Rebranding Kraft Singles for Millennial Moms in Canada

Problem Definition

Until now, Kraft has rested its marketing strategy for its processed cheese slices on the traditional demographic of Canadian families. As the millennial market grew, the need to reposition Kraft Singles became immediately apparent. Moreover, the market for processed cheese itself had been falling, and millennials tended toward products that reflected wellness and healthy eating—the antithesis of what processed cheese offers. Kraft therefore finds itself needing to rebrand one of its most iconic products, making Kraft Singles relevant to millennial moms and their children.

Kraft Singles promotes four core brand attributes: health, nutrition, taste, and convenience. To retain authenticity, Kraft Singles needs to develop a new marketing campaign that is relevant to millennial moms while remaining rooted in these four core values. Because processed cheese carries the connotation of being less healthy than real cheese, Kraft Singles cannot readily position itself as a natural living product or one that offers significant nutritional value. However, Kraft Singles can capitalize on the two other attributes of taste and convenience.

Ethics—both environmental and animal ethics—present additional challenges. Kraft Singles needs to overcome the problems inherent in purporting to be socially conscious while selling a product that depends on factory farm dairies and individually plastic-wrapped slices. To address these challenges, the Kraft Singles division has several strategic alternatives available.

Strategic Alternatives

There are several alternatives the company can pursue in repositioning Kraft Singles. One is to target emotions like sentimentality, linking Kraft Singles to the comforts of home, to moms and grandmothers, and to the continuity of female nurturing within Canadian families. This approach would continue to position the processed cheese slices as emblematic of Canadian family and home life, while also appealing to the sensibilities and interests of millennial moms. By emphasizing family cohesion and shared values, this approach also helps Kraft Singles avoid alienating its core consumer group of traditional Canadian families.

Another strategy would be to appeal directly to the value system of millennial moms. Millennial moms value brands with good social ethics. Therefore, Kraft needs to inject social responsibility, ethics, and health into the rebranding of Kraft Singles. This will be a significant challenge for a brand characterized by individual plastic wrapping and factory-farmed dairy production. Without being deceptive, Kraft Singles would need to identify elements of its business model that are genuinely socially conscious—which may require cooperation across the broader marketing team. For example, the company could partner with at least one ethical dairy farm and feature it in commercials or on social media. The company might also consider new packaging that moves away from individually wrapped portions in favor of ecologically minded bulk packaging that millennial moms might find more appealing. Appealing to good social ethics could also require the company to participate in high-profile philanthropic campaigns or to donate a portion of Kraft Singles sales to a charitable cause.

Millennial moms appreciate convenience—not just in their products but also in their use of digital media to enhance their overall lifestyle. Social media use among millennial moms is relatively high, with consumers seeking instant information about products. Millennial moms want real-time access to recipes and meal solutions, so the marketing strategy should be consistent across all social media platforms, using those platforms to actively engage consumers and encourage two-way communication. Millennials want to connect with brands completely. A social media campaign could encourage users to share their own recipes using Kraft Singles and include contests for the best images or recipes.

The value-conscious tendency of millennial moms, while not entirely different from that of previous generations, is also an important alternative marketing avenue. Value is distinct from price, and Kraft Singles needs to recognize that millennial moms may be more willing to pay for products that offer value-added propositions such as socially conscious behavior or healthier eating choices. Millennials eat out often, but they also eat smarter and are less brand-loyal than their parents' generation. If possible, product development at Kraft should focus on a "craft" approach to Kraft Singles, whereby the processed cheese is discussed not in terms of convenience alone but in terms of the craftsmanship it represents.

Finally, using a celebrity chef as a spokesperson might help reposition the product—for example, by showcasing the unique melting properties of processed cheese. Processed cheese should be positioned as something entirely different from artisanal cheese: not a competitor, but an indispensable ingredient in homemade grilled cheese sandwiches or handcrafted burgers. Creative approaches such as "brand ambassador" programs offering in-store product demonstrations and food pairings would be an integral part of this alternative strategy and could be combined with a robust digital marketing campaign.