The Dairy Comeback: Why Milk Is on the Rise, How Shopping Habits Are Changing, & How Influencers are Leading the Milk Marketing Charge
Since September, dairy has been making a strong comeback. From full-fat milk to “cleaner” options with minimal processing, consumers are gravitating back to traditional dairy. But it’s not just purchasing habits that are shifting—how people shop is evolving, too.
As more consumers return to in-store shopping, two distinct camps are emerging: those who remain loyal to online ordering and remote work and those embracing the return to office life with quick, in-person grocery trips. Influencers and celebrities are playing a crucial role in this shift, bridging digital influence with real-world retail impact.
Take the Got Milk? campaign—one of the most iconic influencer-driven marketing initiatives of all time. By leveraging celebrity power, it shaped cultural perceptions around dairy and drove consumer behavior for decades. Today’s social media influencers serve a similar function, using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to revive interest in dairy while encouraging followers to experience products in-store.
From viral product challenges to exclusive influencer shopping hauls, today’s marketing strategies fuse online engagement with brick-and-mortar traffic. As dairy brands tap into nostalgia, wellness trends, and digital influence, influencers and celebrities remain at the center of shaping consumer demand—both online and in the aisles.
The Dairy Resurgence: Why Milk Is Trending Again
After years of plant-based milk dominance, dairy milk is seeing a resurgence.
- A Shift Toward Simplicity: Consumers are looking for “cleaner” products with minimal ingredients. Traditional dairy, especially organic and A2 milk, is being recognized as a natural, whole food without the need for additives and gums found in many plant-based alternatives.
- Full-Fat Dairy Is Back: Once demonized, full-fat milk is now linked to better satiety and potential health benefits, leading consumers to embrace it again.
- Rising Skepticism of Alternatives: As more people scrutinize ingredient labels, the presence of oils, stabilizers, and synthetic vitamins in non-dairy milks has turned some consumers back toward traditional milk.
- The Clean Milk Movement: While dairy is experiencing a resurgence, there is also a rise in cleaner, minimally processed milk brands like Fronks and Malk, which cater to consumers who want nut and oat milks without gums, fillers, or synthetic additives. These brands are proving that consumers want transparency in all milk categories—whether dairy or plant-based.
A Shift in Shopping Habits: The Two Consumer Camps
As dairy sales rise, so does the preference for in-store shopping—but not for everyone. The pandemic created lasting shopping habits, dividing consumers into two main groups:
- The Online Loyalists: Online Shoppers & Remote Workers
- This group became accustomed to ordering groceries online and working remotely, and they’re not looking back.
- They value convenience: These consumers are likely to subscribe to grocery delivery services like Instacart or Amazon Fresh, ensuring their fridge is stocked without stepping into a store.
- The Return-to-Office Shoppers: Quick & In-Person
- For those heading back to the office, in-store shopping has become a natural part of their routine.
- Impulse & fresh purchases: These shoppers stop by the store on their way home, grabbing fresh dairy and produce instead of relying on pre-planned bulk orders.
- Preference for seeing products: They want to check expiration dates, read labels, and compare options in person, a habit that benefits dairy brands with strong packaging appeal and clean-label transparency.
Dairy Industry Collaborations & Market Growth
Industry leaders are capitalizing on the dairy resurgence through strategic partnerships and event participation:
- (@chicago.dietitian) Samar Kullab MS, RDN, LDN x Undeniably Dairy South Beach Food and Wine Festival (in person event)
- Samar attended this event to highlight Midwest dairy’s involvement across the festival and create content around their product presence at the event with other creators
- Across Samar’s posts, she reached tens of thousands of people received hundreds of comments engaging with her experience and various products she highlighted
- (@cookingwith_darryl) Darryl Postelnick x Dairy Farmers of America
- Darryl promoted Kemp’s through an activation and additionally helped secure media placement by doing an interview with Fox Digital for added exposure
- Darryl was able to reach over one million people with his post and received thousands of likes and comments from followers relating to and try his milk brine recipe
- (@momnutritionist) Ayat Sleymann MS,RD x Califia Farms
- Ayat aided in promoting Califia Farms’ newly launched plant-based milk to highlight its protein equivalent to dairy milk. Ayat’s knowledge and credibility as a Registered Dietitian influenced her audience to purchase the product at Target by highlighting the essential nutrients packed into one serving
- Ayat’s post reached hundreds of thousands of people and received hundreds of comments from followers such as “Just put this on my grocery list!!!” and “Need to try this.”
- (@chefgenevieve) Chef Genevieve LaMonaca x Travel Wisconsin (in-person dairy-focused events celebrating Wisconsin’s rich dairy heritage)
- Chef Genevieve attended a three day trip with Travel Wisconsin focused on dairy events to celebrate Wisconsin’s rich dairy heritage.
- Genevieve’s trip with Travel Wisconsin kept her followers on their toes as hundreds of thousands of people were able to feel like they were on this journey with her, and thousands of people left comments about similar experiences they had as well as wanting to visit Wisconsin and use Genevieve’s recommendations.
Whether consumers are clicking “add to cart” from their couch or grabbing a gallon on their way home from work, the demand for high-quality, clean-label milk—dairy—is stronger than ever. The return to dairy and the shift in shopping habits signal a key moment for brands.
If you want to position your dairy or clean-label milk brand for success in this shifting landscape, please contact .
