Marketing Missteps: Cereal Killer

As I’m watching television, I keep seeing these cereal commercials. And I have to wonder a little bit about what’s going on when these are made. They are not bad commercials. Somewhat cute, a little funny. But I’m not sure they do anything to make me want to buy a new type of cereal. And not because of the fiber and worrying about all that fiber stuff being for old people.

When you market a product, there are terms that you don’t want associated with your brand. It’s too easy for the negative to stick with consumers. Remember the Healthy Choice ads with Julia Louis-Dreyfus? All you’ll probably remember is that she doesn’t want to be associated with Healthy Choice, and maybe you shouldn’t either.

Unfortunately, Fiber One is approaching that territory with their ad campaign that features the following tag line: Cardboard no. Delicious yes. The first word, the one with arguably the most emphasis? Is the word cardboard. In association with a cereal. How many times have we all heard that your brain will usually skip over the word no and just see the other words with it?

And here’s where my brain takes it one step further. Maybe yours does, too. I’m left with this from their tag line: Delicious cardboard. Mmmmm, doesn’t that sound appetizing?

The content of their commercials isn’t that bad (you can see one of the commercials at the end of this post). They’re pushing the point that it tastes so good that you won’t even believe that it actually has lots of fiber. And it’s good for you! But the ending tagline kills the rest of that hard work. Sorry, Fiber One, but maybe you should just shorten that tag to “Delicious.” Or maybe even “Delicious fiber.” Or how about “Delicious – now with more fiber-y goodness!”

Please drop the cardboard, though. It’s not doing you any good.

Remember that you have to be careful about what words you use in relation to your product. Even if you’re trying to show the opposite of something, it’s easy to miss your meaning. And then all you’re left with is delicious cardboard. Makes you want to get up at 5:00 a.m. and start your day, doesn’t it?