Dive Brief:
- Jell-O sales have fallen 19% in the past four years, as consumers turn to newer dessert treats such as Greek yogurt.
- Kraft, which owns the gelatin brand, faces a number of challenges in an attempt to revive sales -- particularly that strangely colored foods made with high-fructose corn syrup are the opposite of what health-focused consumers want today.
- Marketing and ad campaigns have so far done little to help. Sales have declined since 2009, and the decline has accelerated recently.
Dive Insight:
Apparently the root of Jell-O's problems is that many fail to see it as something with health benefits today. But Jell-O was long thought of as part of a healthy approach to weight loss, with the idea that eating Jell-O was better than eating other desserts like cake or ice cream. And that philosophy spread into some strange areas. Even today it's possible to find that staple of 1960s dieting -- the Jell-O and cottage cheese dessert -- in old-time diners.
It may be too late for Jell-O. Or perhaps not. The brand might be wise to try advertising the actual health benefits of gelatin: We'd always heard that it's good for your hair and skin.