• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 1, 2024

George Kittle understands the pain of the autodraft. To help fantasy football fans stay close as the season heats up, they need fast meals -- like Cup Noodles Stir Fry. The campaign includes “Fantasy Fumbles,” watching various fails as people can’t get to their computers fast enough. There’s also a sweepstakes, with the chance of meeting Kittle, the All-Pro tight end for the San Francisco 49ers. There’s also a year’s supply of Cup Noodles Stir Fry. Brian Huff, president and chief executive officer of Nissin Foods USA, talks about the Kittle connection.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marketing Daily: There are about 1,700 players in the National Football League. Why pick George Kittle?

Brian Huff: Kittle is unique. He's fun and a little quirky. He always seems like he's enjoying himself and having a good time. He’s a little irreverent. And that's kind of Cup Noodles. We're a little quirky. We're a little fun. We do some unique flavors and thought he’d be great.

Marketing Daily: Was it a hard deal to negotiate?

Huff: It was much better than we thought, and we got reasonable value for the entertainment. We're hoping that we can expand on it. This is our first foray into football, and we haven't done much with professional athletes. So far, so good. He was very accommodating. And he's doing so many things now, including appearing in “Receiver” on Netflix. We thought the timing couldn't be better.

Marketing Daily: What’s the media plan like?

Huff:  It’s highly digital, with national media buys, including an app takeover with ESPN, Paid social, streaming, and plenty with YouTube.

Marketing Daily: Stepping away from Kittle, why choose the fantasy draft for this positioning for the brand?

Huff: Cup Noodles Stir Fry is fast and fun. The draft experience is fast and fun but intense. You’ve only got two or three minutes between picks and don’t want to be put on autodraft. That’s perfect for our brands. You can head to your kitchen, put some water in your noodles, zap it in the microwave, and you’re back before the next pick happens. And by the way, you've got take-out quality food. Those two things just came together for us.

Marketing Daily: Who is your primary demographic target these days?

Huff: We're trying to push more towards millennials, but we are probably more Gen Pop. We like to say we go from the dorm room to the boardroom. College kids are always eating ramen; as you age, it’s a fast, convenient meal.

As the ramen experience has gotten higher end, we’ve begun moving more to millennials and Gen Z, especially as we branch out to different flavors and variants. It's restaurant quality, and we’re trying to contemporize the brand. We've got a lot of hot and spicy items that play to the younger generation, who want to try spices from around the world.

Marketing Daily: How will you decide if this effort is successful? Brand awareness? Perception?

Huff: Awareness is a big piece for us. And also, how we continue to leverage our business with retail partners and offer something that can only be brought by Nissin and Cup Noodles. How can we differentiate the retail experience so that it’s not just ramen but Nissin Cup Noodles?

The founder of Nissin invented instant noodles in the 1950s, and it’s now a $100 billion category worldwide. We want to keep that entrepreneurial vibe going, always bringing something new to consumers.

Marketing Daily: Is there a retail partner that’s especially strong?

Huff: Walmart is doing it right with its retail network, and Kroger has a robust program. Target’s experience has always been very, very good. These retailers -- and rightfully so -- are becoming more targeted and programmatic and using that to differentiate their experiences. We welcome that. It helps drive our brand, build awareness and move sales. We just did a limited-time Everything Bagel in the spring, an exclusive at Walmart, and it went so well that we came back and did a Campfire S’mores flavor.

Marketing Daily: Wait. What?

Huff: It has a mild chocolate flavor, with marshmallows and graham crackers. It's terrific. And you better hurry if you want to try it. It’s a 12-week program with Walmart, and I bet it will be sold out in six. It's in keeping with this irreverence, trying to be a fun and approachable brand.