The Marketing Interview: 50 Answers to the Toughest Questions by Lewis C. Lin

Author:Lewis C. Lin [Lin, Lewis C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2019-08-14T17:00:00+00:00

Should General Mills use Yoplait or Pillsbury for their new frozen yogurt brand?

INTERVIEWER: General Mills decided to enter the frozen yogurt market. They're considering using the Yoplait or Pillsbury to co-brand the new venture. How would you evaluate this opportunity? Which brand would you leverage and why?

CANDIDATE: Just to clarify, are you asking me to evaluate and make a recommendation on whether General Mills should pursue the frozen yogurt opportunity?

Or has the decision already been made, and are you asking me to recommend whether the yogurt should be branded as Yoplait or Pillsbury?

INTERVIEWER: The decision’s been made. Assume that General Mills performed the due diligence and determined that they will pursue the opportunity. Your job is to recommend whether they should use the Yoplait or Pillsbury brand on the frozen yogurt.

CANDIDATE: Thanks for clarifying. When I think about how I evaluate whether a new product should leverage an existing brand, I think of three things:

• Awareness. Is the existing brand well known by the target audience?

• Favorability. Does the target audience think favorably of the existing brand?

• Fit. Are the associations of the existing brand in-line with the desired associations for the new product?

Before I evaluate this opportunity along these three dimensions, I’d like to get some background information. Can you give me more information about how General Mills plans to sell the frozen yogurt?

INTERVIEWER: General Mills has partnered with a prominent fast food chain to sell frozen yogurt. The name of the fast food chain is confidential.

CANDIDATE: Can you tell me more about the fast food chain’s customers, and what they look for in a dessert and/or frozen yogurt?

INTERVIEWER: The fast food chain is a fast casual restaurant. This restaurant doesn’t offer full table service but promises higher quality food at a reasonable price.

Customers buy frozen yogurt because they like the taste, and they buy it to reward themselves. Frozen yogurt competes with ice cream. Yogurt fans prefer frozen yogurt because they consider it healthy. Frozen yogurt is made from milk not cream.

CANDIDATE: I know Yoplait is a yogurt brand, and Pillsbury is a baking brand. Can you tell me a little bit more about the customer perception of each?

INTERVIEWER: You are correct. Pillsbury is a baking brand known for products that allow consumers to bake delicious treats. Pillsbury’s products allow consumers to bake everything from biscuits, cakes and cookies. Pillsbury is perceived as convenient but not high quality. Consumers widely believe that to make fresh, delicious baked goods you should bake from scratch.

Yoplait has a mixed past. Yogurt is generally known as a healthy product that’s good for us. However, Yoplait has had some press in the last couple of years for having high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is an artificial sweetener that has been linked to America’s rising diabetes and obesity trend. Under consumer pressure, Yoplait removed HFCS from its yogurt.

CANDIDATE: One last thing I forgot to ask, what are the aided awareness numbers for Pillsbury and Yoplait?

INTERVIEWER: What do you mean by aided awareness?

CANDIDATE: Percent of people that recognize Pillsbury and Yoplait, when shown a list of brand names.

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