Kellogg Co. has partnered with Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment to launch a national marketing promotion coinciding with the release “Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas” movie.
Courtesy of this partnership, the Grinch — played by Jim Carrey — will appear on boxes of Kellogg's cereal and snacks, supported by give aways from Visa and Joe Boxer.
But a specially created site at www.grinchbreakfast.com targeting children younger than 14 years old underpins this multichannel effort by the Battle Creek, MI, company.
“What we've run into — and a lot of manufacturers have — is the splintered effect in today's media,” said Kevin Smith, vice president of marketing services at Kellogg USA. “In trying to reach kids, this is one of the greatest ways we can.”
“So we've been extending all of our promotions to the Internet to get awareness, to get them interested and get them involved,” Smith said.
Visitors can access the grinchbreakfast.com site through the Kellogg home page at www.kellogg.com or directly through the specially created site.
A visit to www.grinchbreakfast.com yields information on the Grinch promotions and brand information on Kellogg cereals. Consumers can ask the Grinch questions, e-mail electronic cards or click on the official Grinch movie link at www.meanone.com.
For the first time in Kellogg's interactive history, consumers also can compile wish lists online for mailing Christmas requests.
“I think it's a number of different items all together and that it's really one of the most comprehensive integrated promotions that Kellogg has done,” said Meghan Parkhurst, spokeswoman for Kellogg.
Indeed, Kellogg has put all its promotional muscle behind this push. For instance, more than 115 million boxes of cereal, morning foods and snacks will carry mention of the Grinch promotion. Each of these boxes will show the Grinch stealing cereal off the package.
Products identified for participation in this push include Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Pop Tarts, Eggo waffles, Apple Jacks and Marshmallow Froot Loops.
Consumers who buy boxes of these products stand to win a $25,000 Visa charge card or one of 10,500 Visa cash cards worth $20 or $100 redeemable at ATMs. Retailers — a key ally here to help Kellogg gain visibility — also can win sweepstakes prizes by participating in a display contest for the most creative arrangement.
A separate promotion with Joe Boxer will offer consumers a chance to win Grinch Joe Boxer shorts in exchange for two proofs of purchase and $6.99. This offer will gain real estate through mention on the back panel of participating Kellogg brands.
In another promotion, the participating Kellogg brands will offer a Grinch cereal bowl in exchange for two proofs of purchase and $2.99. And specially marked boxes of Kellogg's Froot Loops will carry spoons that change color in milk.
The Grinch promotion is buoyed by TV spots and two newspaper coupon drops. In-store merchandising will weigh in with case cards, wobblers, standees, clings, displays, headers and Grinch footprint floor graphics that lead shoppers to Kellogg's cereals.
Clarion Marketing Communications, Greenwich, CT, worked on the Grinch promotion for Kellogg.
The $7 billion Kellogg will depend heavily on online marketing through grinchbreakfast.com to give it penetration in households that receive communication through other media as well.
“We have many communications going out to this group, the kids,” Smith said. “Obviously we're on television, we're on packages, and [grinchbreakfast.com] gives one more extension into homes that have computers and are online.”
