2017 Cereal Year in Review: The Great Quest

As we come to the end of 2017, it is a good time to reflect on the past year, the key stories in the cereal world, and the overall themes we observe. It has been a busy year for those of us captivated by our favorite breakfast food, as cereal companies are trying hard to regain their foothold in an industry that is losing ground among consumers, especially younger generations.

Of course, most noticeable to almost everyone, lots of new cereals were introduced. This year, however, there seemed to be more than ever and the pace of introductions appears to be accelerating. Predictably, there was the typical round of special edition cereals brought out seasonally, such as fall and the holidays. And, numerous line extensions, with new varieties of core brands, like Cheerios. Most interesting, however, was the launch of cereals connected with already strong brands. Post reintroduced Oreo O's after a decade hiatus, and followed up with similar concepts such as Honey Maid S'mores, Chips Ahoy and Nutter Butter. Also, notable for this past were the reintroduction of Classic Trix, and Kellogg's recent partnership with Nintendo to bring us Super Mario.

Behind all the new cereals and marketing initiatives, the real story for 2017 is the quest of cereal companies to turn around the long-standing downward trend in sales, which, as reported by Food Business News, continued with another 2.3% decline compared to the previous year. Post, however, seems to be bucking the trend, eeking out a 0.14% increase. As we come to the end of the year, signs are that things may be turning around, with a late report, last week indicating that General Mills had a 7% U.S. cereal net sales increase, with Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Reese's Puffs showing the biggest increases.

While it is far too early to tell if these glimmers of hope are part of an industry reversal, at minimum, they reveal that the frantic efforts of the big cereal companies may be paying off, if even only for the short term. The significant number of new cereals introduced in 2017 indicates that cereal companies are trying hard, not giving up on yet on this multi-billion dollar food sector. As I have indicated previously, much of what they are trying to do is to throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. In this way, they hope to find something that will be the breakthrough they so desperately need. Kellogg's recent announcement of a Unicorn cereal coming in the spring of 2018 may be the best metaphor of the ongoing quest for the elusive goal facing the cereal industry.

So, what's ahead for 2018? From what has already been announced, it is evident that the flood of new cereals will continue. These should, at least, keep consumers somewhat engaged, with the ongoing hope that the silver bullet will be found. Innovation remains the key for manufacturers, but eventually someone has to come up with something that will shake up the industry.

If I were to go out on a limb, I would like to believe that this next year will see further advancements in cereal restaurants, and that the big players will use experiential locations to generate new excitement and interest in cereal outside of the traditional retail channels, and in environments that they can better control. Kellogg has already a jump on the others in the U.S., just having opened their permanent location in New York City, but there is so much more room for experimentation and creativity in this space.

Regardless, pull up a bowl of your favorite cereal, and watch with anticipation for what lies ahead.

Happy New Year!