishing off the last of the Easter basket my mom sent me in the mail and I can't help feeling nostalgic. Holidays are, of course, bastions of nostalgia, but there is one, small company that gets it better than others: Peeps--those all-American, bright yellow, sugary chicks. When I was a kid, I loved Peeps. They were cute and composed almost entirely of sugar. What's not to like? They were right up there with Pixy Sticks and those little wax bottles filled with syrup.

Actually, I don't really like Peeps anymore. My taste buds have evolved towards more sophisticated foods. And yet I can't imagine Easter without them, and I hope my mom never stops putting them in my basket. Someday, I hope to put them in my kids' baskets. What a great business! Consumers don't even have to like eating Peeps to love Peeps. To be sure, entire brands and even industries are built around nostalgia (even Coca Cola to a certain extent), so Peeps isn't exactly working a novel angle.

Still, Peeps is a unique brand and worth looking into. From the packaging I was directed to the Peeps website: www.marshmallowpeeps.com. There I learned about the history of the brand and the company behind it. (Peeps are brought to us by Just Born, "a family-owned candy manufacturer that has been in business for more than eight decades and three generations.") Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Just Born makes a handful of other well-loved candies like Mike and Ike's too.

In a world of consolidation and bloated public companies with ineffective boards, a successful small town, family-owned company like Just Born stands out. The company has connected with its customers and, even more to the point, its brands and products make them happy. I for one, had a very happy Easter. Thanks, Mom.