If You Know, You Know: How Kraft Heinz Is Using Predictive Cultural Listening to Get Ahead of the Curve

I had the pleasure of joining Dan Rucolas, who leads Global Social Intelligence and Foresight at Kraft Heinz, and Dr. Jillian Ney, founder of SI Lab, for a live demo on how Nichefire is flipping the script on social listening. We weren’t just there to show off new features (though we did, including predictive dashboards, generative search, and an upgraded platform interface). We were there to prove a point: if your insights strategy is still reactive, you’re already behind.

So, what’s the difference between cultural listening and traditional tools?

Dan put it perfectly: for years, teams have been asked, “What’s happening in culture?” But there wasn’t a button to push. Social listening gave you rearview analytics. You had to know what to look for or rely on influencers and media monitoring to connect the dots. But what about the things you don’t know to search for?

That’s where Nichefire comes in.

Forecasting Super Bowl Snacking. Without Guesswork.

One of Dan’s standout examples was how Kraft Heinz prepared for the Super Bowl. They didn’t just look at past performance or run a survey. They used Nichefire to monitor real-time, consumer-led conversation patterns weeks in advance. Early signals pointed to sushi and crab rangoon dip gaining attention (long before buffalo wings and queso reasserted their dominance closer to game day). These insights helped Kraft fine-tune digital recipes, content strategies, and product focus weeks ahead of the competition.

Dressing Up Dips and Flavors with Cultural Signals

From salad dressings to spicy ranch mashups, Dan’s team is using trend signals to identify how global flavor influences are reshaping core categories. Nichefire helps pinpoint what’s rising (like kefir ranch), what’s plateauing, and what’s poised to break out. It’s not just about tracking buzz. It’s about understanding the trajectory of taste.

Understanding the Ripple Effects of GLP-1

As GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic shift wellness habits across the country, Kraft Heinz is staying ahead by analyzing cultural conversations that go beyond the label. They’re exploring everything from changing protein needs to emotional pain points (like fear of regaining weight or nutrient loss). These aren’t just pharma stories. They’re catalysts for food innovation. And with Nichefire, those signals come directly to Dan’s inbox, every week, automatically.

The Dye is Cast: From Red No. 3 to Beet Juice

Another critical area? The growing consumer pushback against artificial food dyes. While the headlines focused on bans and RFK Jr.'s press conferences, Nichefire went deeper. Identifying not just the backlash, but the alternatives. Red cabbage, hibiscus, and beet juice are already being tested in kitchens, social threads, and small DTC brands. For companies like Kraft, that’s not just data, it’s time to think ahead on procurement, formulation, and messaging.

This Is Not Social Listening. This Is Culture Radar.

Unlike traditional tools that look backward, Nichefire analyzes and forecasts trend signals across social, search, news, podcasts, forums, and web traffic. Our proprietary AI identifies early signals, maps emotional drivers, and predicts their growth. All to help brands act before culture shifts hit the mainstream.

The takeaway? You don’t need a crystal ball. You need the right lens.

If you missed the session, I highly recommend checking it out. The future of insights is already here and it’s predictive.