Cereal company WK Kellogg is facing backlash after suggesting that consumers eat cereal for dinner.
"The cereal category has always been quite affordable, and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure," stated WK Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick in a recent interview with news outlet CNBC.
“Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure,” he said. "We gotta reach the consumer where they are, so we're advertising about cereal for dinner.”
In his interview, Pilnick referenced a recent Wall Street Journal article explaining that 2022 saw the most disposable income being spent on food in over 30 years, since 1991.
One of the interviewers even asked Pilnick if the message may not resonate with consumers. Pilnick said that he was confident in the statement and that the message is "landing really well" with consumers, who are spending more of their income on food than they have in the last three decades.
However, Pilnick may have been wrong.
One X user said, "Such a cruel thing.. people are suffering with lack of good food due to inflation and this guy is very happy for that.”
Another X user stated, "I'm sorry but Kellogg's new campaign ads ‘cereal for dinner’ sounds like we have a serious poverty problem in America and this is the solution to capitalize on it. Crazy..."
An additional X user added: “He isn't happy that people can eat cereal for dinner. He couldn't care less. It's a big fat marketing ploy. Make people believe that cereal is the only viable thing left. Problem is that cereal is more expensive than a lot of other foods.”
In contrast, Egg Unlimited’s global trade strategist Brian Moscogiuri advocated for eggs after hearing about the interview. “So, a $1 bowl of cereal for dinner is a healthy and affordable solution for struggling families? Let's just say a dozen eggs is $5/dozen,” he said.
Moscogiuri explained that two large eggs contain about 13 grams of protein, 160 calories, zero grams of sugar and essential amino acids, all for around $0.83 per egg.
I have to agree with Moscogiuri here. I eat two to three eggs a day and always feel confident that it’s a smart choice for not only my health, but my wallet.
