One of the leading yogurt brands in its native U.S., New York-based Chobani is now setting its sights on the Canadian market.
Chobani made its Canadian debut in November, selling the product exclusively through Loblaw’s stores in the Greater Toronto Area. Since its 2007 debut in the U.S., the company has grown to control approximately 60% of that country’s rapidly growing Greek yogurt category – valued at an estimated US$1 billion – and 19% of the total yogurt market.
In February, the company launched a Canadian out-of-home campaign comprised of 11 super boards and 600 wild postings throughout the GTA, all bearing the message “It’s crazy to love a yogurt this much.”
It is now adding in a geo-targeted digital campaign featuring banners and other online units bearing messages like “Once you go cherry you’ll never go berry” and “Peachy keen?” All of the ads drive consumers to Chobani.ca, where they can enter a contest to win a year’s supply of the yogurt.
While the bulk of yogurt marketing tends to focus on the product’s health benefits, Chaboni’s director of marketing, Niel Sandfort, said that his company is trying to drive trial for the product by focusing on its taste and texture.
“When we say ‘It’s crazy to love a yogurt this much,’ it’s because the brand truly is transformative and has the ability to change the way people perceive yogurt,” he said.
Chobani currently sells four flavoured yogurts (peach, black cherry, pomegranate and strawberry) in 170-gram containers and plain yogurt in a 970-gram container. It offers 17 fruit flavours in the U.S., and plans to add more in Canada – possibly even some custom-created flavours – in the coming months. “We think having a wide variety of flavours is important to keep the consumer excited and interested within the brand,” said Sandfort.
Sandfort said that the Chobani brand appeals to multiple constituencies – “there’s such a wide range we say we almost don’t have a target,” he said – but its core consumer is females 18-44.
Creative for the campaign is developed by Leo Burnett New York and adapted for the Canadian market by its Canadian office, while PHD Canada oversees media buying.
