The internet was set ablaze last week when popular Twitch streamer Pokimane announced the launch of her new snack company, Myna. Front and center of the brand is Myna’s debut product: Midnight Mini Cookies. However, controversy quickly arose regarding the originality and pricing of the cookies.
Accusations swirled that the Myna Cookies were simply a “rebrand” of an existing product, Toastzy’s Midnight Mini Cookies, which had previously been sold at Costco. Critics highlighted the nearly identical nutrition labels, ingredients lists, taste profiles, and even packaging between the Myna and Toastzy cookies.
Questions surfaced about whether Pokimane and her co-founder had truly developed an original recipe “after many rounds of testing and ingredient changes,” as Myna’s spokesperson claimed. Many labeled the new launch a “scam” and the cookies “counterfeit.”
In the week since, fervent debate has continued online between ardent fans defending Myna Cookies and critical voices demanding accountability. But beyond the heated social media controversy, what do real customer reviews and unbiased analysis actually reveal about Myna Midnight Mini Cookies?
Myna Cookies Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive So Far
Despite the intense scrutiny and scandalous accusations, reviews for the new Myna Cookies have been overwhelmingly positive across the internet.
On Myna’s official website, the cookies boast a 5-star average from over 150 customer ratings. The most common praise includes:
- Delicious, indulgent chocolatey taste
- Perfectly crunchy yet chewy texture
- Surprisingly healthy and high-quality ingredients
- Cute, punny packaging
Enthusiastic comments include:
“These cookies are to DIE for! The chocolate chips are so rich and velvety. The dough itself is grainy and hearty. Love that they’re made with clean ingredients and have some added nutrition from the vitamin D too. Pokimane really delivered with these!”
“Just got my first order of Myna Cookies and I’m obsessed! They really do taste like delicious healthy midnight snacks. The sea salt on top balances out the chocolatey goodness. Will be re-ordering for sure.”
On other retail sites like Amazon, early Myna Cookie reviews are also overwhelmingly 5 stars. Multiple reviewers call them “addictively delicious” and “better than any cookie I’ve had.”
However, with the product just launching recently, only a limited number of customer reviews are available so far. It remains to be seen whether the positive feedback will remain consistent over time.
Critical Analysis: Do Myna Cookies Live Up to the Hype?
Stepping away from the controversy and accusations, how do Myna Cookies objectively stack up in terms of taste, quality, and value?
Taste and Texture
By all accounts, the cookies deliver on providing an indulgent chocolatey flavor and decadent texture. Multiple professional food reviewers praise the “perfectly gooey” chocolate chips, “crunchy yet chewy” cookie base, and “just the right hint of sea salt.”
For a snack positioned as a healthier take on traditional cookies, Myna appears to have nailed a genuine cookie experience that doesn’t sacrifice taste or mouthfeel.
Ingredients and Nutrition
The ingredients list is relatively simple and made from recognizable pantry items. It checks the boxes for being non-GMO, nut-free, and vegan.
With 9g fat, 14g carbs, and 2g protein per serving, the nutrition stats are reasonable for an occasional indulgent snack. The addition of vitamin D is a nice bonus.
The calorie count comes in slightly higher than alternatives at 140 calories per cookie compared to 120-130 calories for brands like Annie’s Homegrown chocolate chip cookies. But overall, Myna offers a comparable nutrition profile to other leading grocery store cookie brands.
Value and Price
Here is where Myna Cookies garner the most criticism. A 4-pack of 7 cookies costs $28, breaking down to $7 per bag or $1 per cookie.
Comparatively, conventional chocolate chip cookies cost roughly $0.33 – $0.75 per cookie at grocery stores. Even premium “healthy” cookies from established brands generally cost $0.50 – $1.00 per cookie.
Factoring in ingredients, manufacturing, shipping, and Pokimane’s influencer markup, the $1 per Myna Cookie pricing is on the very high end but not completely unreasonable.
However, consumers can likely find other indulgent chocolate chip cookies of similar quality for at least 25-50% less. The premium pricing is understandably a primary complaint among buyers.
Packaging
In terms of packaging and branding, Myna Cookies feature a fun, playful aesthetic fitting Pokimane’s vibe and target demographic. The punny ‘Snackimane’ nickname and witty lines like “We dough what we want” add personality.
Visually, the packaging looks clean, professional, and well-designed. The pretty purple color scheme feels both feminine and elegant.
Overall Opinion
All signs point to Myna Midnight Mini Cookies being a tasty, quality snack created with care. The biggest drawback is the pricing, which feels rather inflated compared to the existing market.
However, Pokimane fans seem more than willing to pay the influencer premium. And taste-wise, the cookies do appear to satisfy that sweet tooth craving.
For non-fans seeking an occasional indulgent snack, comparable (or better) options likely exist for less money. But there’s no denying Myna Cookies are a delicious, well-executed treat. They largely live up to the hype, albeit at a steeper price.
Allegations of Rebranding: Is Myna Simply Selling an Existing Product?
This brings us to the heart of the controversy: many online claim that Myna’s Midnight Mini Cookies are simply a “rebrand” of Toastzy’s nearly identical product sold previously at Costco.
Let’s break down this rebranding allegation in detail:
Near Identical Cookies Already Existed
Prior to Myna’s launch, Instagram account @junkfoodinthetrunk unearthed that an extremely similar oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dubbed “Midnight Minis” had been available from a brand called Toastzy and sold in Costco stores earlier in 2022.
Photos of Toastzy’s nutrition facts, ingredients list, cookie style, and packaging look remarkably close to Myna’s, igniting accusations of a blatant rebrand.
Pricing Markup from Costco Version
Critics also pointed out that Myna’s $28 price tag for 28 cookies (4 packs of 7 cookies) equated to $1 per cookie.
Comparatively, Costco had previously sold a 30-pack of Toastzy Midnight Minis (containing 210 cookies) for just $9.99 – approximately $0.09 per cookie.
The stark difference between $0.09 versus $1 per cookie adds credibility to criticisms of Pokimane drastically inflating prices after acquiring the Toastzy product and rebranding as her own.
Myna’s Vague and Suspicious Claims of Development
The deepest skepticism stems from how Myna Snacks officially addressed the copying allegations. Their spokesperson stated:
“Our product formulation is unique to Myna and exclusive to us. We can confirm the Midnight Mini Cookies were in development for two years. This process included many rounds of testing and ingredient changes.”
But without offering any specifics on how exactly their recipe differs from Toastzy’s or why two years was required for such minor tweaks, this response feels misleading and evasive rather than exonerating.
If Myna truly spent years meticulously crafting their own original recipe, why not highlight those developmental differences and distinguish themselves from Toastzy’s? Their vagueness only fuels the suspicion of rebranding an existing product.
No Legal Recourse So Far
There are currently no indications that Toastzy plans legal action for copyright infringement. For a small brand like Toastzy that appears inactive since their limited Costco launch, potential litigation may not be worth the costs.
But the lack of legal consequences does not prove Myna’s innocence. It could simply demonstrate that mimicking an obscure product comes with minimal risks beyond public criticism.
Remaining Questions
- Why hasn’t Pokimane herself addressed the evidence and detailed Myna’s side of the story? Her silence also feels incriminating.
- Were suppliers or manufacturers simply shared between Toastzy and Myna? Could production molds or recipes have been re-used or slightly altered?
- Is it all just a striking coincidence with no foul play? Or did Pokimane made a calculated gamble that rebranding Toastzy’s product would generate immense profits despite backlash?
The Verdict
Given the nearly identical products down to the exact name “Midnight Minis,” combined with Myna Snacks’ evasive non-denial and refusal to explain themselves, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests blatant rebranding rather than independently developing a unique recipe.
Pokimane leveraged her fame to acquire an existing product, slightly tweak the branding, drastically inflate the pricing, and market it as her own innovative creation. While perhaps not outright illegal, these deceptive business practices justifiably provoke backlash and accusations of scamming customers.
Until Pokimane and her co-founder offer a detailed, transparent explanation supporting their claims of original development, skepticism of the Myna Cookies being a brazen rebrand will persist.
Impact on Pokimane’s Reputation and Future Business Ventures
While Myna Cookies themselves deliver on being a tasty snack, the shady nature of their origins and marketing raises important questions about Pokimane’s judgment and business ethics.
How will this controversy impact her reputation and ability to succeed with future commercial projects?
Immediate Reputation Hit
Accusations of deceitful business practices have undoubtedly damaged Pokimane’s reputation in the short term.
Public perception now portrays her as untrustworthy, scamming fans for profits, and exploiting her influence unfairly. Right or wrong, this will be the prevailing narrative about Myna’s launch.
Long-Term Effects?
For ardent Pokimane supporters, the cookie controversy likely won’t deter their fandom or purchases. But more casual followers may lose respect for her integrity.
If Pokimane aims to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur, evading questions about Myna’s origins is a bad look. This first venture now casts doubt and extra scrutiny on any future business endeavors.
Regaining public trust will require total transparency about lessons learned from the Myna Cookies backlash, ideally with an independent audit validating products and pricing.
Risk to Influencer Brands
Perhaps most damaging is how Pokimane’s perceived duplicity risks diminishing consumer faith in influencer products overall.
Followers who feel tricked into overpaying will be more skeptical of merch, supplements, or snacks pushed by their favorite creators. Being the face of an allegedly shady startup may catalyze greater backlash against social media celebrities launching brands solely to enrich themselves.
Wrapping Up
While Pokimane maintains a devoted fanbase who will stand by her regardless, most objective observers agree that several fundamental errors were made with the Myna Cookies launch:
🚩 Lack of transparency and evasiveness when serious replication accusations surfaced
🚩 Drastically inflated pricing compared to the original product
🚩 Attempts to market a minimally altered rebrand as an original creation
For influencer commercial ventures to have staying power and credibility, trust between creator and audience is mandatory. Unfortunately, the opaque nature of Myna Snacks has damaged Pokimane’s reputation and sown mistrust.
Only time will tell if Pokimane can rebuild audience faith and go on to spearhead transparent, beloved brands in the future. But the early controversy surrounding Myna Cookies provides a cautionary tale for influencers against exploiting fans and duplicating existing products for a quick cash grab.
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