PERRY TOWNSHIP, Ind. — Cardinal Crunch popcorn, a caramel and churro-flavored blend created by Southport High School business students, is now available for purchase at Kroger. The product was developed as part of a hands-on business and marketing project involving more than 200 students. Over several weeks, students participated in taste-testing dozens of popcorn flavors
before narrowing the selection and voting on their final choice. In addition to developing the flavor, students collaborated on branding the product, including the product name, logo, slogan — “Fly into Flavor” — and overall marketing strategy.
Today, in partnership with Kroger, Perry Township Schools celebrated students’ success with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, at Kroger. The ceremony recognized students’ hard work as well as marked the official launch of Cardinal Crunch.
“I would like to thank Kroger for giving the students this real-life marketing opportunity,” said Don Manning, Southport High School business teacher. “It has made the learning more engaging and valuable for the students. It has been rewarding for them to be able to see an actual product go from conception to production. Finally, thank you to the students who worked hard on Cardinal
Crunch to make it a product that represents Cardinals proudly.”
Kroger representatives praised the collaboration and student innovation. “Our popcorn kiosks have been instant hits wherever we’ve opened them, and we’re thrilled to have partners such as Southport High School,” said Eric Halvorson, Kroger Head of Communications and Public Affairs. “We value the community connection coming from Cardinal Crunch. We hope the students learned about business and about marketing, so they benefit from the partnership. And it was just fun for everyone. We couldn’t be happier.”
Cardinal Crunch is available for purchase at Kroger located on Emerson Avenue near County Line Road, with prices ranging from two to seven dollars. Students hope to expand sales opportunities in the future, including offering the popcorn at Southport High School sporting events.
