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New Total extension aimed at appealing to low-carb dieters
WITH LOW-CARBOHYDRATE diets threatening the nearly $7 billion ready-to-eat cereal category, General Mills later this month will introduce Total Protein, the first mainstream cereal designed to appeal to the low-carb lifestyle.
The launch, supported by an estimated $20 million ad effort that bows in April, comes as marketers in carb-laden categories quickly ramp up with lower-carb substitutes (AA, Jan. 5) and is expected to kick off a rash of low-carb cereal competitors. General Mills had planned the introduction of Total Protein for later in the year, but according to retail executives, the company stepped up the launch multiple times in order to beat their competition to the punch.
In a note about Kellogg Co. recently from Prudential Securities, food analyst John McMillin said that...