Better Made: How a 96-Year-Old Detroit Snack Brand Stays Relevant in 2026

Key Takeaways

• 01Better Made has maintained relevance for 96 years by balancing heritage storytelling with product innovation.
• 02The 2025 seasoning shaker launch extended chip flavors into a new category, giving the brand fresh content and revenue.
• 03Better Made uses social media actively — with 21K Instagram followers — to stay connected with both local and displaced Michigan fans.
• 04The brand's 'Made in Detroit, shared everywhere' positioning captures both provenance and national reach.
• 05The marketing lesson: heritage brands stay relevant by innovating within their identity, not away from it.

Product Innovation Within Heritage

Better Made's 2025 seasoning shaker launch is a textbook example of heritage brand innovation. The brand took its iconic chip flavors — Sweet Heat BBQ, Sour Cream and Onion, and others — and extended them into a new product category. This gives the brand something new to market without abandoning its core identity.

The shakers also create social media content opportunities — unboxing videos, recipe content, and user-generated posts — that the chip bags alone cannot generate. The brand's official website is BetterMade.com and its Instagram is @bettermade1930.

Better Made's Original BBQ chips — one of the brand's fan-favorite products, available in cases and individual bags.

Social Media as Community Connection

Better Made maintains an active social media presence with over 21K followers on Instagram. According to Baking Business, company president Mark Winkelman has emphasized the brand's use of social media to stay connected with consumers — including displaced Michigan residents who order products online to maintain a taste of home.

The brand's social content mixes product photography, customer testimonials, and community posts like their 'Pet of the Month' feature. This variety keeps the feed engaging without requiring a large content production budget.

“Heritage brands don't need to act young to stay relevant — they need to show up consistently where their community already is.”

'Made in Detroit, Shared Everywhere'

Better Made's tagline — 'Made in Detroit, shared everywhere' — is a precise positioning statement. It claims Detroit provenance without limiting the brand's reach. The company uses 60 million pounds of chip potatoes annually and ships nationwide, making it one of Detroit's most widely distributed consumer brands.

This positioning is a model for other Detroit heritage brands: claim the city, but don't let the city limit the ambition. Better Made's factory shop at 10148 Gratiot Ave in Detroit grounds the brand physically, while e-commerce extends it globally.

What Legacy Brands Can Learn

Better Made teaches three lessons for heritage brand marketing. First, innovate within your identity — extend flavors into new categories rather than chasing trends. Second, use social media to maintain connection with your core community, including those who have left the area. Third, position your heritage as an asset ('since 1930') while keeping the tagline forward-looking ('shared everywhere').

Detroit brands looking to modernize their marketing while preserving heritage can explore how local identity drives national attention or connect with House of Karma for brand strategy and digital growth systems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Better Made

**When was Better Made founded?** Better Made was founded in 1930 by Cross Moceri and Peter Cipriano as the Cross and Peters company. The brand name 'Better Made' reflects their goal of making a better potato chip.

**Where is Better Made located?** Better Made is headquartered at 10148 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, Michigan, with a factory shop open to the public.

**Does Better Made ship nationwide?** Yes, Better Made ships products nationwide through its e-commerce website at BetterMade.com.

**What new products has Better Made launched?** In 2025, Better Made launched seasoning shakers inspired by its iconic chip flavors, including Sweet Heat BBQ and Sour Cream and Onion.

**Where can I follow Better Made?** Better Made's Instagram is @bettermade1930 and their Facebook page is facebook.com/44394333415.

The Bottom Line

Better Made proves that a 96-year-old Detroit brand can stay culturally relevant by innovating within its identity rather than away from it. The seasoning shaker launch, active social media presence, and 'Made in Detroit, shared everywhere' positioning show how heritage becomes a marketing asset when it is treated as a living story rather than a museum exhibit. For Detroit brands seeking to modernize their marketing, explore House of Karma and how Detroit brands turn local identity into national attention.