Cereal Killer Cafe - making cereals sexy!

A few days ago, I was exploring Camden market when I spotted out The Cereal Killer Cafe. This is a cereal cafe where you can pick & mix more than 120 cereals from around the world, from the most basic ones such as Kellogg's Corn Flakes to the most quirky such as Gremlins cereals.


As the next step you can select the type of milk you prefer such as chocolate milk, cookie milk or even bubble gum milk. Hereafter, you can chose a range of the wackiest toppings and finally enjoy your heavenly made creation. Amazed by this store concept, I analysed the elements that made of the Cereal Killer Cafe such a brilliant business idea. One that transformed the concept cereals, making a dull product the new sexy thing.


Develop immersive customer experiences instead of product transactions

Gary and Alan, the founders of the Cereal Killer Cafe, realised that people are no longer looking merely for product transactions. Instead, individuals want immersive customer experiences that take them into a journey. The possibility to personalise your bowl of cereals and even receive advise from experts on how to mix them to get an explosion of flavours are the elements that excite people and make them keen to pay at least 5 pounds for a bowl of cereal.

Bring to life your product DNA to steal people's heart

Another key success factor of the Cereal Killer Cafe is its in depth understanding of the product's DNA. Cereals are fun and loved by people because you can find them in diverse types, shapes,  flavours, colours and textures.  This consumer insight has been brilliantly brought to life through the personalised cereals offering, the ambience of the shop inspired in the US' dinning rooms of the 60's, the cereal prizes exhibit all around the place and the positive vibes the young waitresses generate. All these elements mentioned above helped the brand to win 

 people's heart. 

Breaking industry cliches 

We need to break the industry cliches in order to promote innovative thinking - I'm sure that if 10 years ago I'd asked a brand manager from a cereals manufacturer if breakfast cereal could be sold for  5 pounds the bowl in a shop uniquely designed for this purpose? s/he would have thought that I was crazy. However, the beauty of innovation starts here. Industry norms can't remain unchallenged, as marketers it's our duty to question them all the time.

All the points mentioned above made me think deeply about my role as a marketer and as a driver of innovation within my company. It made me realise that to create great business ideas I need to develop great customers experiences, understand what elements of my product connects with individual's heart and last but not least to be brave and open minded to challenge the norms.