Mrs. Dash is dropping 'Mrs.' from its name

Mrs. Dash is apparently no longer married. The salt-free seasoning is dropping “Mrs.” from its moniker this spring and will go simply by Dash, parent company B&G Foods Inc. announced Thursday. The brand is also going to be promoted by Joy Bauer, a health and wellness speaker who frequently appears on NBC's "Today." In its announcement, the company did not delve into details behind the decision to drop Mrs. from the name. A statement refers not to gender roles, but to the speed of using the product. "The Dash line of salt-free seasonings will continue to allow consumers to elevate their cooking quickly and simply – in a dash," said Julie Gould, marketing director, B&G Foods. A spokeswoman for the brand did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move seems like an obvious attempt to modernize the brand and appeal to all cooks, not just women with spouses. Whether or not it spurs sales remains to be seen. “I doubt the ‘Mrs.’ part of the name had any impact on the product’s appeal so I doubt dropping it will either,” says Denise Lee Yohn, author of the book “What Great Brands Do.” “It is more important for the company to raise awareness of the product’s salt-free content, promote its partnership with Joy Bauer, and step up its innovation.” She added that to appeal to a younger audience, Dash may want to consider ways to make it more relevant in a larger number of usage occasions, maybe even working on partnerships with meal-kit services and other products. The brand’s plans also include a new product. Everything But the Salt, a salt-free take on the flavor of everything bagels, is set to debut this spring. Existing products are not set to change, except for the brand name, which has been seen on bottles of seasoning since 1983. Bauer, who speaks about health and nutrition on “Today,” will be featured in national ad campaigns for Dash. She’ll also prepare low-sodium recipes for the Dash site and social channels. The brand has a limited presence on social media. Its latest Facebook and Instagram posts, which promoted an appearance by Bauer, are from October. And while Mrs. Dash has replied to consumer comments on Twitter recently, it hasn’t posted a tweet of its own since July 2015. Speaking of that Dash site, it isn’t actually dash.com. Online, mrsdash.com will stick around. A quick search for dash.com redirects to a Procter & Gamble search page. P&G likely has the dash.com URL for possible use for the laundry detergent of the same name.

Mrs. Dash is dropping 'Mrs.' from its name

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