Will the old pancit canton be back? Maker speaks up
MANILA, Philippines — Out with the old, in with the new. But is new always better than the old?
A few months ago, the popular Lucky Me! Pancit Canton had a "makeover." Its noodles became thicker, the seasoning became saucier and from square, its shape right from the package became round. But while the transformation was aimed to give a better experience for consumers, some did not seem to embrace the change.
The pancit canton became a trending topic on social media, with the loyalists begging the brand to bring back the old one.
: Hindi ko ma-pinpoint kung ano, but there's really something wrong about the new Lucky Me Pancit Canton. Mas firm yung noodles, pero...
— Rihanna Mormont (@Watdahel_Marcel) June 26, 2016
kahit wag ka ng bumalik, basta bumalik lang yung dating lasa ng pancit canton.
— kULAS (@arlenearroz1) June 20, 2016
11;12 make pancit canton great again
— Aerial Ace (@jpgaringan_) June 19, 2016
FAKE YUNG BAGONG PANCIT CANTON HAY #BRINGBACKOLDPANCITCANTON
— keilah (@keileesi) May 27, 2016
The company, meanwhile, addressed the concerns and said the new version of the product is meant to be an improvement.
"Kasi dati bitin sila sa isa, so ngayon bigger. And the noodles kasi ngayon [are] smoother, so when you slurp it, it's supposed to give you that 'umami," Melissa Pabustan of Monde Nissin told Philstar.com at the media launch of the company's collaboration with clothing brand Uniqlo.
"But as with all changes, it takes sometime for people to get used to it," Pabustan added.
Pabustan said Monde Nissin's teams are in the phase of analyzing and evaluating what the consumers liked about the old version so they can apply it to the new one.
"We are listening. It's not like we have done this, that's it. We are listening to consumers and carefully evaluating our options and we are working hard towards keeping that trust and love of consumers for our brand. So we're trying to balance the benefits of the improved version and the old one so we're getting there," she said.
