Shoppers Are Ditching Classic Brands They Once Loved

Kraft Mac and Cheese tasted much better in the 1980s than it did now because they started using "milk protein concentrate" instead of real cheese. I'm don't know if it is good for you or if it is bad for you, but it tastes awful. I think the change happened around 2000 and I remember store brands following them in the next few years probably chasing a few pennies of savings.

Circa 2018 I saw a saturation billboard campaign in NYC where they were trying to promote the brand through nostalgia but that's a terribly destructive thing to do when people who try it will discover that it's not the same product it was when they were young.

I've seen numerous stories about Kraft's misadventures marketing Mac and Cheese is that were likely influenced by Kraft's PR firm and always avoid the elephant in the room that the product sucks. Jim Cramer, granted, used to go on TV and say that major processed foods brands were failing because they were failing on taste.

Interesting, and agrees with the anecdotal trend I've seen playing out the last few years.

Summarized as: you must appeal to a niche (cheapest, healthiest, best tasting). Brands matter less.

I remember a few years ago reading that Tide detergent is one of the most recession proof items in the store. People are due hard loyal to it.

What's shocking to me, but that this point shouldn't be, why did it take Kraft decades to try different flavors of Mac and cheese? Was the landscape and desire to be more competitive really so weak?

Store brands are made in the same factories, with the same ingredients. And they're still profitable at 1/2 the price. Makes you wonder how much you've been spending on just brand names.

Fitness foods are interesting because there's so many trends and niches: protein, gluten free, low carb, dairy free. And people pay through the nose for them.

Many (most?) of the classic brands aren't what they used to be. I can no longer assume that a thing meets a baseline level of quality just because it is being sold under a recognizable brand, so why favor recognizable brands?

> products like Kraft Mac & Cheese, Luvs diapers and Band-Aid bandages became everyday staples in cupboards across the world.

Not in my experience - I think this is made up.