Comments on: Comments on 4265

Post number 4265

john — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 13:33:31 -0800

mycereal.com is 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?

By: john

john — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 13:39:03 -0800

...and no, I can't spell.

By: NickBarat

NickBarat — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 13:57:13 -0800

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.

By: PWA_BadBoy

PWA_BadBoy — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 14:00:58 -0800

*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

By: y6y6y6

y6y6y6 — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 14:28:40 -0800

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.

By: PWA_BadBoy

PWA_BadBoy — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 14:56:41 -0800

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.

By: PWA_BadBoy

PWA_BadBoy — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 14:59:13 -0800

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.

By: veruca

veruca — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 15:41:10 -0800

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*

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 16:06:22 -0800

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.

By: captaincursor

captaincursor — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 16:26:24 -0800

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*

By: stefnet

stefnet — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 18:58:41 -0800

Ooh. If it let me recreate the hypersugary-chocolate-marshmallow-laden Rocky Road Cereal of yore, I would be in heaven.

By: jjg

jjg — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 19:40:07 -0800

I'm still holding out for All-Marshmallow Lucky Charms myself.

By: CrazyUncleJoe

CrazyUncleJoe — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 20:50:27 -0800

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?

By: Aaaugh!

Aaaugh! — Tue, 14 Nov 2000 21:22:25 -0800

Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, anyone?

By: leo

leo — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 06:59:28 -0800

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.

By: zempf

zempf — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 08:51:57 -0800

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?

By: cCranium

cCranium — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 09:13:48 -0800

And puzzles and games on the back of the box. I need to keep myself busy while my teeth rot. :-)

By: leo

leo — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 09:37:59 -0800

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.

By: daveadams

daveadams — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 10:51:49 -0800

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!

By: brittney

brittney — Wed, 15 Nov 2000 21:16:35 -0800

there is no denying that cereal is the perfect food--manna from the heavens.

By: ELVIS1

ELVIS1 — Thu, 01 Feb 2001 19:47:11 -0800

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