NEW YORK — U.S. yogurt heavyweights Yoplait and Dannon are both crashing the Greek yogurt party in big ways next month, trying to wrest market share from upstarts like Chobani and Fage that have led the explosive growth for the category.
Yoplait, owned by Minneapolis-based General Mills Inc. (GIS), and Dannon, owned by France's Danone SA (DN.FR), over the next two weeks are both launching national advertising campaigns behind their Greek yogurt brands for the first time. Both will also show off new looks too, with Yoplait Greek now featuring fruit-on-the-bottom after its blended-fruit version fell flat. Dannon Greek, meanwhile, is being renamed Dannon Oikos, putting the name of Danone-owned Stonyfield Farm Inc.'s organic Greek yogurt brand onto a conventional variety.
General Mills and Danone have spent months and millions–both declined to disclose the dollar amount–converting production plants to churn out enough of the thicker, strained Greek yogurt to meet anticipated demand the national spotlight brings.
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