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Goodles Cracks Mac and Cheese by Targeting a Neglected Group; ‘Severance’ Polishes Up Apple TV+; Estée Lauder Makes a Late Digital Pivot
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Good morning. Today, a startup challenges Kraft Mac & Cheese by going after grown-ups; the best show on Apple TV+ gives the streaming service some validation; and Estée Lauder hires its first chief digital and marketing officer.
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Jen Zeszut, co-founder and chief executive at Goodles, has made inroads partly by not just fighting over the same consumers as the category leaders. Photo: Goodles
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A new brand of macaroni and cheese is winning share and shelf space in a very mature category with its colorful boxes, unusual flavors and focus on young adults who may have previously considered packaged powder and noodles an embarrassing meal, Megan Graham reports for CMO Today.
The suddenly everywhere Goodles appeals to grown-ups partly by marketing its products as “Noodles, Gooder,” with more protein and fiber than rivals, and by offering flavors like “Smokey Dokey” and “Here Comes Truffle.”
Goodles won 4% of U.S. spending on shelf-stable macaroni and cheese last year, up from 0.6% in 2023, according to consumer data firm Numerator. Longtime leader Kraft Mac & Cheese, which dates back to the Great Depression, saw its market share in that period dip to 38.3% from 42.9%.
CEO Jen Zeszut said company research shows that some adults eat mac and cheese in secret, seeing it as something they should have left behind.
“This feels like a huge unlock in terms of growing the category,” she said.
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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Lessons From HundredX: How Brands Can Build Customer Loyalty
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Rob Pace, CEO of customer insights research company HundredX, shares his advice for building customer loyalty amid market uncertainty. Read More
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The Work Is Mysterious and Important
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Britt Lower and Adam Scott in the Apple TV+ show ‘Severance,’ which led the Emmy nominations with 27 nods. Photo: Apple TV/Everett Collection
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Apple has faced plenty of questions over its reportedly epically money-losing streaming service, but yesterday’s Emmy nominations gave it another reason for optimism.
The Apple TV+ hit “Severance” earned 27 Emmy nods, narrowly topping the streamer’s own “The Studio” and HBO Max’s “The Penguin,” as John Jurgensen writes. It will compete not only in predictable categories like Drama Series but also in Outstanding Choreography.
Coming on the heels of Apple’s hit movie “F1: The Movie,” which will stream on Apple TV+ later this year, the acclaim suggests that the company’s streaming service is at least making progress as a branding project.
But whether its contribution to Apple’s crucial services business, including by driving subscription bundles, will ultimately cover its losses still looks like a cliffhanger.
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Less lucky: CMO Today’s Katie Deighton wrote in March about companies that took the brand name Lumon before “Severance” made a fictional Lumon Industries the sinister center of its show. [WSJ]
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More entertainment business: NBCUniversal said it completed its upfront sales process for the year, claiming a new peak in commitments fueled in part by the NBA’s impending arrival on the schedule. [Adweek]
The New York Times is reassigning its longtime TV, music and theater critics to bring “different perspectives to core disciplines.” [THR]
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“Hey @Tinder is this an official collab
because it’s gross”
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— An X user’s response to a post by the White House parodying the dating app to announce a woman’s arrest. “Jiejun tried to finesse a wedding for a free pass,” the White House said above the woman’s photo, “BUT ICE SAID NAH AND SWIPED RIGHT.” Tinder declined to comment.
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Aude Gandon will become Estée Lauder’s first chief digital and marketing officer, tasked with helping the maker of Tom Ford fragrances and La Mer face cream join the digital era. Photo: Estée Lauder
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Late to embrace online retail, Estée Lauder is launching a belated digital push under its new chief executive to reverse a yearslong sales slump.
The beauty giant was also slow to sell at retailers like Sephora because of concern for its brands’ high-end cachet, Natasha Khan reports.
Now its CEO has a different outlook on a business that is becoming more competitive, digital and driven by AI. The future of the beauty industry is a “merger of the digital and the physical world,” said Stéphane de La Faverie.
The company has hired Nestlé executive Aude Gandon to be its first chief digital and marketing officer, atop both online commerce and store design.
“The reality is consumers may discover a brand or product on social media or in a store,” de La Faverie said. “There’s so many entry points. How do you make sure that you retain them through the journey?”
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Troy Jones, vice president of sales, service and delivery in Tesla’s largest market, has departed after 15 years at the EV pioneer. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News
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Tesla’s top sales executive in North America became the latest high-level departure at the automaker as it confronts a steep slump in consumer interest. [WSJ]
Subscription fragrance brand Scentbird held a “scent-a-long” screening of the upcoming legacy sequel “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” diffusing different scents into the theater as the movie progressed. [Glossy]
Omnicom reported a lower profit for the second quarter, citing increased costs from its acquisition of Interpublic and severance actions stemming from efficiency initiatives. [WSJ]
How agencies can scoop up business as marketers trim their in-house marketing teams. [Ad Age]
SiriusXM satellite radio will introduce an ad-supported version of its long commercial-free service. [CNBC]
Mark Wahlberg clothing brand Municipal wants to expand into a “Muniverse” (not Markyverse?) of stores, cafes and gyms. [Modern Retail]
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