Customer: Kraft Heinz
Industry: Food & Beverage / CPG
Use Cases: Category Management, Assortment Intelligence, Customer Analytics, Retail Collaboration
Location: Global

About Kraft Heinz

With 2022 net sales of approximately $26 billion, Kraft Heinz is committed to growing its iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. The company leverages its scale and agility to deliver customer-focused innovation, guided by the mission to “Make Life Delicious.”

Business Challenge

Kraft Heinz set out to strengthen its strategic partnership with a Tier 1 retailer through a shopper-focused, data-driven approach. The goal: deliver value by combining macro grocery trends with store-level insights to improve shopper experience and drive measurable growth.

In an uncertain economic climate marked by inflation and shifting consumer priorities, the Kraft Heinz team identified key shopper behavior changes:

• Value perception shifting from price to worth
• Convenience redefined as saving time, not just location
• Expectations evolving toward personalized selection

Understanding these shifts was critical to engaging shoppers over a 3–5 year horizon.

AI-Based Solution

Partnering with SymphonyAI, Kraft Heinz used AI-powered tools including Category Manager Suite and Assortment Intelligence to fuel strategic planning. With SymphonyAI’s insight-driven capabilities, the Kraft Heinz team worked collaboratively with the retailer to:

• Align on category goals
• Define shopper personas and pain points
• Tailor tactics ranging from improved aisle flow to targeted marketing
• Continuously refine approaches through frequent joint planning sessions

This included stepping outside a brand-centric view to focus on shopper problems—whether it was price sensitivity, the need for speed and convenience, or a desire for discovery and experimentation.

Project Approach

The team segmented shoppers into distinct groups based on their preferences:

• Multicultural shoppers preferred culturally relevant products across the store—not siloed in a single aisle.
• Time-sensitive shoppers valued fast, easy meal solutions with clear signage.
• Exploratory shoppers appreciated tactile, in-store experiences and were inspired by recipes and organic choices.
• Budget-conscious shoppers focused on affordability, often shopping more frequently to stay within a tight budget.

Each segment was addressed with tailored strategies informed by AI-powered analytics and joint brainstorming exercises with the retailer.

Results

The data-driven collaboration significantly elevated Kraft Heinz’s role as a trusted category advisor. The partnership achieved:

• A highly interactive planning dynamic with the retailer
• More effective, targeted engagement for each shopper group
• A foundation of trust and transparency across all parties

“With the shopper at the center of every decision, SymphonyAI’s insights enabled more meaningful collaboration. It’s a compelling trifecta of trust, insight, and impact—for the shoppers and our organizations.”
– Jessica Keenan, Director of Category Leadership, Kraft Heinz

“We’re all equally committed to learning together as shopper behaviors evolve.”
– Chris Conroy, Head of Field Category Leadership, Kraft Heinz

Looking Ahead

Kraft Heinz plans to continue expanding this approach, using real-time data and AI insights to deepen collaboration, adapt quickly to evolving behaviors, and deliver precision recommendations to their retailer partners.