Why Chobani Rebranded Themselves

Posted on April 9, 2018 in Branding

Greek yogurt swept the nation in 2007, something that only made up for 1% of annual yogurt sales in America at the time. Fast forward to 2018, and Greek yogurt now owns half of the total yogurt market share in America, with Chobani feasting on a staggering 40% of this. So why would the Greek yogurt giant throw away their old identity for a completely new look?

Spoonable yogurt sales overall have dipped 4.4 percent in the past year. The Greek yogurt craze created a temporary spike in overall American consumption, but this fad has started to wear off. People are eating less yogurt now, and Chobani is looking to change this once again.

At its roots, Chobani’s differentiation is creativity and innovation. They blitzed a market where their category was almost non-existent and changed the way Americans eat yogurt with a sweeter, fresher product and better overall perceived health benefits. Naturally, large competitors such as Yoplait and Dannon have introduced similar products that mirror the Greek yogurt king’s product. This causes serious confusion for the consumer; “what should I buy and why?”

Chobani has reinvented themselves to stand out once again. Future advertising will be focused on the overall yogurt category and the associated health benefits. Chobani CCO Leland Maschmeyer explains “While our product is yogurt, our business has always been wellness – nutritional and community wellness, and how food can be a source of good in the world.” Chobani is active in this pursuit by investing in food start-ups that they believe will make a better impact on the way we eat. You can learn more about this initiative at https://www.chobani.com/impact/chobani-incubator/

The new packaging features folk style art with messaging such as “old world recipe”, “protein-rich”, and “a portion of profits for a better world.” Maschmeyer explains “When you have a strawberry that’s too perfect, it’s plastic. We’ve introduced these imperfections in our brand, so it feels more real.”

While this rebranding is meant to spark excitement and consumer attention, there is also the risk associated with buyers not recognizing the product on the shelf. Not only did Chobani take a complete departure from their old packaging, but they also updated the font in their logo. In addition to this, the competition will likely mimic the Greek yogurt giant to gain more market share.

Only time can tell what’s in store for Chobani and the Greek yogurt category in general. From a personal perspective, all I know is Chobani ended up in my shopping cart yesterday and in my breakfast this morning. Let’s see how the rest of America feels.