World’s Fastest Growing Food Brand: Oreo

Oreo is the fastest growing food brand according to Kantar Worldpanel’s Brand Footprint ranking of the Most Chosen Global FMCG Brands.

Having achieved a growth of 10 percent in its global footprint to 883 million purchases and added 19 million new shoppers, equivalent to the number of households in the Philippines, Oreo’s greatest success story is in China, where the brand has become the number one biscuit. It now sits at position 17 in the Chinese FMCG ranking, having climbed 4 places, thanks to localisation of flavours and changes to its pack sizes.

In its second year, Kantar Worldpanel’s Brand Footprint ranking and report outlines the winning strategies that most successful global FMCG brands are employing as well as key global industry trends. The ranking reveals the brands that are being bought by the most people, the most often in 35 countries around the world, across the food, beverage, health and beauty and homecare sectors.

The most chosen food brand is Maggi. Manufactured by Nestlé, Maggi’s range of instant soups, stock, sauces, taste enhancers and noodles were chosen more than 2 billion times in the last year, a growth of 4 percent. Maggi’s newest products have been designed to deliver the taste of home-cooking in a way that meets the needs of cash-rich, time-poor consumers who will pay for convenience.

Virginia Garavaglia, Global Brand Footprint Project Director at Kantar Worldpanel and author of the Brand Footprint report, says: “The brands in the Brand Footprint ranking are masters at making their brands matter, solving functional needs and making life easier while bringing significance to people’s lives beyond mere consumption.

“As more women join the global workforce, populations become urbanised and technology blurs the line between professional and personal time, daily life is busier for everyone. Global consumers are finding there’s less time to shop, prepare and cook meals. Maggi succeeds because its products address the consumer cry for convenience and deliver on the brand promise that it ‘tastes like home-cooking’.”

The Top 10 global most chosen food brands revealed by Kantar Worldpanel’s Brand Footprint study are: 

Other highlights from Brand Footprint 2014 food ranking include:  

• Doritos joins the Top 50 for the first time – Doritos enters at No.49, having grown the number of times it is chosen around the world by 6% to 540 million. The success of Doritos mirrors that of the snacks category in general: the sector is now bought by 80% of households worldwide.
• PepsiCo grew its global reach by 3% – the manufacturer’s growth was not only driven by Doritos, but also Cheetos (up +9% to No.38) and Lay’s (No.8) – all three are among the 10 fastest-rising brands within the Top 50 ranking. These brands have excelled at gaining new shoppers and increasing purchase frequency with new product development, localising flavours and innovative communications. Lay’s, for example, engages consumers via crowdsourcing to suggest new flavours.  
• Desire for a healthier lifestyle – as global middle classes expand, consumers are more aware of and have more money to spend on their health and wellbeing. Probiotic drinks brand Yakult is the fastest rising star among the brands just outside the Top 50 and grew its Consumer Reach Points 18% by offering products that contribute to good health at a price everyone can afford.

Josep Montserrat, Global CEO of Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Growth is top of the agenda for all FMCG companies, but there is no single path to prosperity. They are looking for new shoppers, new occasions and new markets, and investing in the creation of innovative new products. The Brand Footprint report highlights the opportunities that exist for every brand with global aspirations to expand its consumer base. It provides an essential guide for FMCG manufacturers on their journey to increase the dominance of their brands in the world’s fastest growing markets.”