This audio is generated automatically. Please let us know if you have comments.
The Knorr brand of Unilever thinks great in the United States by going small.
Knorr has pruned an enviable niche as a dinner companion with dishes such as chicken broccoli rice and Alfredo Fettuccine. But as more and more American consumers are moving away from three square meals per day to five or six mini-repasses, smaller offers have gained popularity.
The 187-year-old brand has played in the mini-mire space for 
“When we decided to enter it, we really had to differentiate ourselves,” said Gina Kiroff, director of Unilever Marketing for cooking aid and mini-mealing in North America, in an interview. “We really try to push the limits.”
The transition to mini-me-repas have enabled Knorr to expand the brand’s portfolio beyond dishes and ingots that tend to distort the oldest among consumers and do not attract buyers “to the pace we needed,” said Kiroff. The mini-mealing helped Knorr attract younger individuals and new ethnic demographic data, especially Hispanics and Latinos with the beginnings of new flavors.
“We had to change as a brand … If we wanted to grow,” said Kiroff.
Knorr entered the Mini-RepaS market in the United States in 2023 with cups of rice, including fajita and chicken fried rice. Last year, he moved into pasta with Teriyaki and Pad Thai cups.
The addition of proteins and fibers, as well as new flavors, in its dishes have helped to detach itself from the similar rice cups already on the market which are positioned as a dish of accompaniment rather than a smaller meal, Kiroff said. The mini-mealing also helped Knorr to attract younger individuals and new ethnic demographics, including Hispanics and Latinos with the beginnings of new flavors.
When designing mini-mealing, Knorr ensures that consumers get a full meal with nutrients in demand such as chicken proteins and vegetable vitamins. With its traditional accompaniment dishes, the hypothesis was proteins and vegetables would be added separately by consumers.
According to Unilever, mini-mealing proved not only to be a success among the students, but also the occupied parents who do not have time to cook or work at night who want something nutritious to eat, according to Unilever.
Kiroff said that mini-mealing was “one of our most successful launches” for Knorr, increasing sales and strengthening consumer awareness to “a brand you may not have thought”.
“We see a reversal in the momentum of the brand to a momentum of the brand,” said Kiroff.