Two supermarket chains, two marketing slogans, two vastly different directions.
That's the ballad of Publix and Winn-Dixie. One's a clean, well-lighted place to shop, faces always smiling because "shopping is a pleasure."
The other's a dingy refuge where Dinty Moore and Thrifty Maid hide in the shadows, doin' the nasty to an old Beatles song.
The Winn-Dixie chain has long played the underdog, but it's more serious than simple rivalry. According to this article, the public perception of Winn-Dixie invariably involves adjectives like "gross" and "poorly managed."
Yes, there is indeed a wet cleanup in aisle three: from all the tears.
The teaser for the Palm Beach Post story this morning said it all: "One thrives, the other flounders."
The numbers tell the tale: In Palm Beach County, Winn-Dixie is operating 24 stores. Publix has 73.
The following clip shows exactly how ads influencing public perception can tip the ol' vegetable scale when it comes to supermarkets -- after the jump.
