Chobani is in several global markets and has multiple large-scale plants. 80% of their workforce are plant floor workers. I know this as I helped build an enterprise social platform for them a few years ago with a partner agency. [1]
I wonder if it's a bubble or whether they can compete. It doesn't taste much different to the existing products, and costs more.
That's pretty typical of branded product. And sometimes the difference is worth it and sometimes not.
The broader thing that I find pretty impressive is how Greek-style (i.e. thicker) yogurt has gone from this thing I could pickup at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods to being the dominant yogurt style at Walmart in just a few years.
Greek yogurt should be hardly sweet, extremely tart, and so thick it almost makes you thirsty -- as you can see where I am going, not something that fits the pallet that giant food has crafted for the average american (I.e fill everything with sugar) which is why I think Chobani has beaten Fage in the US, beacause of it's smoother consistency and slightly sweeter taste.
Anyway for anyone that wants to taste the real deal - take a gallon of milk (produced without antibiotics), boil, wait to cool to 48 C, add starter,wrap in a blanket, wait 1 day, put cloth on a mesh strainer, put the resulting yogurt in the strainer, wait.
DO NOT THROW AWAY the strained liquid - the so called acid whey. When chilled to the point of freezing it is great refreshing drink.
Greek yogurt is pleasantly neutral as a meaning, new but not exotic, boring and safe choice for everyday use. Marketing labneh will be a lot harder - if the audience starts to view some food as ethnic and/or exotic - they wont buy it as a staple. And lets not discount the possibility of social media @#$$-storm if you somehow misspell, mismarket or whatever.
Do you want to quadruple the sales of tahini in US - rename it as sesame butter.