Wheaties is looking to the stars (again)

The most frequent editorial comments on The Breakfast Bowl have concerned Wheaties. I have often wondered why General Mills has not taken better advantage of this iconic brand, especially in marketing to men. Sure, they tried several different strategies over the years, and for a time appeared to have success (or at least prominent brand position) by focusing on big name sports leagues, teams and players. But, about ten years ago, sales were soggy and Wheaties had become mediocre. In 2009 they tried by introducing Wheaties FUEL, but that was not well executed. Since then, the company has appeared to be floundering with Wheaties, lacking clarity and marketing focus. Most recently they tried going after the younger crowd with extreme sports, but I doubt that has achieved its goal.

Last month, however, we saw a glimpse of perhaps a new strategy. Or, at least an old strategy revived. General Mills announced that the young golfing sensation, Jordan Spieth, has now signed on with Wheaties and will be gracing the front of a new box coming very soon. Spieth is a big name, and for many is the new Tiger Woods, another Wheaties alumnus. Obviously, the Big G is hoping that his prominence will sell many orange boxes, and perhaps push new energy into the Wheaties brand. It is the first really big star in many years, and could be a sign that, if this works, we could see more big names back on the boxes. (By the way, yes basketball great Stephen Curry was on Wheaties not long ago, but General Mills was going the cheap route - he only appeared in street clothes, as including him in a Warriors uniform would complicated the arrangement due to licensing costs, etc.).

Overall, getting Jordan Spieth on Wheaties is a good move. I am not convinced, however, that it is a strong long-term strategy. Ultimately, General Mills needs to do more with the Wheaties brand, and part of that might mean a close look at the cereal itself.

In the meantime, we'll be watching the stars.

Wheaties: Going forward by going back

January is typically a busy month for me, so I've been rather quiet here on and on social media, but with all that's happening in the cereal world, it's time to get back!

Over the years Wheaties has been one of the favorite topics on this blog. The venerable brand has been a showcase of cereal marketing and how it expresses itself in American culture, but for at least a decade has struggled to find itself. There have been numerous attempts to revive the cereal, including the ill-fated Wheaties Fuel, but nothing has seemed to work.

It was not that long ago when Wheaties was known for its representation of high profile professional sports teams and athletes. I'm sure, however, General Mills discovered that after all the licensing fees and costs associated with that, sales just did not warrant continuation of that strategy. Last year, however, we began to see a definite shift more toward high profile athletes outside of the major professional sports leagues, that is, athletes from extreme sports that attracted a much younger audience. Even the box design was updated to reflect greater energy and with a more contemporary feel. And, last summer the company engaged consumers in a way to vote for the next star to grace the cover of Wheaties, from a roster of athletes representing motocross, para-athletics, lacrosse, mixed martial arts, and women's soccer. The winner of the contest was Anthony Pettis, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion in 2013, a definite sign that Wheaties is being taken to a whole new generation.

Apart from the new breed of athletes that are starting to appear on the boxes, of equal interest is the new, or rather old, Wheaties design that has appeared with this rebirth of the cereal. Gone is the noisy, colorful redesign attempt of the last year or so. Instead, Wheaties is returning to its roots, with a simple orange and white box, with no extraneous markings to distract from what really matters, the athlete. While millenials do not have memories of the boxes of 30 or 40 years ago, the stark throwback nature of this design is bold and should stand out on the grocery store shelves.

It will be interesting to watch whether this latest strategy is the one that General Mills needs for success with Wheaties.

Now, if they could only update the cereal itself, but that's another story...

When all else fails change the box

A regular topic on this blog over the years concerns the struggles of General Mills' Wheaties and the various attempts to revitalize this brand. So far nothing has really worked.

With Wheaties' sports emphasis it's no surprise that they just unveiled two new boxes featuring two Sochi gold medalists. Even though General Mills is not an official sponsor of the Olympics they are capitalizing on the athletes themselves, this time Mikaela Shiffrin and Sage Kotsenburg. This post-Olympics strategy has been going on for quite some time, 2012 and 2010 as recent examples.

The story here, however, is not more Wheaties boxes with athletes on them. It is that this is an opportunity for General Mills to highlight a major redesign of the core Wheaties box itself, the first such move in many years. In actuality they released a generic version of the new design back in the fall, but now with these star athletes the fresh look is fully expressed and promoted.

The boxes have a new energy to them, with a revamped wordmark all brighter and gradient oranges, all obviously targeted to a younger audience. The boxes definitely will stand out more on the grocery store shelf.

But, will this new look result in more sales and a rejuvenated brand? Only time will really tell.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal featured an article the same day on Wheaties' struggle, including a quote from yours truly. Unfortunately, they got the quote partly wrong, as I was referring to the now discontinued Wheaties Fuel, not the base Wheaties. So, Wheaties lovers relax. I know there are some of you out there!

Out of Fuel

It is apparent from browsing the cereal aisle and online that General Mills's big push to revitalize the Wheaties brand has ended up with an empty tank. Wheaties Fuel, introduced almost four years ago, is no longer anywhere to be seen. It is missing from the grocery stores and its online presence has disappeared. There is no official word from the company of its demise.

Sadly, I'm not surprised. It was obvious that the cereal and its brand never really caught on. Sure, you can find some loyal fans out there, but I'm not convinced the cereal stood out on taste (and that does matter). Also, it's nutritional profile was hardly what athletic men, their target market, are looking for. General Mills also used Fuel as their first foray into marketing a cereal predominately through social media. That was a good training ground for some of their most recent efforts, but may have been too premature for them to focus on at the time.

I was really hoping that this would work. I called for this back in 2008 and was initially impressed with the marketing push they were giving this when launched in September 2009. But, it ended up being yet another failed attempt to make Wheaties the brand it once was.

I remain convinced that there is a need for a macho cereal that provides an edge to the fitness crazed. As far as cereals are concerned I like what I see in new Post Grape Nuts Fit. If they could combine something like that with a more creative marketing approach (such as I have previously proposed) there is still hope for General Mills or someone else to be successful with this niche market.

Thanks for the experience, Wheaties Fuel. We will all watch with interest how the Wheaties brand fares going forward. Hopefully it can be a champion again.

General Mills tries for gold

The Olympics and its wall-to-wall coverage are now over, but General Mills is wasting no time in capitalizing on the event and two of its premiere stars. Today they announced two new Wheaties boxes featuring high-profile gold medal winners Michael Phelps and Misty May-Treanor.

This is significant for several reasons. First, the timing is great. Second, it helps the flagging Wheaties brand. But, most significant, this is a big jump ahead of Kellogg who has Olympic sponsorship rights. General Mills can't actually take advantage of all the official Olympics branding, but with these two stars it really doesn't matter. This is big, and ultimately, could over-shadow whatever exposure Kellogg gained in recent weeks, but watch for a new Corn Flakes box coming soon featuring the popular U.S. women gymnastics team.

Let the games continue!

ESPN the cereal

This would have been a great April Fools gag, but while the box image is fictitious it is a serious proposal.

Over the past few years I have watched the the ever-unfolding General Mills saga with Wheaties. Its latest attempt to revive the brand, FUEL, just doesn't appear to have worked. And the company as a whole is having some challenges, even with layoffs announced last week.

I am still convinced that a cereal targeted to men is a viable marketing strategy. But, the Wheaties brand doesn't cut it. Here's my proposal: Form a co-branding partnership with ESPN, and you will have a winner! The cable sports network is a major testosterone symbol, and considering the passion of many sports fans who wouldn't dare miss SportsCenter, an ESPN branded cereal would fly off the shelves.

Co-branded cereals are not new, and even General Mills tried something similar with women when they introduced Curves cereal several years ago (although the cereal didn't last that long). But, Curves for women does not even come close to the marketing potential that ESPN would have for men.

I think it would work!

More Wheaties questioning

Last week General Mills released their latest financial data, and the news doesn't look good for Wheaties. There is growing evidence that their market share and sales are declining. A recent story at CNBC captures the situation well (and includes quotes from yours truly).

I've talked about the brand struggle at Wheaties for several years now, and even as recently as last month. Wheaties is a familiar brand that has captured many significant connections with sports in America over the past few decades. But, despite our nostaglia with the cereal, it just doesn't have much appeal any longer. Is it time for Wheaties to bow out of the race? Or, is there still potential with a renewed vision?

Wheaties releases retro boxes

The last few years has seen several companies, including Quaker, Post, and Kellogg, sell limited edition vintage boxes to tap into cereal nostalgia. But, no company has done this more consistently than General Mills, which currently has another annual set available at Target. This week the company announced another effort, with the release of three retro boxes of Wheaties featuring three prominent athletes of the past: Muhammad Ali, Bruce Jenner and Mary Lou Retton. These boxes are largely reproductions of past ones.

I've talked a lot here about the Wheaties brand in the recent years, and it certainly has lost much of its prominence, even despite their mediocre attempt with Wheaties FUEL. This latest marketing campaign could be a significant boost, and if followed up with a steady stream of new hero boxes could re-establish the brand in minds of consumers.

(Source: Business Wire)

Wheaties revisted

It was two years ago today that General Mills launched Wheaties FUEL, a new variety of sports oriented cereal targeted at men and those seeking athletic performance.

I have been watching the progression of this brand since even before its beginning, and I am still not convinced it has been the success General Mills had hoped for or that it could have been. While sales figures for specific products are not released, it is my observation that it hasn't been selling that well. I base my less than scientific analysis on several factors: it doesn't appear to get much grocery store shelf space and few people I talk to are even aware that FUEL exists or is a separate Wheaties cereal. Also, I am not hearing much excitement about its taste characteristics.

General Mills worked hard to launch FUEL using social media, one of the first cereals to be primarily promoted by this means. But, I wonder if they've done enough to build brand awareness through at least some mass marketing campaigns.

Interestingly, just yesterday two new limited edition boxes (Wheaties and Wheaties FUEL) were introduced at the beginning of the NFL season featuring Green Bay Packer stars Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. But, these are limited edition boxes for sale only in Wisconsin. I'm sure they'll sell truckloads there, but by limiting it there they have missed out on significant sales elsewhere among football fanatics.

I hope I am wrong about Wheaties FUEL, but without a finer tuned and broader marketing approach, it may never fully capture the market it was intended to reach.

Wheaties FUEL: One year later

It was one year ago today that General Mills officially launched Wheaties FUEL, a major brand extension to its sports oriented cereal, but this time even more directly targeted at men and athletic performance. The actual cereal hit shelves in January.

I was an early proponent of General Mills doing something to breathe new life into Wheaties, a brand with a clear identity and so much more potential. I believe that FUEL was the right move.

But, I'm not convinced that FUEL has been as successful as General Mills had hoped. I have no hard sales data to back this up, but based on my own observations it doesn't appear that the cereal has rocketed to great significance in the mind of most consumers, especially men. Interestingly, (and, again, pure observation) it appears that traditional Wheaties may have benefited from this launch.

I give General Mills credit for creative marketing. They assembled a star cast of athletes, and leveraged social networking like no other cereal previously marketed. But, I think there is one flaw in their execution: The cereal itself.

I don't like to comment much on cereal taste because it is largely subjective, but in my opinion and in the comments I hear from others I talk to, FUEL is not a knock-out cereal for the tastebuds. Despite all the claims for providing energy, etc. the cereal must be an enjoyable eating experience. It's not a bad tasting cereal, it just doesn't stand out as anything special. Ultimately, even macho men want to eat something that they truly enjoy first thing in the morning.

The Wheaties FUEL story is not over, and I hope that General Mills works at this more. It's a great concept.

What do you think about Wheaties FUEL?

Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Wheaties, FUEL, marketing, breakfastbowl

Wheaties goes for Gold

Coming off the Winter Olympics General Mills has secured three popular gold medal athletes for the covers of upcoming Wheaties boxes: Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Seth Wescott. Apart from the obvious benefit of taking advantage of the recent Olympic fever this is significant in other ways as well. First, these are highly popular athletes, especially among the younger crowd. Could this mean a shift of focus to that demographic? And, this is on regular Wheaties boxes, not the new Wheaties FUEL. Obviously General Mills hasn't abandoned the core brand, and may be trying to breathe new life into it. In fact, notice the overall design changes to the box, representing a much bolder look. Will all these enhancements further revive Wheaties?

Technorati Tags: cereal, Wheaties, Shaun+White, Lindsay+Vonn, Seth+Wescott, breakfastbowl

From breakfast bowl to Super Bowl

It looks like new Wheaties FUEL could be scoring a touchdown this weekend with one of its endorsers a key figure in the Super Bowl. Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning has been a prominent voice for the new cereal and is featured on one of its boxes. General Mills has been highlighting the big game connection in their social marketing, but I wonder how many of Sunday's fans will be aware of Manning's endorsement.

This would be a great occasion for a Wheaties FUEL TV commercial.

Technorati Tags: cereal, Wheaties, Peyton+Manning, Super+Bowl, breakfastbowl

Wheaties FUEL in stores

I've been watching with interest the recent "evolution" of Wheaties which has resulted in their new formula targeted to men and their quest for athletic performance. Six months after being first announced Wheaties FUEL is now for sale in many grocery stores across the U.S. The cereal comes in three different boxes, featuring some of the new athletic endorsers: Kevin Garnett, Peyton Manning, and Albert Pujols.

What is surprising me is the apparent lack of aggressive advertising. Although to give them credit they have certainly been marketing through less conventional means such as newer media. This includes a revamped website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It will be interesting to see how these approaches work, and how the cereal overall is received, especially by men.

Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Wheaties, breakfastbowl

Wheaties FUEL - more evolution

As announced in July, General Mills has been working to strengthen the brand image of Wheaties, and today officially unveiled its new Wheaties FUEL cereal.

As a result of their market testing they decided on a Cinnamon Honey Crunch flavor that is "lightly sweetened" and features crunchy whole wheat flakes and crisp rice.

Obviously, from the box, this cereal is the ultimate men's cereal, or so they would want consumers to believe. The message is clear: This cereal is designed by sports nutritionists, tested by athletes, and will provide "long-lasting energy to fuel your wins". From a marketing perspective FUEL is bold and brilliant.

The nutritional qualities touted include the fact that it is made with whole grain, contains 100% of the Daily Value of B vitamins, and 5g of fiber to curb hunger. There are still some nutrient quantities not fully revealed, such as the proportion of simple carbohydrates and the protein quantity.

Wheaties FUEL will not be available on grocer's shelves until January, but it is possible to purchase a Collector's Edition box now for $9.99, which includes shipping. The price also includes a 3-month subscription to Men's Health magazine, a marketing partner in this venture.

The true test of whether this evolution becomes a revolution will be apparent early next year. Will this new cereal and brand capture a bigger market share for General Mills? Time will only tell, but I think they are off to a good start.

Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Wheaties, sports+nutrition, breakfastbowl

More evolution

As part of today's first-stage announcement regarding the future of Wheaties, General Mills has updated the Evolution website, providing many more details on where they're headed in the coming months.

http://www.wheaties.com/evolution

Technorati Tags: cereal, Wheaties, breakfastbowl

Wheaties Fuel - the evolution begins

The New York Times today is revealing upcoming plans about the upcoming Wheaties "evolution" that we have been expecting and speculating over. (You will notice that I was interviewed for this article, and my blog post from last year, "The Breakfast of the Mediocre", is referenced).

Wheaties Fuel will be a new type of Wheaties that will be targeted to men. Three prototype formulas have been created, and in the next few weeks selected readers of Men's Health magazine will get to try them and pick the best one, which will be announced on September 9th, the previously publicized date for the "evolution".

It looks like a deliberate marketing strategy with considerable potential. For the sake of an iconic brand I hope it works.

Technorati Tags: cereal, Wheaties, breakfastbowl

Wheaties evolves?

New Wheaties boxes are appearing on grocery store shelves, but not with athletic heroes. Instead a new line of boxes is promoting something new that will be unveiled on September 9th. No solid clues are given, except a tag line of "Fuel. Win. Evolve". and a website (www.wheaties.com/evolution) that contains nothing more than this image.

While we'll have to wait 3 1/2 months to know for sure, this could be something significant from General Mills. Hopefully. In recent years Wheaties has lacked the lustre it once had. Perhaps a new, stronger brand aimed at today's true fitness buffs could make this a hard-core cereal with a position all its own.

Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Wheaties, breakfastbowl

Wheaties - back in the game?

I've been questioning recently whether General Mills is serious about keeping Wheaties a strong, sports-oriented brand. Kellogg's recent coup with Michael Phelps seemed to confirm that Wheaties is no longer the box on which to be seen.

It appears that General Mills might be getting back into the game. They announced this week that two recent gold medal Olympians will appear on upcoming Wheaties boxes: Nastia Liukin (gymnastics) and Bryan Clay (decathlon). They have also updated their website with a new look.

The question is: Will this be enough for Wheaties to have a full come-back?

Technorati Tags: cereal, Wheaties, Nastia+Liukin, Bryan+Clay, breakfastbowl

He's Gr-r-r-eight!

Summer has been a quiet time in cereal world, but things have really heated up this week with the announcement by Kellogg that they will be honoring U.S. Olympic medalist Michael Phelps. Phelps, winner of a record eight gold medals, will be featured on boxes of Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes, beginning in September.

No one questions the accolades given to Phelps, but the blogosphere and media have already lit up, concerned that Frosted Flakes is not a healthy cereal for Phelps to be gracing. Perhaps it sends the wrong message to children?

This is a major coup for Kellogg, but not the first time they have featured a major athlete. But, for me, it raises the question again: Where's General Mills and Wheaties? Did they even try? Or is Wheaties now out of medal contention?

Technorati Tags: cereal, Phelps, Kellogg, breakfastbowl

The Breakfast of the Mediocre

What's with Wheaties?

For many years no other cereal has been as closely linked to sports as the orange-boxed Wheaties. "The Breakfast of Champions" was marketed primarily through its close association with well-known athletes, including those from baseball, football, basketball, the Olympics, and golf. The boxes themselves have been a popular collectors' item by both sports and cereal enthusiasts.

But, Wheaties appears to be taking a new direction. No longer can you find your sports heroes facing you at the breakfast table each morning. Instead you are given a drab message indicating that you can "Jumpstart Your Metabolism". The emphasis is on "Everyday Champions", you and me benefiting from the whole wheat cereal. The active lifestyle emphasis is still there, but gone are the excitement and endorsements. With this type of mediocrity Wheaties will probably find itself lost on a very competitive grocer's shelf.

Certainly the costs associated with licensing sports stars, teams and leagues is a real consideration for General Mills. But, I wonder if they're doing enough to give Wheaties a new, and stronger, identity.

Overall, I think they are on the right track: Position Wheaties as the athlete's cereal. You can see this already happening with their "Everyday Champions" emphasis. And, on their website they have research that reveals Wheaties fuels muscle recovery following exercise.

But, General Mills needs to do more to drive this message home. Perhaps a good strategy would be to market Wheaties specifically to men and their desire for athletic performance. There are already fitness cereals for women (Kellogg's Special K and General Mills' own Curves). Why not a testosterone-fueled marketing campaign that is geared at males and their fierce competitve nature?

It would be sad to see a strong brand like Wheaties weaken, and out of the cereal playoffs!

Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Wheaties, marketing, breakfastbowl