| As millions of Americans gather around the barbecue this week to celebrate the Fourth of July, many will rely on an old trick to coax the ketchup out of the bottle: tapping the embossed “57” on the neck of the container. The technique only applies if you’re pouring Heinz Ketchup, but what other kind is there? In 2004, the New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell investigated the reasons for Heinz’s decades-long dominance, and examined why competitors haven’t managed to create a successful alternative. Gladwell reports that the market for another condiment—mustard—was once similarly ruled by a single brand, but that tinkering with the ingredients, and an instantly quotable ad campaign (“Pardon me. Would you have any Grey Poupon?”), broke its hold. Why hasn’t the same happened to Heinz? Gladwell’s quest for an answer takes him inside the “gourmet ketchup” scene, where the entrepreneur Jim Wigon, of World’s Best Ketchup, hopes to dethrone Heinz by replacing corn syrup with maple, among other innovations. Along the way, Gladwell finds unexpected explanations for Heinz’s supremacy, which range from the tomato’s colonial history to the brand’s distinctive packaging. Inevitably, though, the product’s dominance hinges on taste—specifically the concept of “amplitude,” a category in which Coca-Cola and Sara Lee poundcake also excel. As for Wigon’s spin on ketchup? A professional taster, trying to be supportive, says his brand “seemed to be more like a sauce.” But he made a valiant effort. | 
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