A recently promoted senior director of commercial strategy for the global food and beverage company Danone now has the task of reviving the company’s slumping Silk alternative milk brand. A significant part of the difficulty is an increasingly concerning threat from Ripple, a fast-growing pea-based milk brand that claims protein levels comparable to dairy milk while being significantly better for the environment than Silk.
Several years ago, as consumers became more conscious about health benefits and risks in their dietary choices, Silk had risen to the top in dairy milk alternatives, with success in almond, oat, soy, cashew, and coconut products. What strategy should Danone now take to boost consumer engagement and appeal to a diverse consumer base that has started to really like pea milk?