Kellogg Canada has brought its Cheez-It brand of crackers north of the border to answer demand for more snacking occasions.
Already the top-ranked brand the U.S. cracker category, Cheez-It plays in a salty snack and cracker category that is worth roughly $2.3 billion (according to Nielsen). That category is expected to grow by 3% annually, according to Christine Jakovcic, VP of marketing and nutrition at Kellogg Canada. But beyond that, she adds that there has been a “cult-like” demand for the brand here.
When it comes to Kellogg’s portfolio in particular, Jakovcic says the number of “snacking occasions” throughout the day is growing among consumers. Cheez-It gives the company a chance to capture more of those occasions, as well as grow its presence in the cracker category, joining brands like Town House, Club and Zesta, which are typically occasion-based or consumed in conjunction with other foods and dips, as opposed to being a snack on their own.
Kellogg has predicted a high degree of consumer demand for Cheez-It, and the launch campaign has been scaled up to match. To promote the launch, Kellogg Canada is launching a fully integrated campaign with in-store displays, point of sale material, shelf media, coupons and samples across major grocery, convenience and gas retailers across Canada. The shopper marketing is meant to disrupt shoppers with impactful displays including shelf blades, bookshelves, pre-packs, corner posts, stacker cards and totems meant to drive trial with both visibility and messaging that focuses on a simple thing Cheez-Its can deliver: crunch.
“We know consumers desire crunchy snacks in a growing number of snacking occasions throughout their day,” Jakovcic says. “Cheez-It has a long history of driving category growth with delicious, crisp and crunchy offerings and is uniquely positioned to capitalize on consumers’ need for crunchy snacks. We don’t really think of ourselves as competing with a specific cracker manufacturer, but rather competing for share-of-mouth wherever and whenever consumers are craving a delicious, cheesy, crunchy snack.”
In particular, Kellogg is looking to reach consumers looking for an indulgent snack. At launch, Cheez-It will be offered in Original and Hot & Spicy flavours, while the rippled and more chip-like Cheez-It Crunch will be offered in Sharp White Cheddar and Zesty Cheddar Ranch, the top-performing flavours in the U.S. market. While the campaign is focused in-store, it also includes TV, digital and social elements.
