Health and games from corn

According to a recent survey by Nielsen, the market of cereals grew by 2 per cent in terms of value last year. Sales of corn flakes grew by 11 per cent in terms of value, while average consumer prices rose by 7-9 per cent in different segments. Growth in sales of healthy products is expected by Dénes Kiss, marketing manager of Dr. Oetker, as health-consciousness is the trend now. New flavours have been added to the Dr. Oetker Vitalis product line, which is one of the dominant brands in the market of cereals. As research by Nielsen AC shows, 39 per cent of total corn flake sales and 37 per cent of cereal sales are concentrated in the largest stores. The target group of he category is composed primarily of young, health-conscious women, with higher than average income One of the most effective tools used by Dr. Oetker is sampling in very large stores. Their intention is not only to promote their own product but the whole category. Fruity flavours are the most popular in the domestic market. Cerbona Disney is targeted at children primarily, with cereal bars, corn flakes and pasta. Apart from the appearance of the new product line, cereals have also changed both in terms of looks and ingredients. Their products are made with a reduced sugar content and added fibres and this fact is constantly communicated to consumers. Several products of Fortunate Kft. have recently received new packaging. Not only their image, but their size has also changed. They have introduced the 500 gram size for their oat products and according to the managing director Attila Ábrahám, 350–400 gram packages will also appear soon. Products with the Weight Control logo are very popular among people who follow the Alexandra Béres system. 42 percent of Nestlé corn flake products are intended for children. Examples are Nesquik, Chocapic, Cini Minis, Cookie Crisp and Cheerios. Nestlé keeps in touch with children and their families throughout the year using shelf promotions primarily. Their most spectacular promotion in 2007 so far was linked to the Spiderman 3 campaign. Nearly 900 corn flake displays have been used nation-wide during the introduction of the new Cookie Crisp corn flake bar. They have also packaged model aircraft in 250 gram boxes of Nesquik, Chocapic, andCini Minis, while 500 gram boxes contained full version Microsoft PC games. In their present campaign, Spiderman figures and equipment is hidden in boxes of corn flakes. Nestlé regards samplings as an efficient method for maintaining personal contact with their target group, brand building, promoting sales and building confidence among consumers.