Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Fortune
Fortune
Oisín Hanrahan

How social media upended the 75-year-old playbook of big CPG

hanrahan (Credit: courtesy of Keychain)

For the better part of the last century, America’s largest consumer packaged goods companies ran an undefeated business playbook. All of the iconic consumer brands of our lifetimes—Coca-Cola, Lay’s, Cheerios, Oreos, and more–-were built on a simple, three-part formula.

First, generate massive demand by placing huge national ad buys. Next, create ubiquity by stocking the brand across every conceivable grocery store shelf. Third, harvest as much profit as possible through the economies of scale created by giant production runs.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.