The Kellogg's Brand Boycott and How It's Going So Far
In late February 2024, Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick suggested that households with tight budgets save money by eating cereal for dinner during an interview with CNBC. Understandably, Americans didn't react too kindly to the suggestion. Federal data shows that Americans are spending more on food than they have in the last three decades. Many who heard Pilnick's remarks noted that Kellogg's brand cereal has risen by 17% in the last year. Angered consumers on TikTok called for a three-month boycott of Kellogg’s products.
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As far as I've seen, most of the current news on this boycott has been on social media or not at all. Sure there has been some coverage since the first week of March here and there. My guess is because Kellogg's is a major American advertiser who spent $756 million on marketing in 2022. Of the $64.5 million Kellogg's spent on TV advertising that same year, CBS, NBC, and ABC were the leading networks to receive that bounty and you can read about that here. Hence, why the links I shared above ain't from any of those outlets. They are not trying to screw with those ad buys by actually being impartial.
What I especially love is how content creators didn't just tell folks to stop buying Kellogg's. They gave boycotters helpful tips on alternative brands to buy in lieu of Kellogg's here, here, and here. They also offered DIY recipes for Cheez Its, Rice Krispies, Pop Tarts, and Frosted Flakes.
While, the boycott is not technically supposed to start until April 1st (and last through June 30th), folks (like me) have already stopped shopping and Kellogg's and Kellogg's is suddenly going nuts with special offers and changes in marketing tactics like these, these and these. We will check back in a few months to catch up on the boycott and social media developments. -Tangentially Speaking