Cereality

This is ceriously interesting and am sure it will leave you with some cereal for thought. Ha. Many thanks to Mansi for sharing this brilliant example.

Cereality is a fast food retail chain concept gaining huge popularity in the US that urges you to eat cereal. Visit here and you’ll know what I am talking about. Take time to explore every link on the site. In one of my previous post I did write about a recent project I was working on. And this example has really helped me make our client realize the potential he has in the Indian market. Honestly I could pin him down by making him realize the benefits of breaking away from traditional marketing methods. Once again, thank you Mansi.

Since breakfast cereal as a category in India not every exciting or happening, it makes sense for marketers to try and do something different. Our taste and eating habits are different from the west. We like hot idli's with sambhar, poha, upma or aloo paratha for breakfast while they like cereals with fruits, nuts and milk. For us it's an acquired taste, so naturally it will take time. Kellogg's has been present in the Indian market for a long time and that one of the reason they haven't managed to bring in a sea change in consumption behaviour.

Fast Food retail chains like Cereality, Cereal Cabinet, Cerealogy etc. can become an answer to grow the Indian market. The strategy is simple and clear. Give consumers the real experience of cereals. If Coffee Café Day can change the consumption habit and patterns of coffee by providing experience zones, am sure cereal bars and cafes can prove the same for cereals. Cereally it’s possible. Kellogg's or others in this category should be exactly doing this in India at the moment. Call it marketing 2.0 or enterprise 2.0 some brands really has huge untapped potential to grow their market, provided their managers have the vision to see it. Once envisioned, they should be smart enough to act quickly. Entrepreneurial start-ups like Just Around the Corner in Mumbai are experimenting with the thought of breakfast bars. But it's still a niche market, unlike the Udipi Upahara's you find in Bangalore.

Since, co-creation with consumers is the latest trend among marketers, agencies, and media companies; it would be wise for brands like Kelloggs to jump into the bandwagon soon. Kelloggs can start a community, create and fund entrepreneurs, get evangelist or even fans by doing so. Think of the opportunities possible. Rationally, monetarily, laterally…phew. All it needs is a serious commitment from marketers to explore how lives can be made better.

If you have similar examples from other categories, do write back.