Marketing of Tortillas de Maiz

r

El Milagro corn/maiz Tortillas. An example of Mexican agriculture meeting American marketing. 

 

    Tortillas have long been a staple of Mexican cuisine and culture. Although other sources including flour and wheat can be used, tortillas de maiz (corn tortillas) are the most common tortilla found in central Mexico in states such as Puebla and Tlaxcala where maiz is grown in nearly every possible site. Each meal is accompanied by tortillas, many of which are prepared in home, if time is short there is sure to be a tortilleria serving fresh tortillas nearby for your convenience. The expansive farming and harvest of maiz for millennia has provided great opportunity for farmers and merchants in Mexico and America alike. Although distinct, the traditions and eating habits of the United States and those of Mexico have created connections and had a meaningful impact on one another.

    Originally part of the Mexican diet, tortillas now circulate through the United States as a common accompaniment to meals in various forms. The image above illustrates how Mexican cuisine has been adopted by and promoted in the US. The packaging keeps English and Spanish to appeal to both audiences and hint at authenticity. Key words such as "NO PRESERVATIVES", "No-GMO", "Gluten-Free", and "Original" are used each demonstrating a different aspect of natural and fresh. The differing font sizes and styles emphasise specific emotions: capitalization is direct and to the point, No-GMO surrounded by red is professional and trustworthy, and the flare on Original is fun and light distinct to this type of tortilla. 

    The coloring on the tortilla package is intentional as well. Bright red and yellow, both typical of food products, create a contrast that draws in the eyes and makes the consumer feel warm and think of food. The coloring around the corn and the woman making the tortillas denotes a different feel, it is less intense more muted giving off a rustic and authentic image. This is consistent with the text which describes a natural product freshly made. Even the images themselves show a similar theme, the ears of corn look healthy and unprocessed, the woman is in the very act of preparing the masa, and the tortillas are being cooked on a comal over fire often associated with a higher quality better tasting tortilla. Each phase the marketing colors, words, text styles, and images is consistent with the others all sharing a common goal.

    A critical avenue marketers have taken to promote the adoption of classically Mexican goods is through celebrations. During El Cinco de Mayo Americans across the country have small get togethers and large scale parties. At these gatherings an assortment of Mexican food is easily found, tacos, tamales, burritos, tortilla chips, etc. These consumers want a taste of real Mexican cuisine and culture, here is seen the brilliance of the authentic natural promotion style discussed above. On the surface Cinco de Mayo may seem like nothing more than a time for Mexican food and good times, however, it is much more. La batalla de Puebla, which took place on the 5th of May, 1862, also known as Cinco de Mayo is about much more than tortilla chips, salsa, and fiestas. Both countries, the United States and Mexico were found war torn, vulnerable, and facing many difficult decisions. The US was entrenched in the civil war meanwhile the Mexicans faced the french who were unwilling to forgive or negotiate the debts owed to them. The french landed in Veracruz and invaded intending to seize control of Mexico, they would have to travel through Puebla. The pending conquest was put to a stop by general Ignacio Zaragoza, a Texas born military leader, and his forces. This instilled Meixco with enthusiasm and it stayed off the french conquest during a critical time peirod as the french were considering lending support to the Confederacy. "The French hoped to circumvent the Union naval blockade by shipping long-range artillery overland to Texas and on to the Confederate armies in the east" explaines Clark Crook-Castan, a historian, former U.S. diplomat, and vice president of the United States-Mexico chamber of Commerce(Tucker, 2022). It is possible that this would have changed the outcome of the civil war had the Mexicans failed in stopping the French on el Cinco de Mayo, both nations experienced miracles as they fought for freedoms on separate fronts. Here, unseen, we celebrate interconnecting, tradition, agriculture, cuisine, history, and roots. Throughout the past and to present day we influence one another oftentimes still in unrecognized ways.

Corn Products Archives. El Milagro. (2022, August 22). Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://el-milagro.com/product-category/corn-products/

Tucker, N. (2022, May 5). The roots of Cinco de Mayo: The Battle of Puebla: Timeless. The Library of Congress. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2022/05/the-roots-of-cinco-de-mayo-the-battle-of-puebla/