The Cereal Project

If you are looking for that favorite cereal from your childhood, or just curious about the myriad of cereals available a new website is designed to be your one-stop cereal database. Already, The Cereal Project, contains over 1,220 U.S. cereals, with new ones added regularly. A fascinating resource part of the MrBreakfast.com website.

Technorati Tags: cereal, websites, breakfastbowl

Cereal poll update

It's time for our next Breakfast Bowl poll. The last question was: "Are there too many breakfast cereal choices available today?"

Here are the results:

Yes - 43%
No, just right - 21%
No, we need more choices - 36%

Now for the next question. Earlier this month General Mills unveiled the next generation of Wheaties: FUEL.

So, "What is your initial impression of new Wheaties FUEL?"

LINK TO POLL

Technorati Tags: cereal, polls, 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

Monster Cereals

NOTE: Blogging has been very sparse in the last month or so as life took an unexpected turn with the death of my father this summer.
One of the most successful cereal franchises has been the "monster" cereal brands produced by General Mills (i.e. Count Chocula, Frankenberry, and Boo Berry, etc.). With Halloween coming next month it is appropriate to highlight a relatively new blog focusing on these pop icons.

Check it out at: http://monsterscereal.blogspot.com

Technorati Tags: cereal, monster+cereals, General+Mills, breakfastbowl

The Cereal Index: Is the economy turning around?

As I pointed out at the end of 2008 the recession impacts spending habits, including down the cereal aisle. Discount brands tend to do well when people are watching where every penny goes.

In recent months there have been signs that the economy is improving. And the unofficial, and purely hypothetical, "cereal index" seems to  confirm that. Kellogg recently posted double-digit quarterly growth, and CEO David Mackay confirmed the principle of the "cereal index", noting that retailer branded products are not selling as quickly as they were. (source Australian Food News) That is obviously good news for the big cereal companies.

Technorati Tags: cereal, recession, Kellogg, breakfastbowl

Cheerios and cholesterol - Take two

Only just months after the FDA reprimanded General Mills for cholesterol reduction claims with Cheerios, the company has turned up the heat, now claiming that "Cheerios can help reduce cholesterol 10 percent in one month". New boxes are beginning to appear in supermarkets boldly stating the claim, and a special website is devoted to the message.

This all comes as a result of a clinical study released in April by Provident Clinical Research that revealed these results.

There is no word as to whether the FDA will be content with this new health claim.


Technorati Tags: cereal, General+Mills, Cheerios, cholesterol, 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

Cerealism

Everyone once in a while I come across examples of art utilizing cereal. Recently a reader passed along a link to Cerealism, the work of Michael Albert, a modern pop artist whos work includes collages made from cereal boxes.

Wildly interesting.

Technorati Tags: cereal, art, breakfastbowl

Cereal Bowl expands to Middle East

The Cereal Bowl restaurant chain is expanding, and not only in the U.S., but now to Qatar and other regions of the Middle East. As I observed previously the growth of cereal restaurants has struggled in recent years, and it appears that Cereal Bowl is taking a lead over Cereality. Their latest press release indicates that their expansion plans include at least 15 restaurants in the U.S., in additional to the expansion to the Middle East. While the Middle East seems to be a strange location for such a restaurant it may be a great move, as places like Qatar and Dubai are emerging powerhouses and a prime ground for Western companies looking for a foothold. We'll keep watching.

(Source PRLog)

Technorati Tags: cereal, restaurants, Cereal+Bowl, breakfastbowl