I’m a big fan of breakfast cereal (as anyone who’s heard me speak in reverent tones about Shredded Wheat topped with Grape Nuts and walnuts can attest to.) So, when one of the best selling cereals, Honey Bunches of Oats, suddenly had a shelf companion called Just Bunches! – which, as the box says, is “Nothing but the Delicious Honey Baked Clusters” – I was intrigued. Partly because, like Lavern & Shirley being spun-off from Happy Days, it’s fun to see deserving cast members get a shot at the lime light. But mostly because I was tired of hearing my daughters complaining at breakfast each morning that, “There are not enough Bunches!”
It would seem that this second reason was what Post caught wind of – a significant number of breakfast table conversations about Bunches being under represented in the Honey Bunches of Oats plot line. Add to that the constant battle for shelf space in the cereal aisle and you have the makings of an opportunity. Some might simply have increased the quantity of Bunches in each box – “Now with even more Bunches!” But someone at Post made the wise decision that the pure deliciousness of Bunches needed to be spotlighted – undiluted by the other tastes in the box – in order to truly capitalize on the business generating potential.
So Post gave Bunches their own show where they are the stars but the focus on them results in more attention for everything else Honey Bunches of Oats offers; where they can get current fans of Honey Bunches of Oats to buy two SKUs instead of one but also bring in a new audience that has never before considered Honey Bunches of Oats.
Your brand story might be like Honey Bunches of Oats – the perfect combination of flavors. But in a market where competitors are gunning for your share-of-mind, you need to be on the look out for ways to defend your place and, perhaps, get an added advantage.
As Post so nicely demonstrates, listening to what your customers are saying is the best source for what those nuggets of goodness might be. Whether through phone surveys, point-of-purchase conversations, social media groups or contact us forms, customers will tell you to what they value and what they don’t. Then it is up to you to communicate it in a way that is engaging and true to your brand.
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Posted by:
Bruce Kaechele
Email the author:
brucek@fathom.net
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