At 100, why American baking icon Betty Crocker is still a household name – Minneapolis Star Tribune
How does a brand remain a household name for a century?
Betty Crocker has a simple recipe: Keep changing.
In October, the icon became a centenarian and has now wrapped up her 100th holiday baking season. General Mills, the company that owns her likeness, intends to keep her relevant another century by embracing more diverse cooks and bakers and finding new ways to reach them in their kitchens.
“Betty Crocker remains relevant because she and her product lines adapt to shifting political, social and economic currents,” culinary anthropologist Pauline Adema wrote in the encyclopedia “American Icons.” “Her tenacity in the American imagination — and in our kitchens — attests to her timelessness as a merged corporate and domestic icon.”
In 1921, Betty’s signature started appearing on response letters to home bakers seeking kitchen advice.
Then she was on radio shows, cookbooks, cake mixes and her own website.
In 2021, thousands of Instagram posts featuring photogenic bakes were tagged #CallMeBettyCrocker.
“Betty has been associated with that pride and accomplishment in the kitchen,” said Maria Jaramillo, director of the Meals & Baking business unit at General Mills, which includes Betty Crocker. “How can we make sure the next generations have that knowledge of how to bake, how to cook, so it’s truly inclusive for everyone?”
Marketing food to the largest possible audience, as Betty Crocker does, is increasingly difficult amid a “commoditization” of many popular products, said Doug Jeske, president of Meyocks, a branding and marketing agency.
Increasingly, marketers are using what’s called “mentor branding,” Leske said. It’s a way for the company to ingratiate itself with customers by offering them more information, inspiration and even advocate for their interests.
“Of course, Betty Crocker was a mentor even before she was a product brand, so the folks at General Mills have been on to something for a long time,” Leske said.
1920s
In 1921, the Washburn-Crosby Co., a predecessor to General Mills, ran a contest in the Saturday Evening Post promoting Gold Medal Flour that inadvertently produced some market research. In addition to completed puzzles, letters poured in asking for baking advice, and the company concocted a character to answer them. “Betty” was chosen for its friendliness; “Crocker” was the last name of a retired company board member.
And in 1924 Betty was given a voice — and later a variety of voices — with a daytime radio program. “Betty Crocker Cooking School …….