Kraft Brands, Attributes

Deliver on Fans’ Expectations When fans attend a Rolling Stones or Eagles concert, they expect to hear a string of hits they can sing along with, performed with topnotch sound quality and delivered with high energy. Like these legendary bands, Kraft brands give customers what they expect. Kraft may not be gourmet food, but its fans don’t expect it to be. They do, however, expect reliability, top shelf quality, familiarity, and good value.

Firms must ask themselves, “Do our products really deliver the attributes consumers consider most important?” In a food company, those attributes might include taste, ease of preparation, consistency, reliability, and safety, all of which affect the overall perception of product quality. Distribution is the less observable attribute of great brands, just as road crews and staging may escape the attention of fans at a concert. But a focus on quality that customers expect has lead to a hit parade of number one brands at Kraft, including Philadelphia, the number one cream cheese in the world.

Evolve to Remain Relevant without Alienating Current Fans Many artists featured in this article are dedicated to innovation, often trying to incorporate the latest technology into their shows, musical sounds, and productions. Madonna sticks to her core brand, but innovates in terms of how she presents that brand to her fans. Neil Diamond, on the other hand, innovates by releasing new music but changing as little as possible, following more closely the adage, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” Kraft follows a combination of the two.