Ethnic Consumers: Home Turf

Kraft Products Dept: In recent weeks, Kraft has upped the ante, bringing aboard celebrity chef Susur Lee to extend its reach into the immigrant market. As the company’s new Kraft Chinese Culinary Expert, Mr. Lee’s role will be twofold, according to Kraft Canada spokeswoman Lynne Galia. Mr. Lee will be sharing his expertise on Chinese culinary culture and taste preferences with the company, and introducing Kraft products to Chinese-Canadian families by developing recipes for the company’s website, according to Globe And Mail. Major North American food companies have been expanding their overseas markets for decades. But targeting ethnic consumers on home turf is still relatively uncharted territory. Industry analysts say that’s changing, as shifting demographics in Canada force mainstream food companies to recognize new growth opportunities among domestic minority groups. “In South Asia, the cooking style is so different. Everybody has three big meals a day, and four or five dishes at every meal, and people to help them in the kitchen to prepare it,” Ms. Chandra says, pointing out that newcomers need to adapt their cuisine to the North American lifestyle. “This is where I come in; I bridge the gap between traditional cooking with Kraft.” “As the landscape has changed and evolved, obviously, we need to as well, as a food company,” Ms. Galia says. As reported in the news.
@t chinese culinary culture, globe and mail