As we wrap up National Dairy Month, From the Cold Corner is talking building a brand with Elena Umanskaya, vice president of Marketing at Lactalis Heritage Dairy. The family-owned business is among the largest dairy companies in the world and owns an impressive portfolio, including Kraft Natural Cheese and Breakstone’s.

Umanskaya said when she moved to America she was surprised to find the dairy case in her local supermarket didn’t offer the breadth and depth of variety of the staples she was familiar with.

“Out of my 14 years with Lactalis group, I've spent 10 years in the United States, so over the course of this decade I’ve been witnessing the growth of cultured dairy,” she said.

Dairy Marketing

From the Cold Corner is talking building a brand with Elena Umanskaya, vice president of Marketing at Lactalis Heritage Dairy.

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Cottage cheese is among that growth, which now represents a $1.3-billion category.

“Social media conversations about cottage cheese have increased by 70% over the course of the past year and there’s been nearly 113 million recipe videos with cottage cheese on TikTok,” Umanskaya said. “Get on a journey, together with your consumer.

When it comes to marketing dairy, Umanskaya said the most important factors are “being honest and clear about who you are.”

“Breakstones has 140 years of that dairy craftmanship bringing that protein packed dairy goodness in authentic way. I think it's important, and it's just better to be transparent and open minded when about your identity and telling your story and sharing it openly,” she said. “And then make your choices knowing consumer preferences, and let research guide you and be your partner, so that you can bring something that resonates with the consumer.”

To learn more, listen to the complete podcast in the player above or download it wherever you get your podcasts.