CASE ANALYSIS: POST CRISPY CRITTERS CEREAL
The Crispy Critters cereal product was introduced as a part of the Starbird strategy in mid year 1987. By mid year 1988, the brand was failing to attain its expected market share, and its performance was far below that of the market leading products in the nutritionally sound segment of the ready to eat cereal market.
Post Cereals appears to have made a mistake with Crispy Critters by developing the product as a part of the Starbird (wholesome) strategy and targeting children. The successful competing products in the wholesome category are those that target the entire family, because research has indicated that, in those households that consume the great majority of wholesome, ready to eat cereal products, children have little influence on the cereal purchasing decision.
In selecting a name for its first product in the implementation of the Starbird strategy, Post Cereals reached back in time for the Crispy Critters name that had been used two decades earlier for a pre sweetened ready to eat cereal product. It is probable that among "Good Eater" families the name Crispy Critters is associated with pre sweetened cereals. Thus, it appears to have been a major error on the part of Post Cereals to attempt to market a new Starbird product under the brand name that had been associated with a pre sweetened cereal product.
It is recommended that Post Cereals adopt a new name for the Crispy Critters product. The new name should not be one that has not been previously associated with a pre sweetened cereal. It is further recommended that advertising for the product be directed toward parents in the "Good Eaters" segment of the ready to eat cereals market, as opposed to children.Introduction
Crispy Critters is a cereal brand produced and marketed by the Post Cereals Division of General Foods USA. Post Cereals is a major contributor to the revenues and profits of General Fo...