How the Knorr stock cube conquers the world

The rise of a billion-euro brand

05-Dec-2024

Unilever

Knorr has been providing delicious meals at home for 186 years. What began as a general store in Heilbronn's Kaiserstrasse is now a global billion-dollar business. At least one Knorr product can be found in every third household in the world. The brand's main goal has not changed over the years: to make good food accessible to everyone.

Knorr has now reached a historic milestone. Last year, the brand generated an impressive 5 billion dollars around the globe. It has long been number one in the bouillon market. With almost 5,000 products in its portfolio and around 65 new products every year, growth and popularity continue unabated. Even today, 76,000 tons of food still roll off the production line every year at the birthplace of the brand, including soups, sauces and spice mixes.

Dried vegetables become a global brand

It all began in 1838 in a small kitchen in Heilbronn. Carl Heinrich Knorr experimented with dried vegetables and herbs, always aiming to preserve their nutritional value and taste. The first dried soups came onto the market in 1873 and struck a chord with society. With the invention of the first bouillon cube in 1912, the brand's triumphal march finally took off - and it is still the absolute bestseller today in a bouillon market worth around 13 billion US dollars.

The leap to a global brand was achieved primarily through the strategy of focusing on national, regional and local characteristics of the people. "In the Philippines, for example, chicken soup flavored with ginger and garlic is part of everyday life for the population. In Mexico, products with a tomato flavor are preferred and in the UK, stews and bolognese," says Julia Wilde, Head of Marketing Knorr in Germany. Thanks to this strategy, the products are now part of the kitchen inventory in 90 countries around the world.

Good taste for the 21st century

In the long time that the brand has been around, people's lifestyles have changed drastically several times. In the 1950s, only around six percent of people lived alone, but today this figure has risen to a good 20 percent - there are now almost 17 million single households in Germany. As an all-rounder, Knorr caters to increasingly individual needs with snack pots, bouillons and classic sauces.

Ultra-convenience dishes, international taste, sustainable ingredients and a balanced diet are also shaping the eating habits of the new generation. Plant-based nutrition is clearly on the rise and the focus is on individual recipes. The brand also takes into account where and how consumers obtain information. "Over half of all younger consumers cite social media as their main source of cooking inspiration. That's why we need to be where people are today," says Julia Wilde.

Authentic creators such as Cenkgo created spectacular engagement in the communities this year with the provocative message "Just eat awesome", because they promote the brand with little advertising and close to consumers. Knorr recently launched an extraordinary social media campaign to inspire generations Y and Z with creative and entertaining content. Under the motto "Every meal a hit", creators on TikTok creatively express Knorr's brand positioning with a focus on "Veggie Love" aka love for vegetables and good taste.

Knorr thus remains relevant even after more than 186 years and continues to ambitiously pursue its goal: to bring every dish to the next level of taste in a simple and creative way and to convince young target groups with quick-to-prepare meals.

Fun Facts:

The polar explorer, diplomat and humanist Fridtjov Nansen included Knorr on his menu and in his backpack on his month-long North Pole expedition in 1893.
In the 1960s, football emperor Franz Beckenbauer warned: "Power in the plate - Knorr on the table!"
Over the decades, the Swiss mascot "Knorrli" has become a national symbol, is firmly anchored in the language and culture of the country and, with a recognition rate of 93%, is one of the most famous Swiss products.
In 1996, the products made it into space, on board the MIR space station.
In 2023, Knorr partnered with celebrity rapper Cardi B in the US for its "Taste Combos" campaign to bring the taste of fast food to the home kitchen. The brand also ventured into the world of fashion with a specially designed "The Bouillon Bag".

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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