Mars, General Mills, Magnolia Bakery, Kroger… and other brands targeting the U.S. consumer right now. Check out our prior Sales Leads columns.
Mars
Mars Snacking, a global leader in the treats and snacks category, announced a new collaboration with Uber and SKITTLES® , with a new brand campaign launching across Uber and Uber Eats. The new collaboration, a first of its kind for Mars, delivers a sweet new experience for hungry Uber Rides and Eats consumers. With Journey Ads and Post-Check Out Ads displayed to consumers taking a ride or waiting for their Uber Eats order, they’ll be able to interact with the SKITTLES website seamlessly. Currently the campaign is active in several key markets including Atlanta, Orlando/Daytona Beach, Houston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Phoenix/Prescot, Nashville and Melbourne, Florida. Hungry Uber consumers can also add their favorite SKITTLES products to their Uber Eats shopping carts – including Gummies and classic chewy and sour flavors. The move marks the next step of Mars’ online offensive as the company seeks to continue stoking growth in digital spaces and find new opportunities to provide shoppers with frictionless, omnichannel shopping experiences. “To win in an increasingly digitally-connected world, our job is clear – deliver great brand experiences for people wherever they are. Our new partnership with Uber does just that. Whether you’re on your way home from a night out or traveling back from the airport after a long flight, the Skittles products at the end of the rainbow are now within reach for Uber users across the US,” said Tom Manktelow, Senior Manager, On Demand Delivery, Mars Snacking. ” According to audience research company GWI, more than half of Uber users order their groceries online, and 85 percent of Uber users are the main person responsible for shopping in their household. Additionally, grocery and convenience stores are among the top five Uber Rides destinations.
General Mills
UM, a global media agency network of IPG Mediabrands, announced that it has been named the global media AOR for General Mills, the global food company. UM will handle all strategy, planning, buying, analytics, performance, and commerce efforts across 35-plus markets for General Mills’ suite of brands, including Cheerios, Nature Valley, and Pillsbury. “We are looking forward to working with IPG’s UM as our global media agency, which includes the support of our customer marketing and retail media efforts,” said Jay Picconatto, vice president of advanced marketing solutions, General Mills. “We’re confident that UM is the right partner to continue to build our iconic brands and deliver remarkable experiences for consumers.”
Magnolia Bakery
At this exclusive event on April 11, 2024 brand decision-makers and marketing service suppliers will share and accelerate knowledge on crucial topics, including multicultural marketing, e-commerce marketing, and leveraging marketing technologies. To find out about thought leadership and networking solutions at Portada Live involving many brand decision-makers, don’t hesitate to contact Sales Coordinator Michelle Lopez at [email protected].
Puma
Global sports company PUMA has signed a partnership with the soccer governing body CONMEBOL for all club and national team matches for the next three years. The partnership will shape the beautiful game in Latin America from the 2024 season. This exciting new union will see both entities collaborate on the pitch together and continue to shape the future of South American football for years to come. PUMA will sponsor key tournaments across Latin America, including the CONMEBOL Copa América, CONMEBOL Libertadores, and CONMEBOL Sudamericana. PUMA will also supply the official match footballs, referee uniforms, and staff kits. Sports such as Futsal, Beach Soccer, and female categories, pre-Olympic and youth categories will also have sports equipment produced by PUMA. “For CONMEBOL, we are delighted to partner with a globally renowned company and widely recognized brand. South American football is characterized by its players’ talent, passion, and determination. We feel that PUMA also embodies these values”, stated Alejandro Domínguez, CONMEBOL’s president. Carlos Laje, PUMA Latin America General Manager, said: “We are proud to join forces with CONMEBOL. We want to continue creating major milestones in football, and we believe this is a unique opportunity to convey our joyful, determined, confident, and brave way of viewing sports.
Blue Diamond Growers
Blue Diamond Growers, an agricultural cooperative and global consumer packaged goods company, is activating a Spanish-dominant and bilingual campaign on Amazon Ads. Blue Diamond Growers has spent years creating a variety of almond flavors that resonate with different audiences. In recent research, the brand saw that their Spanish-speaking as well as their English- and Spanish-speaking bilingual consumers were some of the fastest-growing audience segments in the U.S. that enjoyed snack nuts, particularly Blue Diamond Almonds. Seeing this large audience segment engaging with their brand, Blue Diamond Growers wanted to reach them in their preferred language, in a space they were already shopping to engage better and connect with them. With these goals in mind, Amazon Ads developed a campaign test to better connect with Spanish-speaking and bilingual audiences. The brand wanted to leverage the scale of Amazon while also effectively and efficiently reaching their key audiences.
Kroger
Kroger Co. announced the launch of Kroger® Mercado, a Hispanic-inspired brand joining the retailer’s Our Brands’ roster of products exclusively sold at Kroger Family of Stores. Kroger® Mercado’s assortment now offers more than 50 products, including items such as fresh meat, beverages, snacks, sides, desserts, and more. “Kroger® Mercado embraces Hispanic culinary heritage with the quality and innovation our customers have come to know and expect from Our Brands,” said Juan De Paoli, Vice President of Our Brands for Kroger. “We are thrilled to offer authentic products that are accessible and exceptional in quality, creating a brand that fills a void for some customers and creates a cultural experience for others. Kroger® Mercado is Fresh for Everyone.” Kroger® Mercado celebrates the tradition of Latin American foods with authentically inspired products. The line includes various items, including core Hispanic ingredients needed to make a favorite treasured recipe to deliciously sweet and refreshing beverages.Kroger® Mercado products include Chorizo Ground Sausage, Queso Fresco and Queso Panela, Oaxaca Cheese Ball and, Ready to Cook Flour Tortillas. Kroger® Mercado products and Kroger’s Our Brands items can be purchased shopping in-store, through Kroger Pickup or delivered using Boost by Kroger.
Separately, Kroger recently inaugurated its first-ever Hispanic concept store in South Houston. Attention to detail, big and small, is evident in the store, including signage in English and Spanish, a significant increase in Hispanic-focused products, and Latin music. It’s a big move for Kroger, which has already seen proof of concept with increased customer count and sales since the change.
Dove
Dove launched #MyHairAMiModo (translated to “my hair, my way”). The initiative was created alongside Latina community voices designed to drive meaningful conversations surrounding harmful hair stereotypes and champion hair positivity through a series of touchpoints: To kick off the launch, Dove partnered with Li Saumet from Bomba Estéreo to re-record the band’s anthemic song, “Soy Yo,” with an updated message that speaks directly to hair self-expression. Dove invites Latinas everywhere to join the #MyHairAMiModo conversation on TikTok to the tune of the updated “Soy Yo” by sharing their hair story and tagging #MyHairAMiModo and @Dove. Beyond social media, Dove teamed up with Christine Gutierrez, a prominent Latina self-esteem expert, and Ona Diaz-Santin, a renowned hairstylist, to host a transformative #MyHairAMiModo Masterclass at Ona’s hair salon. This learning experience was tailored to engage hair stylists and key community members with actionable tools to address hair stereotypes and spread hair positivity at their salons and in their communities across the country. The campaign builds on the launch of the Dove Love Your Hair collection introduced earlier this year. This tailored wash & care collection effectively nourishes a range of hair textures, types, lengths, and colors, encouraging women to wear the hair that makes them proud.
