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

Cereal without cereal

Here's an innovative twist for the morning breakfast bowl:

Naturally Sweet Baking Company of Nashville, Tennessee has developed a technique to dry fruits in a manner that produces a granular "whole fruit cereal" that can be eaten like and in place of conventional cereals. To be precise these are not really "cereals" (i.e. which are grains), but they mimic them and provide an alternative for those who can not or prefer not to eat grains, or for something new and different.

Currently, there are two flavors: sweet apples and tart apples. Pear and apricot versions are coming soon. These are available in stores only in Tennessee, or online.

Technorati Tags: cereal, fruit+cereal, Naturally+Sweet+Baking+Company, fruit, breakfastbowl

Cheerios and health claims

General Mills has been slapped by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because of health claims that appear on Cheerios boxes. The claim is that you could "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks", which is too specific for the FDA and treads into drug claim territory.General Mills countered saying that the claim has been on boxes for more than two years and is backed by a strong clinical study.

In a highly competitive environment cereal companies are doing all they can to stand out and gain an edge. In this case General Mills may have gone a little too far.

Sources: Reuters, General Mills

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

Beam some up

Some cereal is just meant to be fun, and Kellogg's new Star Trek offering is just that. Tied in with the popular new movie it should be a fun way to start the day, especially for Trekkies.

A must for collectors.

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Kellogg and truth in advertising

Kellogg recently agreed to settle with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission after charges were laid concerning false claims in advertising. Kellogg stated that Frosted Mini-Wheats improve children's attentiveness. The FTC charged that these claim were false and that Kellogg misrepresented the clinical study in question.

Kellogg has been trying hard to emphasize the nutrition soundness of its cereals, especially for children, but this time they tried too hard.

(Source: Bloomberg)

Technorati Tags: cereal, Kellogg, nutrition, advertising, breakfastbowl

Spilt Milk Bowl

I've highlighted new designs in cereal bowls before. Most of them try to solve a problem, like keeping the cereal crunchy, etc. Perpetual kid is offering one that has no real practical advantage, but it might be a fun one to have around. Made from flexible silicone the Spilt Milk Bowl adds a splash of fun to your breakfast table!

(Thanks Jacob for the tip!)


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Too many choices?

Nowhere in a grocery store is there such a plethora of choices as in the cereal aisle. Taking into consideration all the different brands, sizes and generic knock-offs it is not unusual to see over 100 choices in any one store.

But a recent study by a University of Minnesota researcher suggests that having too many choices could be ruining our lives, causing fatigue and dissatisfaction.

With every company trying to carve out a niche and gain an edge it is easy to see why there are so many choices. But, how many are too many? At what point does too many choices dilute a brand? Would it better for manufacturers to focus on a few highly innovative, unique choices versus a whole bunch of mediocre ones?

What do you think: Are there too many cereal choices? Record your vote on our latest poll (on our main page), or leave your comment here.

(Source: Minneapolis/St. Paul CityPages)

Technorati Tags: cereal, breakfastbowl

Oops!

A relatively small, natural cereal company, Peace Cereal, got an unexpected amount of publicity this week. Apparently a typo on their new packaging sent callers to a phone sex line instead of the company's toll-free number.

Breakfast will never be the same again.

(from AP)

Technorati Tags: cereal, Peace+Cereal, breakfastbowl

Hot cereal and milk to go

The current economic climate may draw people back to traditional foods, including hot cereals such as oatmeal. Food manufacturer, Kozy Shack, has recently introduced a new line of ready to eat, multi-grain cereals called "Ready Grains".

Certainly, instant hot cereals are not new. But, what makes Ready Grains unique is that they are packaged in bowl with milk. This makes them extra convenient, and they can be enjoyed hot or cold and will come in four flavors.

Convenience along with that wholesome touch. Should have considerable appeal if marketed well.

Technorati Tags: cereal, Ready+Grains, breakfastbowl

Quaker finding a way to take off?

The rough economy is forcing people to reconsider their behaviors and buying patterns, and as I have previously pointed out, this includes the role of breakfast cereal. The companies that succeed in this time will understand this and respond to it.

Quaker Oats may be one of the wise ones. They have recently launched a new marketing campaign that reinvigorates interest in their foundational product, which typically doesn't have the appeal of the more flashier cereals. They are doing this not simply by praising the economics of cooking your own oats for breakfast, but with a "Go humans go" theme that emphasizes its sound nutritional value.

Value. Just what consumers are looking for today.

New York Times article

Technorati Tags: cereal, Quaker, marketing, breakfastbowl