What Chobani’s $900M Coffee Play Can Teach You About Brand Growth

Chobani didn’t buy a coffee company. They bought a second chance at owning your morning routine.

Here's how a yogurt brand is quietly becoming a beverage empire — and what that means for modern marketers.

Most brands would need years to integrate a $900 million acquisition. Chobani? They did it while doubling their core product line.

One year after acquiring premium coffee brand La Colombe, Chobani isn’t just dipping into the caffeine market — they’re rewriting the rulebook on modern CPG expansion.

And there’s a reason marketers should be paying close attention.

🥛 The Four Consumer Shifts Fueling Chobani’s Growth

At the 2025 Expo West, Chobani’s Chief Customer Officer outlined four macro trends shaping their product roadmap:

1. More protein — especially fresh protein like Greek yogurt.
   

2. Less sugar — paired with the high protein, a powerful combo.
   

3. Natural ingredients — no artificial flavors or weird additives.
   

4. Affordability — people are doing the math on price-per-gram of protein.
   

By doubling down on these trends, Chobani rebranded their high-protein line (formerly Chobani Complete) with bold protein callouts, billions of probiotics, and essential vitamins — all for around $2 a bottle. Sales? Doubled last year. And it’s on track to double again.

☕️ So Where Does La Colombe Fit In?

Chobani didn’t just acquire a coffee company — they brought café culture to the ready-to-drink aisle. Using Chobani’s dairy science (enzymes, probiotic magic, and sugar-to-fiber conversion), La Colombe now offers indulgent flavors like a S’mores Latte with 50% less sugar than competitors.

The result: A functional beverage that aligns with modern wellness expectations — and still tastes like something you’d get from a barista.

📦 Distribution Is Strategy, Too

Chobani’s growth strategy for La Colombe isn’t just product innovation — it’s distribution domination. By partnering with Keurig Dr Pepper for national reach, and expanding into convenience and dollar channels in 2025, Chobani ensures La Colombe’s cans show up everywhere from Whole Foods to your local corner store.

And because both brands are rooted in natural ingredients and health-forward positioning, the cross-sell opportunity is massive — yogurt for breakfast, a protein coffee for the commute.

📲 What This Tells Us About Digital Marketing in 2025

Today’s most effective digital marketing is less about chasing channels — and more about telling a consistent brand story across every touchpoint.

Chobani is winning because they’ve turned their brand promise into product storytelling — and they’re letting distribution and content carry that message to the right audience.

Here’s what this means for digital marketers right now:

✅ Functional messaging works — if it's emotional too. Don’t just say “high protein.” Show how your product fits into a lifestyle.
✅ Format flexibility is key. A message that works on shelf also needs to work in a TikTok, an Amazon PDP, and a podcast ad.
✅ Brand voice matters more than ever. Chobani and La Colombe both speak to slightly different audiences — but now, those voices are harmonizing.

Whether you’re running UGC ads or launching a new DTC product, clarity, consistency, and cultural relevance still win — especially in a world where people scroll fast and forget faster.

Takeaway for Marketers

This story isn’t about yogurt. It’s about how to win in a world where attention is fragmented and health trends shift weekly. Chobani’s latest move with La Colombe is more than smart — it’s strategic.

Chobani’s playbook is a masterclass in modern marketing:

• Obsess over your audience’s lifestyle, not just their pain points
  

• Build products that fit the story you want to tell
  

• Leverage the full spectrum of distribution — physical and digital