As one of the most frequented breakfast options, quantilope wanted to understand the fundamental purchasing behaviors of the cereal market.
We asked 400 US consumers between the ages of 18-69 about their cereal consumption.
As shown in the chart below, more than 90% of consumers are eating breakfast cereal for its intended purpose - breakfast, followed by 43% who eat it as a snack (given that some consumers have cereal more than once a day). Just over ⅓ of consumers are eating cereal once daily, while nearly 10% are eating it several times a day.
Considering that cereal is such a consistent part of many consumers’ daily rituals, brands need to understand their target audience in order to capture a slice of this saturated market.
Data from our study suggests that cereal consumers are creatures of habit: 90% of consumers are reaching for cereal when they’re at home, 86% eat cereal when they need something quick and easy, 37% prefer to stick to the brands they know, and 38% tend to buy flavors they feel comfortable with. In other words, consumers view cereal as a simple solution to breakfast or snacking needs, rather than an indulgence or something they like to experiment with.
As we looked closer into specific brands, aided awareness is strong across the board (upwards of 75% for the majority of cereal brands). However, Cheerios is a clear leader for unaided brand recall (33%), consideration (64%), usage (46%), and preference (22%). Other brands are generally on par across these key metrics, though as seen below, Frosted Flakes has an edge with regard to unaided brand recall, coming in second place after Cheerios yet above all others (18%).
With many consumers set in their ways of cereal consumption, brands should focus on the emphasis consumers place on brand familiarity to introduce more variety to their product line. Although cereal consumers aren’t generally very adventurous, they may be more willing to try a new flavor from a brand they know and trust.
The full insights dashboard including a deeper dive into cereal consumption patterns and the overall market landscape is available below.