How Kraft Mac & Cheese grew its fanbase 75 percent—in just 4 months

How’d the brand pull it off? It wasn’t any one big push. Instead, Kraft has given its fans multiple opportunities engage with that brand with a creative, fun social media program every month or so.

“We just feel that these social programs really help our brand stay very relevant in consumers’ minds,” says Rupal Patel, senior associate brand manager with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Each program came together pretty quickly—at least one in as little as two weeks. Kraft develops each “on-the-site production,” as Patel calls them, in conjunction with its agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Kraft and CP+B do as much as possible to create some content—Facebook posts and tweets—in advance, but when it comes to videos and responses, things just happen as they happen.

Macsurance

The first program of the year was Macsurance, which was based on a TV spot the brand aired late in 2011.

“The idea behind Macsurance is it’s an insurance policy for Mac and Cheese, so our fans are protected in the case of theft of Mac and Cheese by someone you love,” Patel says.