Kashi TLC Cereal Bar:

TREMOR™ campaign helps drive significant increases in trial and sales volume for Kashi® TLC® cereal bars.

Differentiate a new product in a familiar category with a message and tactics that encourage consumer interaction and expand trial.

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The Challenge

Kashi Cereal bars are nothing new. Set a dozen brands and varieties in front of the average consumer and their expectation—their schema—is that each looks and tastes pretty much exactly like the other. With the introduction of TLC cereal bars, however, Kashi knew they had something different. The challenge was how, in a busy advertising and media environment, they could generate a disruptive message that would resonate with a Vocalpoint connector, prompt her to try the product and share it with others in her social network.

Why TREMOR?

A TREMOR campaign is effective in disrupting consumer equilibrium, even for a new, exciting brand like Kashi. The brand’s mass media message, “Seven whole grains on a mission,” was distinctive. Still, Kashi needed a more focused, “talkable” message to disrupt the consumer’s equilibrium around cereal bars. They needed a “word of mouth” campaign that would generate even more—and more meaningful—awareness and conversation. They needed TREMOR.

How TREMOR delivered the message.

With the message established, 400,000 highly connected women in the TREMOR network received an offline mailer with a sample cereal bar and a coupon for a free box to encourage product sampling. In addition, she was provided with five coupons to share with friends and help trigger conversations. Connectors were also directed to Vocalpoint and Kashi TLC microsites to take a quiz about relevant subjects like artificial ingredients, to vote on new cereal bar flavors and print online coupons for additional purchases.

The TREMOR methodology.

To create that disruptive, personal message, TREMOR first conducted qualitative and quantitative research to reveal the core consumer expectations, or schemas.

What they discovered is that consumers think Kashi TLC cereal bars “look different” and have different ingredients than they had come to expect in the category.

These observations led to the disruptive message: Kashi TLC cereal bars have real fruit you can see. It’s not hiding behind unhealthy ingredients like other cereal bars.

How TREMOR delivered results.

Using representative population surveys and matched market analysis of test versus control markets, TREMOR research teams reported great success in driving trial of Kashi TLC cereal bars. Results include:

23% sales volume increase
400% trial increase among representative population
Over 12,000 online cereal bar product reviews

By identifying the unique, disruptive message TREMOR was able to ignite conversation, advocacy and significant trial for Kashi TLC cereal bars among an influential and loyal audience. The success of the campaign is helping an innovative brand establish itself as major player in an important consumer category.