The Assignment and Challenge
Original Cheez-It makes up 70% of total Cheez-It sales and is the #1 driver of market penetration indicating the importance of accelerating the growth of Original Cheez-It. However, Original Cheez-It sales had declined by 4.6% in 2017.
This was in part driven by the fact that Cheez-It focused on product innovation vs. its 100% Real Cheese equity, and cheese snack competitors increased the pressure. Brands like Goldfish, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and Snyder's of Hanover Wholey Cheese were detracting from the real cheese equity that Cheez-It had been owning for decades.
While imitation is the sincerest form...