Repositioning Lakto to capture China’s premium children's fresh dairy market.
Adapting a trusted European dairy brand into a multi-channel, content-driven children’s brand tailored for the Chinese market.
Developing kids' FMCG brands presents a dual-audience challenge: appealing to children who want play and fun, while convincing mothers who prioritize safety and nutrition. In China this dynamic is magnified due to the consequences of the one-child policy. With up to six adults (parents and four grandparents) caring for a single child, expectations for health, development, and success are exceptionally high.
International dairy group Food Union partnered with Mildberry to evaluate whether to launch a new brand from scratch or adapt an existing brand for China. Rather than creating a new name, the decision was made to leverage Lakto—a Latvian dairy brand with no prior kids' positioning in Europe. The operational challenge was to transform Lakto into a children's brand centered on fresh products and a novel category for the market: fresh cheese.
Building a balanced brand platform, content strategy, and strategic cartoon partnership.
Mildberry developed Lakto into an engaging educational platform that bridges adult ambitions with child play.
We based the strategic platform on the concept of "Balanced Child Development." This framework addressed the high expectations of Chinese parents for intellectual and physical growth while preserving a lighthearted space for children to simply enjoy their childhood.
To support the launch, we developed specialized content streams for both mothers (focusing on nutrition and developmental guidance) and children (focusing on play and learning). Through a strategic partnership between Food Union and Riki Group, the brand integrated popular Kikoriki characters and established a unified platform for digital entertainment, storytelling, and product promotion.
We designed packaging systems for Lakto’s expanded line of fresh, short-shelf-life products and fresh cheese formats. The visual execution communicated European quality and freshness while incorporating vibrant character art tailored to drive shelf standout and online retail engagement.
A highly successful market entry that catapulted Lakto to the top of China’s leading e-commerce platform.
Mildberry provided Food Union with a localized brand that seamlessly connected product positioning, packaging, and animated content. Launched in July 2018 across offline and online channels, Lakto resonated immediately with Chinese families, quickly securing the #1 sales spot in its category on Tmall, China's largest online retailer
