Dive Summary:
- General Mills plans to re-launch its Hamburger Helper brand in July with new products, packaging and marketing to younger consumers after CEO Ken Powell admitted that line is "languishing."
- Velveeta Cheesy Skillets, which Kraft launched two years ago have provided significant competition for Hamburger Helper recently, as Kraft took a 21% share of last year's dry dinner mix market with a 31% increase in sales over the previous year, while General Mill's sales in the category fell 14% in that same year, according to IRI market data.
- Three new chicken options will launch, with the product line being referred to simply as "Helper" (dropping the emphasis on "Hamburger") and increased attention being put on Helper's recognizable glover mascot.
From the article:
... “I think Kraft’s [Velveeta] launch was kind of a wake-up call for General Mills,” said Rick Shea, owner of Shea Marketing, a Chanhassen-based consultancy. The challenge for any major brand is to “constantly refresh itself,” Shea said. While Hamburger Helper has been retooled several times over the decades, he said, General Mills didn’t do enough in recent years. ...