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Diamonds Are A Cereal Marketer's Best Friend

Written by: Ilya Bodner

Article Overview: When C.W. Post started a small business in 1895 with his first batch of "Postum" (breakfast cereal) he probably did not foresee his company getting into the diamond business. The cereal company has "followed a path of delicious innovation, creating cereals that have defined the breakfast experience for generations of families" and now it has literally put a twist on its "Shreddies" product by offering the cereal in the shape of diamonds rather than squares.

Diamonds Are A Cereal Marketer's Best Friend

Something New from Something Old It's a playful, yet brilliant marketing scheme that is reaping the cereal a lot of consumer attention. The breakfast cereal, produced by Post Cereals and General Mills has been a favorite for years in the , , and . It looks like small squares made of malted, interwoven whole grain wheat. Believe it or not the name of the cereal is the slang term used to describe men's undershorts. (This is a not a piece of trivia used in marketing campaigns for the cereal.) The last time it got this much attention was during the "Wayne Gretzky" Shreddies cereal box era.

If you were thinking Post didn't actually do anything different to the humble square other than tip it on its corner to produce the diamond shape you are absolutely correct. The point is that the company has offered a new perspective on a product that has been around for years and it's making an impact on the public awareness of the food. It's all about putting a new spin on an old thing.

Post has come up with a promotional campaign that is getting consumers involved by voting on either the square or the diamond version of the Shreddie. A cereal box design is offered for each version while the official Diamond Shreddies website allows you to vote for your pick and download printable posters to put up around the office promoting the options. A ticker tape constantly scrolls across the face of the website revealing the latest voter news such as "Square predicted to gain support in Northern B.C." and "Diamond predicted to lead in the West."

Something New to Promote Your Products

Excitement over the new shape, which isn't really a new shape at all, has increased sales by 18%. Shreddies have been around for about 70 years. If you are struggling with your sales for a product that is tried and true, maybe it's time to come up with a new slant on promoting your product. The large corporations are doing it, so there's a good chance it will work for your small business.

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Article Tags: breakfast cereal, brilliant marketing, cereal box, consumer attention, diamond shape, general mills, good chance, grain wheat, large corporations, marketing campaigns, new perspective, post cereals, printable posters, public awareness, shreddies cereal, slang term, ticker tape, undershorts, wayne gretzky, whole grain



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