Category
Fashion
Palette Cases
Trend cluster
Category
Modern
Cereal
Cereal brands are changing up their branding to appeal to the Millennial consumer.
4.3
Trend score
What's Happening
What is the Modern Cereal trend?
Modern Cereal: Some cereal companies are moving away from an overly energetic "mascot" and toward more chic and contemporary aesthetics for their packaging and branding. This might come in the form of a slick color palette, modern illustrations, or even a special feature that adds to the experience.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Modern Cereal trend
Consumers—especially those who are a part of the Millennial and Gen Z demographics—are placing a strong emphasis on appearance when making their purchasing decisions. For some, this stems from a curiosity and a desire to be adventurous, others tend to make a correlation between good aesthetics and high quality. Given that there are many choices on the market that can overwhelm consumers, individuals are usually drawn to the product that catches their eye the most.
Evidence
Examples of the Modern Cereal trend
CategoryMarketing
Anytime Breakfast Cereals
OffLimits Cereal Help Reframe the Breakfast Food as an All-Day Option
The food and beverage industry can explore creating more all-day cereal options that cater to changing consumer behavior and preferences.
CategoryMarketing
Low-Sugar Pumpkin Spice Cereals
Three Wishes Pumpkin Spice Cereal Has Eight-Grams of Protein
Cereal brands can incorporate ingredients such as chickpeas, tapioca, and pea protein to offer protein-rich, low-sugar options that cater to changing consumer preferences.
CategoryMarketing
Redefined Family-Size Cereal Boxes
Nestlé Brazil Debuts a New Packaging Format for Its Product
Brands in the CPG industry can create new packaging formats that are tailored to specific consumer demographics, allowing them to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
CategoryMarketing
Plant-Based Protein Cereals
Rx Cereal Will Come in Three Flavor Options to Choose From
Manufacturers of cereal and breakfast foods are constantly looking for ways to innovate and meet the changing demands of consumers.
CategoryMarketing
Nostalgic High-Protein Cereals
Magic Spoon Releases Two New Flavors—Strawberry and Peaches & Cream
The food and beverage industry can capitalize on the growing demand for low-carb, high-protein, and natural sugar substitute products by developing innovative recipes to cater to…
Workshop question
How might your brand update its packaging, with modern aesthetics in mind?
Trend themes
Themes within the Modern Cereal trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Modern Aesthetics Packaging
Cereal companies are moving away from traditional energetic mascots, and using contemporary aesthetics like slick color palette or modern illustrations.
02
Plant-Based Protein
Cereals made of fruit, almonds and brown rice provide as much as 12 grams of plant-based protein per serving.
03
Tailored Packaging Design
Tailor-made packaging design is becoming more important to catch consumers' attention, such as Nestlé's Cheerios packaging that represents eight different types of families.
Industry implications
What the Modern Cereal trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Food and Beverage
The food trend of using real, simple ingredients like plant-based protein and low sugar.
For
Marketing and Advertising
More brands are investing resources in creating tailored-made packaging designs to segment audiences.
For
E-commerce
In the age of social distancing and beyond, more consumers may prefer convenient e-commerce options to purchase their favorite cereals.
Trend signals
Trend signals for Modern Cereal
Trend score 4.3 out of 10, from popularity 68%, activity 51%, freshness 10%.
Popularity68%
Activity51%
Freshness10%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha (not a primary audience)
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
