Crazy lawsuits

I've highlighted cereal-related lawsuits before, but usually these had more substance to them then this latest nominee for the Ridiculous Hall of Fame.

A California man launched lawsuits against Kellogg and Quaker for alleged deception in marketing Froot Loops and Crunchberries, respectively, as fruit-related cereals. Much to everyone's surprise, apparently neither of these cereals actually contain real fruit. We are all shocked!

The Froot Loops suit was dismissed, but the case against Crunchberries is moving forward. Maybe it will finally end stupidity across our country.

Not likely. We still have frivolous lawsuits.

Source: SFWeekly

Technorati Tags: cereal, lawsuits, Kellogg, Quaker, breakfastbowl

Cereal gains in a recession

General Mills announced today third quarter financial results which included increased sales and profits. Of particular interest is the growth of their cereal division:

"Net sales for Big G cereals grew 6 percent in the quarter, led by strong introductory sales of new Chocolate Cheerios and Wheaties Fuel, and gains by several established brands such as Multigrain Cheerios and Lucky Charms."

Obviously something is working for General Mills and confirms that cereal seems to do well in a recession, a point we noted several months back.

(Source: General Mills)

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

Targeting Youth

The move is on to narrow the target of cereals. This is evident in Special K to women concerned about weight management, and new Wheaties FUEL for men. Of course, children have been targeted for decades. Kellogg UK is now taking a stab at the youth market, 16-25 with a new cereal called Krave (not to be confused with a Kellogg "Krave" product previously in the U.S.). Their strategy is not just with the chocolate hazelnut taste, but will be marketed with an extensive social media campaign.

That age group is a difficult one to tap into. It will be interesting to see how Kellogg fares in the U.K. and whether a similar niche is attempted elsewhere.

(Source: netimperative)

Technorati Tags: cereal, Kellogg, marketing, breakfastbowl

National Cereal Day: March 7th

Today is National Cereal Day.

Celebrate. Enjoy a bowl!

Technorati Tags: cereal, 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