Chobani made Greek-style yogurt part of the American food mainstream, and now the brand is trying to stay on top against catch-up efforts by every other major yogurt brand in the land.

Dannon, with its Oikos brand, has managed to join the startup Chobani brand on the top tier of the only category of yogurt consumption that is growing in the U.S. market these days. But the original Greek-yogurt brand in America, Fage, and Yoplait, which also is trying to play catch-up, are fading in their efforts to ride the boom that Chobani created.

Chobani already has become about a $1-billion concern over the past few years and owns nearly 50 percent of the category, according to a recent report by the Sanford Bernstein securities firm. Even after a furious catch-up effort, Dannon USA still has a less-than-20 percent share, and Fage 14 percent, while General Mills' Yoplait brand limps in with just 6 percent.

"We're dealing with some large organizations that aren't as nimble as Chobani," Niel Sandfort, director of marketing for Chobani, told brandchannel. "We're a billion-dollar company but still entrepreneurial. And we're continually investing in our core."Continue reading...

As the world's biggest stage for marketers, we'd have to give Super Bowl XLVI, generously, a B-minus. While the game was compellingly competitive right until the last play, and Madonna acquitted herself pretty well for a 53-year-old halftime-show attraction, America's brand marketers barely held up their end of the extravaganza.

For one thing, there was no genuine stand-up-and-cheer advertising moment during NBC's telecast as there was last year, in Chrysler's spot featuring Eminem and its new Chrysler 200 "Imported from Detroit," although Clint Eastwood was a worthy successor.

In fact, stand-out moments in the ads were almost non-existent; the humor that carried most of the ads didn't come close to an outbreak of hilarity; and a few spots manifested jump-the-shark syndrome, such as an NBC promo that cameoed Betty White.Continue reading...

The Big Game doesn't kick off until Sunday, but brand marketers' "reveals" of their Super Bowl campaigns are intensifying this week.

Whether they're "teasing" their actual Super Bowl spots such as Century 21, or letting everything hang out there like Hyundai (which today released all five of its Game Day commercials, and a barrage of video extras) and Honda and others, there's a torrent of Game Day spots like never before.

Will there be anything actually new to watch once the Big Game comes on? Remember when the idea was to save the reveal for during the game and be the talk of the office water cooler on Monday morning?

Here's a look at some of the latest revelations:Continue reading...

Dannon USA hasn't advertised in the Super Bowl before, but executives of the American arm of France's Groupe Danone know a good Super Bowl ad when they see one.

"It has to be memorable," Michael Newirth, senior director of communications for Dannon USA, told brandchannel. "It tends to have a healthy dose of humor. And usually it's got some element of surprise. And you can expect to see some of all of those in [the ad] we share on February 5."

And actually, Dannon has given a lot away already about what its first-ever ad in the Big Game will entail.Continue reading...

Dannon USA executives have no illusions about Super Bowl party hosts clearing away the corn chips, savory spreads, sausage, beer and other decidedly nutrition-challenged fare from millions of tables across America on the day of the Big Game to make room for anything healthy — including yogurt.

But one of America's Big Two yogurt brands has decided to take a flyer anyway by buying commercial time during the Super Bowl. For the first time, Dannon will be advertising some of its nutritional yogurt brands and products alongside the Coca-Colas, Doritos, Budweisers and other snacktastic brands that traditionally have dominated game advertising.

The simple reason? It's time. "When we look at the U.S. as the world's single largest economy and the fact that yogurt is so under-represented in the American diet, and we think about what's the best way for us to bring the better-for-you message and food choices to a large population base, the Super Bowl is an avenue we haven't yet explored," Michael Neuwirth, Dannon's senior director of public relations, told brandchannel.Continue reading...

While America was busy looking for the birth certificate, watching the royal wedding, and celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden, a quiet revolution was taking place. After years and years of dominance by brands such as Dannon and Yoplait, the yogurt category came to be owned, seemingly overnight, by Chobani. In fact, Chobani's rise to become the best selling yogurt brand in the US was so fast, the brand is facing a whole new challenge.Continue reading...

Americans are having a love affair with Greek yogurt.

Nielsen reported last October that, "Despite the 121% higher average equivalized price of Greek yogurt compared to non-Greek yogurt, sales continue to sky rocket. Over the past 52 weeks ending October 2, 2010, Greek yogurt dollar and unit sales are up 160% and 203% respectively, while non-Greek yogurt dollar and unit sales are up 3% and 1%."

Nielsen attributes the popularity of Greek yogurt to health, convenience, and taste. So get ready for the Greek yogurt brands to start fighting it out for superiority. Agro Farma's Chobani, the top seller in the U.S., spent only $209,000 to advertise the brand in 2009. Now the company is launching an estimated $13 million integrated media campaign.Continue reading...

Maybe it’s a new twist on comfort food for challenging times, but the biggest hit in the yogurt section of the supermarket these days is full-bodied, full-flavor Greek yogurt.

Brands such as Stonyfield Farm’s Oikos and 3 Greek Gods, now owned by Hain Celestial, have been trying to meet booming demand for tasty Greek-style yogurt, which is thicker, creamier and generally higher in protein and, often, fat than regular yogurt. Pioneering brands such as the imported Fage yogurt are now being joined by mainstream CPG players, who are eager to meet the growing American demand for Greek yogurt.

Kraft plans to expand its Athenos brand of hummus and other Mediterranean fare to include Greek yogurt nationwide in January. Athenos Greek yogurt is available in select US markets now, in response to demand from some 85,000 Facebook fans.

“Two years ago, if you described this as a niche, you were almost giving it too much credit,” Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm, told brandchannel. “But today it is a $200-million to $300-million segment, headed toward $500 million, and every major player is leaping into it.”Continue reading...