Who Moved My Grape-nuts?
Back when I was a librarian in academic libraries and wrote to achieve tenure and promotions, I wrote an article about the research on “you-are-here” maps (known in research circles as YAH maps—everything is an acronym). The late cartoonist Tom Wilson did many, many cartoons of Ziggy standing in front of YAH maps. My favorite was the one in which the map was upside down to the correct view from Ziggy’s perspective so he was standing on his head to read it.
Anyway delving into this research led me to the psychology studies about individuals developing mental maps of their environment in order to make their way through it. That research led me further down the path of arcana to the world of research about how to design grocery stores and the placement of products within them to get people to spend more money and to buy a specific product. Really!
When I discovered that all Post cereal products had been moved from the front of the row to the back in my local grocery store, I could imagine some young whippersnapper market researcher’s findings on my Grape-nuts: “Our research has shown that only old people buy Grape-nuts. They are pulling down our entire product line. Supermarkets are moving Post cereals to the back of the store.”
Actually Grape-nuts have been around since 1897. In 1933, Post Grape-Nuts sponsored Sir Admiral Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica. Grape-nuts was part of soldiers’ rations in the South Pacific during World War II since the cereal survived jungle conditions easily. Many of us remember Grape-nuts sponsoring the Andy Griffith Show with Andy and Don Knotts plugging the cereal during commercial breaks.
But do you see any commercials for traditional Grape-nuts now-a-days? Look at today’s Cheerios commercials. They are celebrating their history. Of course, they have babies with Cheerios in plastic bags, a market that keeps being reborn! Chex cereals have a multitude of flavors and most are gluten free. Tony the Tiger is still going strong. I am afraid Post is letting my cereal die a natural death.
If you go to the Post page, there are plenty of marketing angles there: “Grape-Nuts is packed full of goodness. Made with all natural ingredients and fortified with vitamins and minerals, a half-cup serving of Grape-Nuts Original cereal is an excellent source of fiber and provides 100% of your day’s whole grains.”
We like Grape-nuts because of the whole grains and because it adds a great crunch to morning yogurt. Just as in the jungle, it doesn’t get soggy in yogurt. When I talk Grape-nuts to others, everyone mentions the crunch and that it is a great topping for many things. Market that!
At one time Grape-nuts was the seventh-most popular cereal in the country. According to Wikipedia, it held less than 1% of the market in 2005. There is so much diversity in the cereal market now from breakfast bars to granola to a plethora of hot cereals that all market shares have diminished.
But Grape-nuts should continue . . . Don’t let me find myself in the grocery store:
At one time Grape-nuts was the seventh-most popular cereal in the country. According to Wikipedia, it held less than 1% of the market in 2005. There is so much diversity in the cereal market now from breakfast bars to granola to a plethora of hot cereals that all market shares have diminished.
But Grape-nuts should continue . . . Don’t let me find myself in the grocery store:
Trish
Post Cereal marketing department needs to read this. Fun blog, Trish
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