Last updated on March 25th, 2021
Chicago-based Kraft Heinz, a global food and beverage company comprising brands like Planters, Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Jell-O, Heinz, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Kraft Mac and Cheese, and Velveeta, has selected global brand consultancy Brand Central for outbound licensing to extend its best-selling brands into new lifestyle and food and beverage consumer product categories. Kraft Heinz has more than 200 brands sold in nearly 200 countries and has more than $18 billion in U.S. sales.
Brand Central will seek to develop licensed products for Kraft Heinz across food, beverage, experiential and merchandise categories for North America. New food and beverage categories, innovative merchandise partnerships and collaborations with leading lifestyle brands are expected to result from the partnership.
Brand Central was selected because of its experience in the food and beverage licensing industry, representing brands like Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Halls, Bubblicious, Tapatio and Sonic Drive-In.
“After a thorough search, we are thrilled to select Brand Central as our licensing agency,” says Christopher Urban, head of marketing at Kraft Heinz. “We feel that Brand Central has the right innovative approach to take our brands in new directions and the expertise to get it done.”
“It is the dream of any licensing agency to represent Kraft Heinz—a portfolio of the world’s favorite household brands with enormous brand affection. The opportunities are tremendous, potential is untapped, and the demand is high. We are thrilled to help them extend into strategic new food and beverage categories and on-trend merchandise that will expand brand footprint and enhance brand loyalty,” says Ross Misher, Brand Central’s CEO.
Kraft Heinz and Brand Central have begun accepting proposals across multiple categories and will announce their first licensing partners soon.
