November 14, 2000

1:33 PM

mycereal.comis a way to get customized breakfest cereals. It's not open to the public yet. I wonder what the next carrier of the "my" meme will be?
posted by john (20 comments total)

...and no, I can't spell.
posted by john at 1:39 PM on November 14, 2000

A far more pressing concern for General Mills would be developing a system that puts FrankenBerry on each and every one of America's supermarket cereal shelves, so I can stop shelling out $20 a pop to get the four pack.Oh yeah, and they can get some Yummy Mummy up in this piece while they're at it.
posted by NickBarat at 1:57 PM on November 14, 2000

*cough* cough *cough*

Oh yeah, this'll be a great idea. "Hmm... we haven't been selling very well the last few years. How can we fix that?"

"OH I KNOW! LET'S SELL IT ON THE INTERNET!!"

Damn, some people just don't get it. =P
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 2:00 PM on November 14, 2000

PWA_BadBoy - This sounds like a new product to me. What is it exactly that they don't get? Last time I checked General Mills was doing just fine.

Frankly I think the idea wouldn't be profitable unless they had some serious volume, but I suspect they burn money on test products all the time.

I'd certainly buy a box. Just for the novelty if nothing else.
posted by y6y6y6 at 2:28 PM on November 14, 2000

General Mills is doing fine. Their mycereal.com site is destined for failure though, IMO. Why?

Because they don't understand the web. Selling CEREAL over the net simply can't be profitable.

The real problem here for cereal companies to address lies in this statement: "The cereal industry has flattened and prices have declined over the past five years as Americans become too busy to gulp down a bowl for breakfast"

The reason they haven't been able to sell cereal is not because of a lack of variety. The number of cereals available on store shelves is already overwhelming in the supermarkets I go to. The real problem stems from the fact that society has changed such that breakfast too often gets cut out of our daily routine.

I'd say that on average, I eat breakfast maybe once or twice a month. Not healthy, I know, but I really can't find the time for it. And even when I do get breakfast, it's coffee and a muffin from Second Cup. Not exactly healthy stuff there neither.

If General Mills wants to improve sales, they're not going to do it by trying to sell cereal on the Internet. It's up there with the stupid ideas like selling pet food over the 'net.

Improving sales means creating better advertising campaigns that'll convince consumers to eat breakfast more often.

And y6y6y6, you'd buy a box "Just for the novelty if nothing else"... How do you expect an Internet play that is based on "novelty".. that's a gimmick that'll never last.

General Mills needs to re-evaluate its strategy.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 2:56 PM on November 14, 2000

Maybe I'm being overly cynical.. But I've seen too many failed .com plays to be very optimistic about this one.

I'm not saying this'll bring down the company, but it'll definitely be a mistake, and definitely a costly one. At least unlike pets.com, there is a huge "brick and mortar" company behind this .com to ensure that even if it does fail, it doesn't destroy any companies.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 2:59 PM on November 14, 2000

If they'll let me customize a cereal equivalent to the Apple Raisin Crisp that Kellogg's no longer makes, I'm in! That was my favorite cereal. *sighing nostalgicly*
posted by veruca at 3:41 PM on November 14, 2000

What General Mills and all cereal companies should do is break from the tradition of insisting their foods be for breakfast. Americans just no longer buy the myth that it's the most important meal of the day.

Anyone ever had Chex Mix during a party? If done right it's actually not half bad. Some breakfast cereals make great snack food, like Cracker Jack or popcorn, and some can argue that eating some dry breakfast foods is just a little bit more healthy than corn buffs or greasy potato chips.

Personally, I don't buy breakfast foods anymore cuz they're just too damn expensive, and since I keep a diet that cuts out dairy and beef almost completely, milk and cereal is a no-no for me now. I was brought up on Captain Crunch Berries though. Man I miss that crap.
posted by ZachsMind at 4:06 PM on November 14, 2000

What would work in the novelty play would be if I could customize the cereal, customize the box, and then sell it from my own site. Just like Cafepress does.

Anyone for a heaping bowl of CAPTAIN CURSOR CRUNCH? The all orange cereal that's a part of this hyperactive breakfast? How many metafilterians wouldn't have a vanity box or two sitting around.

But from the looks of it it's a musil*** clone. I bet you can customize weather you get raisins or dates or granola. *yawn*
posted by captaincursor at 4:26 PM on November 14, 2000

Ooh. If it let me recreate the hypersugary-chocolate-marshmallow-laden Rocky Road Cereal of yore, I would be in heaven.
posted by stefnet at 6:58 PM on November 14, 2000

I'm still holding out for All-Marshmallow Lucky Charms myself.
posted by jjg at 7:40 PM on November 14, 2000

Cap'n C, I'm with you. MetaFilterios for everyone! I have to say I'm concerned about Zach's beef cereal, though. What's up with that?
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 8:50 PM on November 14, 2000

Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, anyone?
posted by Aaaugh! at 9:22 PM on November 14, 2000

How's about something that's just natural and cheap? Is that too much to ask for?
P.S. Boy, do you guys have terrible diets.
posted by leo at 6:59 AM on November 15, 2000

leo: Add lots of sugar, chocolate, and artificial colors/flavors to that stuff & I'm on it. Oh yeah, and a free toy in the box. Otherwise.. what's the point?
posted by zempf at 8:51 AM on November 15, 2000

And puzzles and games on the back of the box. I need to keep myself busy while my teeth rot. :-)
posted by cCranium at 9:13 AM on November 15, 2000

I used to be like you all. Now my dream date is a dentist with six years' worth of Weight Watchers. Gimme that Muesli made the old-fashion, hippy German way -- tastes just like Quaker Oats without the cooking; add milk and nuts and raisins to taste.
posted by leo at 9:37 AM on November 15, 2000

Speaking of yummy stuff, try some rich vanilla frozen custard (or some really creamy ice cream) covered with Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles. If you go for the latter, you can use chocolate custard, or you can add hot fudge and/or butterscotch. Top it off with some heavy whipped cream and you've got yerself a treat!
posted by daveadams at 10:51 AM on November 15, 2000

there is no denying that cereal is the perfect food--manna from the heavens.
posted by brittney at 9:16 PM on November 15, 2000

make a healthy corn check type cereal in the shape of
elvis and a guitar low fat with nutra sweet fortified
with vitimins for children and adults with diabetis and
people that just don't want so much sugar. tastes great
looks great and fit for a king!
every one loves elvis young and old and as long as its
very healthy no sugar .I know it will be a top seller
sincerly elvis kevin kobs
posted by ELVIS1 at 7:47 PM on February 1, 2001