Mac & Cheese on the Grill? Who Would Have Thunk It?

To show there’s no shortage of creative ideas, the folks at Kraft are beta testing a new version of one of their signature products delivered in a whole new way. Being a doting dad to two boys under the age of five, I’ve come to fully appreciate the advances Kraft has made with the timeless sensation called Mac & Cheese. Whether it’s noodles in the shape of Scooby Doo characters or the ultra easy-to-use cheese squeeze pouch (no more mixing milk, butter and that messy cheese powder anymore) it’s fair to say that just because you have a product that works doesn’t mean you stop trying to make it even better.

What’s unusual, though, is that Kraft’s latest idea didn’t come from within their internal research & development team. It came from their “ad” agency! Crispin Porter + Bogusky, recently named the Interactive Agency of the Year at Cannes, proving once again why just being good at making advertisements isn’t enough. Today’s most successful advertising agencies are taking more time than ever to actually learn their client’s business, engage them and challenge them to take products and ideas further than ever before.

CP+B did this with their truth in advertising campaign with Domino’s and have taken that proverbial step outside of the box yet again by actually introducing the idea of Mac & Cheese for the grill to Kraft.  Will it have the same success as CP+B’s product suggestion of Chicken Fries to Burger King? Well, that remains to be seen. But the point is the same: Whether you’re an agency supporting client campaigns or an in-house marketer serving customers or prospects, don’t settle into the outdated role of being glorified order-takers.

It’s all about making your client’s business your own, stepping into their shoes and bringing creative solutions to the table. To what level are you doing this for your clients or customers? Now, be honest…