Nothing

1. 1
Cheerios:
Creative
Brief
An
Overview
Of
The
Cheerios
Brand
Jessica
Lebel
and
Jackson
Vickery

2. 2
Table
of
Contents
Front
Cover:
1
Table
of
Contents:
2
Client:
3
Target
Audience:
4
Features
and
Benefits:
5-­‐6
Current
Brand
Image:
7-­‐8
Desired
Brand
Image:
9
Direct
Competitors:
10-­‐11
Indirect
Competitors:
12
Advertising
Goal:
13
Strategic
Message:
13
References:
14
(Cheerios,
n.d.).

3. 3
Client
General
Mills,
one
of
the
top
cereal
makers
in
the
world,
is
known
for
cereals
like
Cheerios,
Chex,
Lucky
Charms,
and
Wheaties.
While
Cheerios
is
one
of
its
top
sellers,
General
Mills
strives
to
differentiate
its
company
by
creating
new
products
and
merging
with
new
companies
(“General
Mills,
Inc,”
n.d.).
In
1856,
Cadwallader
C.
Washburn
formed
the
Minneapolis
Milling
Company,
which
was
started
to
help
lease
power
rights
to
mill
operators.
It
wasn’t
until
1866
that
Washburn
opened
up
his
first
flourmill.
From
then
on,
Washburn
built
his
company,
Washburn
Crosby
Company,
which
eventually
became
one
of
the
best
flour
companies
in
the
world.
Later,
the
company
evolved
into
what
is
known
as
General
Mills
(General
Mills,
n.d.).
In
1941,
Lester
Borchardt,
a
General
Mills
executive,
invented
the
original
Cheerios.
Although
the
first
name
for
Cheerios
was
Cheerioats,
the
brand
has
since
stayed
true
to
its
promise
of
healthy
and
wholesome
oats
that
customers
still
enjoy
today
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Today,
General
Mills
is
one
of
the
world’s
largest
food
companies.
In
May
of
2014,
the
company
accounted
for
$17.9
billion
in
sales
in
fiscal
year
2014.
This
is
largely
due
to
the
success
of
their
products
like
Big
G
cereals,
Hamburger
Helper,
Pillsbury,
Yoplait,
and
Betty
Crocker.
The
company
continues
to
merge
and
find
new
businesses
to
invest
in,
like
Annie’s
and
Parampa.
General
Mills
has
offices
and
manufacturing
facilities
in
over
thirty
countries,
including
Canada,
Latin
America,
Europe,
the
Middle
East,
Asia,
and
Australia
(“General
Mills,
Inc,”
n.d.).

4. 4
Target
Audience
The
target
audience
for
Cheerios
is
men
and
women
aged
18-­‐34
with
families.
The
people
who
want
Cheerios
are
looking
for
a
food
that
is
affordable,
quick
to
prepare,
and
a
healthy
alternative
to
other
items
in
the
“quick
meal”
category
(“Hot
and
Cold
Cereals
–
US
–
August
2014,”
2014,
August)
Research
has
shown
that
94
percent
of
adults
in
the
United
States
eat
cereal,
whether
it
is
hot
or
cold.
In
a
recent
study,
42
percent
of
adults
in
the
United
States
are
eating
more
cereal
than
the
year
before
(“Hot
and
Cold
Cereals
–
US
–
August
2014,”
2014,
August).
With
most
young
families
not
consuming
expensive
breakfasts
everyday,
cereal
is
a
great
go-­‐to
because
it
can
be
found
at
almost
every
grocery
store
in
different
price
ranges.
Also,
with
young
families
being
on
the
go,
cereal
is
a
great
go-­‐to
because
it
is
quick
to
prepare
and
can
be
taken
along.
Lastly,
while
most
young
families
struggle
to
find
a
healthy
snack
that
can
be
eaten
at
any
time
of
the
day,
cereal
is
a
great
alternative
to
other
snacks
in
the
grocery
store.
It
was
shown
that
87
percent
of
the
consumers
that
eat
cereal
agree
that
cereal
can
be
eaten
at
any
time
of
the
day
(“Hot
and
Cold
Cereals
–
US
–
August
2014,”
2014,
August).

5. 5
Key
Features
and
Benefits
Product
Feature
Product
Benefit
Heart
Health
Rich
in
the
beta-­‐glucan
fiber
that
helps
remove
cholesterol
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Kid
Friendly
Dissolves
easily
in
mouth,
easy
to
grab
and
swallow,
low
on
sugar
(1
gram)
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Vitamin
Rich
11
vitamins
and
minerals,
whole
grain
oats
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Variety
There
are
15
flavors
of
Cheerios
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Sustainable
Boxes
are
made
of
recycled
paper,
and
cheerios
facilities
have
reduced
energy(12%)
and
water
use(31%)
by
2006
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Owned
by
General
Mills
Huge
company
with
credibility
that
has
made
Cheerios
for
70
years
(General
Mills,
n.d.)
Affordable
Offer
coupons
on
their
website.
$3.69
at
Walmart
(Walmart,
n.d.)
Quick
to
eat
Quick
to
take
to-­‐go
without
milk
as
a
snack
Easy
to
purchase
Found
at
almost
all
local
grocery
stores
Community
Service
Takes
part
in
promoting
education
and
reading
(Cheerios,
n.d.)
Versatile
They
offer
recipes
to
make
with
Cheerios
online
(Cheerios,
n.d.)

6. 6
Kid friendly
Cheerios “Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal”
Affordable
Heart healthy
Vitamn rich
Wide variety
Quick to eat
Easy to find
Established brand
Versatile product
(Cheerios.com, n.d.)

7. 7
Current
Brand
Image
The
current
band
image
of
Cheerios
is
a
heart
healthy
family
friendly
product.
On
Cheerios.com,
the
first
thing
you
see
is
the
company
introducing
the
“Family
Breakfast
Project”
which
implies
it
is
important
to
eat
breakfast
as
a
family
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Below
is
a
picture
from
a
scene
in
the
“Family
Breakfast
Project”
video
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
The
video’s
message
is
about
how
cheerios
teamed
up
with
a
team
from
the
“Family
Dinner
Project”
to
create
the
“Family
Breakfast
Project.”
The
actors
said
that
eating
breakfast
together
as
a
family
sparks
good
conversation
and
brings
you
closer
together
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Cheerios.com
also
has
a
web
page
titled
“Why
is
Cheerios
a
Great
First
Finger
Food?”
appealing
to
mothers
to
buy
Cheerios
for
their
young
children
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Cheerios
has
been
branded
with
a
character
named
“Buzz
the
Bee”
who
is
a
playful
insect
that
embodies
the
Cheerios
brand
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
The
subject
of
the
cheerios
latest
5
commercials
is
based
around
heart
health
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
One
commercial
is
a
kid
telling
adults
that
Cheerios
helps
lower
cholesterol
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Cheerios.com
has
a
heart
healthy
quiz
to
encourage
people
to
learn
more
about
how
to
help
your
heart
stay
in
good
condition
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
Also,
the
front
of
the
original
Cheerios
box
has
a
cereal
bowl
shaped
like
a
heart
(General
Mills,
n.d.).
This
draws
your
attention
to
the
fact
that
they
are
good
for
your
heart.
(Cheerios,
n.d.).

8. 8
On
viewpoints.com
reviews
Cheerios
received
94
percent
out
of
100
percent
indicating
that
the
90
reviewers
of
the
product
really
like
it.
One
reviewer
said
that
she
feels
comfortable
giving
Cheerios
to
her
one
year
old
niece
when
she
comes
over
and
wants
a
snack
because
it
does
not
contain
a
lot
of
sugar.
Other
reviews
said
that
they
like
Cheerios
because
of
their
nutritional
value
(“General
Mills
Cheerios
Cereal
Reviews,”
n.d).

9. 9
Desired
Brand
Image
Cheerios
is
the
healthy
and
affordable
option
for
families
who
are
looking
for
a
go-­‐to
meal,
whether
it
is
eaten
for
breakfast
or
a
snack.
Cheerios
also
comes
in
a
variety
of
different
flavors
like
Honey
Nut,
Multi
Grain,
Apple
Cinnamon,
and
Chocolate
(Cheerios,
n.d.).
This
provides
every
member
in
the
family
the
option
to
choose
which
type
of
cereal
they
want.
While
Cheerios
is
known
as
cereal
for
being
a
healthy
alternative
and
coming
in
a
wide
variety,
it
is
also
important
that
the
Cheerios
brand
maintains
a
relationship
with
the
family.
As
the
children
in
the
family
continue
to
grow
up,
it
is
important
to
remember
Cheerios
as
they
continue
on
in
their
life
(Cheerios,
n.d.).

10. 10
Direct
Competitors
The
top
three
direct
competitors
of
Cheerios
are
Kellogg’s,
Post
Foods,
and
Quaker
Oats
(“General
Mills,
Inc,”
n.d.).
The
brand
image
of
Kellogg’s
is
focused
on
nutrition.
The
first
thing
on
the
Kellogg’s
website
is
a
page
titled
“Nutritious
at
its
most
Delicious,”
which
talks
about
the
protein
and
grains
in
their
cereal
(Kellogg’s,
n.d.).
Kellogg’s
points
out
that
breakfast
is
an
important
meal
that
should
help
you
get
through
the
day.
Kellogg’s
has
23
different
kinds
of
cereal
putting
them
ahead
of
Cheerios
in
amount
of
variety
offered
(Kellogg’s,
n.d.).
The
image
that
Post
Foods
portrays
is
history
and
location.
On
this
website,
the
company
talks
about
how
they
are
“North
American
Grown”
and
“True
to
our
roots”
by
developing
breakfast
products
for
over
a
century
(Post
Foods,
n.d.).
Post
Foods
has
14
different
cereals
they
have
created
(Post
Foods,
n.d.).
(Post
Foods,
n.d.)
Quaker
Oats
focuses
on
energy
as
their
main
image.
They
have
a
commercial
from
February
of
2014
that
says
“It’s
how
we
get
go-­‐getters
like
you
going
and
getting,”
(Quaker
Oats,
n.d.).
This
company
is
all
about
how
Quaker
Oats
will
fuel
you
for
the
day
if
you
eat
it
for
breakfast.
Another
image
that
Quaker
Oats
portrays
is
their
wide
variety
in
breakfast
products.
Their
website
has
a
slide
show
at
the
top
and
one
of
the
slides
says
“Enjoy
a
delicious
combination
of
fruits
and
nuts
at
home
or
on
the
go
with
Real
Medleys

11. 11
Bars,
Cereal,
and
Oatmeal.
Quaker
Oats
only
has
10
different
kinds
of
cold
cereal
but
their
main
product
is
hot
cereal
(oatmeal)
where
they
have
15
different
options
(Quaker
Oats,
n.d.).

12. 12
Indirect
Competition
Indirect
competition
for
Cheerios
includes
Pop
Tarts
and
Eggos.
While
these
two
items
are
also
focused
on
the
same
demographic
and
are
easy
to
prepare,
they
are
an
unhealthy
alternative
compared
to
Cheerios.
Cheerios
prides
itself
on
being
the
cereal
that’s
healthy
and
full
of
wholesome
oats,
while
these
other
two
items
are
filled
with
artificial
ingredients
and
preservatives
(Pop
Tarts
and
Eggo,
n.d.).

13. 13
Advertising
Goal
Cheerios
sets
out
to
provide
a
product
that
is
affordable,
quick
to
prepare,
and
a
healthy
alternative
to
other
breakfast
items
in
their
respective
market
(“Hot
and
Cold
Cereals
–
US
–
August
2014,”
2014,
August).
Strategic
Message
Cheerios
is
a
well-­‐known
brand
that
focuses
on
the
importance
healthy
eating
and
family
values.
(Cheerios,
n.d.)

14. 14
References
Cheerios.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://www.cheerios.com
Eggos.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
https://www.leggomyeggo.com
General
Mills
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://www.generalmills.com
General
Mills,
Inc.
(n.d.).
Hoovers.
Retrieved
from
http://subscriber.hoovers.com.www2.lib.ku.edu/H/company360/overview.html?co
mpanyId=10639000000000
General
Mills
Cheerios
Cereal
Reviews.
(n.d).
Retrieved
from
http://viewpoints.com
Hot
and
Cold
Cereals
–
US
–
August
2014.
(August
2014).
Mintel.
Retrieved
from
http://academic.mintel.com.www2.lib.ku.edu/display/680566/
Kellogs.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://www.m.kelloggs.com/en_US/home.html
Pop
Tarts.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
https://www.poptarts.com
Post
Foods.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://www.postfoods.com/
Quaker
Oats.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://www.quakeroats.com/home.aspx
Walmart.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
http://walmart.com