Cheez-It X Boxed Wine: A Partnership The Internet Was Begging For

Summer snacking just hit another level with the launch of the Cheez-It X House Wine pairing, conveniently available in one box. Beginning July 25th, everyone’s favorite tiny cheddar cracker and a pleasant red wine blend can be purchased at the House Wine website for a ready-made summer picnic. It is a limited edition product, however, meant to boost both brand profiles and answer a call from social media snackers already invested in the tasty combo.

Social Media Inspired The Cheez-It X House Wine Pairing

“Fans on social media … have already been participating in pairing wine with Cheez-It flavors for years,” said Jeff Delonis, Marketing Director for Cheez-It. “So we’re excited to deliver on that specific consumer trend.” Fans of the combo prior to the official pairing by Kellogg, would frequently take to social media and post pictures of their Cheez-It and wine snacks. (Not surprisingly, the Twitterverse is pretty excited about the launch of the official combo pack.)

There’s even a thread on Reddit suggesting the best wine pairings when consuming Cheez-Its. New York Magazine’s article on the same subject suggests a nice white rioja, a different direction than the House Wine Red Blend offered in the package deal. Kindly, both Cheez-It and House Wine offer additional pairing recommendations for their other items, like a House Wine rosé with white cheddar Cheez-Its.

Social media can be a powerful engine for marketing activations. In this case, perhaps even the inspiration. Much like “Netflix and chill” was co-opted by Netflix across their promotions, organic content from social media can be effective for brands when marketing existing products or launching new ones.

The Cheez-It X House Wine Pairing Could Be A Winner For Both Brands

The modest Cheez-It has been satisfying snackers for nearly a century, and recent innovations have helped invigorate the brand, leading to a 12% surge in sales in Q1 2019. Kellogg took over the Cheez-It brand with their acquisition of Keebler in 2001 and has since introduced a variety of new flavors and types of Cheez-It, including last year’s Snap’d, a thinner version of the cracker. Capitalizing on House Wine’s recent success could also be a winning move for Kellogg. House Wine’s boxed wine sales have jumped 5% over the last month, and their modern marketing vibe, including themed packaging and trendy flavors, brings a youthful component to the strategic partnership of Cheez-It and House Wine.

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