Kellogg’s All-Bran is the number two brand in The Kellogg Company stable worldwide. In India, that is not the case, where sister brands Kellogg’s Chocos and Kellogg’s Cornflakes have stolen the limelight. The company wants to give a bigger push to All-Bran, the quietest brand in the portfolio, from the time of its launch more than a decade ago.
For its maiden television commercial, the brand has roped in film and television personality Tisca Chopra to promote the benefits of the whole-wheat cereal which is high on fibre content. The brand is targeting middle-aged women (35-40 years), who are caught up in the hurly-burly of daily life and end up ignoring their health. “This age group is prone to digestive problems due to bad eating habit and poor lifestyle. The campaign will encourage Indian women to take charge of their health by increasing their daily fibre intake in the form of a bowl of Kellogg’s All-Bran. The company has also tweaked the packaging to drive home the new message.
Why the sudden thrust on All-Bran? Vikram Bahl, director, marketing, Kellogg India, says, “Health and wellness is a growing trend in India and we decided the time was right for All-Bran to capitalise on this.” Earlier this year, Kellogg’s introduced Chocos in the whole-grain avatar as well.
Will the new commercial help win over its target consumers? Marketing experts claim breakfast food is not an easy segment to crack. For one, Indians prefer home food and traditional breakfast options rule the roost. For another, the market has heated up with several packaged offerings from Marico (Saffola Oats), Britannia Industries (Healthy Start) and Pepsi (Quaker Oats). Kellogg’s, however, has done a laudable job of building the ‘cereal’ category in India as an option for breakfast food. Today, it valued at Rs 400 crore (the segment includes cornflakes, muesli, oatmeal and porridge), and Kellogg’s is the leader with 70 per cent share.
Experts say the decision to promote Kellogg’s All-Bran is well timed. “With time crunched lifestyles and erratic eating habits becoming the norm, breakfast is increasingly seen as the time when consumers inject their day with the goodness of healthy foods. Brands like Kellogg’s that have managed to ride the trend are creating a viable long-term space for themselves,” says Lubna Khan, associate vice-president (strategic planning), JWT.
With regard to taking the mass media approach to build awareness, industry observers say it is a necessary step. “As marketers introduce value-added products, it is vital for them to educate the audience on the benefits of these products. And this has to be done in the consumer’s language,” says Devendra Chawla, head (private brands), Future Group. However, the on-air initiative should be matched with aggressive on-ground sampling, he suggests. “All-Bran is a niche segment within cereals and exposure in modern trade will help build the category further,” adds Chawla.
Chawla also believes that once the brand reaches substantial scale, it is imperative for Kellogg’s to quickly bring in the variants for All-Bran (currently a single variant is available). In countries where the cereal category is well developed, All-Bran sells in variants like apple and honey almond. This will help recruit the next set of consumers who make choices based not only on health, but also on different taste options.
