Kellogg’s Debuts “Instabowls” In An Effort To Increase Cereal Consumption

“Just add water” isn’t necessarily what the average consumer wants to hear in reference to a bowl of cereal. But that’s the approach Kellogg’s is taking with its latest product release, Instabowls, each of which contains a single serving of cereal and specially-developed powdered milk.

Over the past few years, the US-based food manufacturing company has been working hard to change the way consumers view cereal and encourage them to see it as an acceptable meal at any time of the day.

According to a recent article from AdWeek, Instabowls aren’t the brand’s first attempt to drum up excitement over cereal. In 2016, Kellogg’s opened two “cereal cafés” in New York City. And, back in 2020, they even turned a few select kinds of cereal into “Jumbo Snax”, a product line meant to showcase cereal’s snacking potential.

In August, Kellogg’s took its mission to a whole new level with its “Cereal for Dinner” campaign by “offering consumers a chance to win $5,000, along with a year’s supply of cereal, if they share proof of replacing steak and potatoes with a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats on Instagram.”

Now, as delicious as a bowl of Frosted Flakes might be, we’re not 100% sure it is the best nutritional option for a family dinner. So, we’ll be interested to see how this campaign pans out.

Kellogg’s latest product release, Instabowls, seem to hold a bit more promise. Chris Stolsky, the Kellogg Company’s Marketing Director, told Adweek that he’s “noted consumer demand for convenient, portable products is rising.” And the brand’s new Instabowls meet this need directly, as they require nothing more than a bit of water and a spoon.

Instabowls are currently available in four varieties: Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Raisin Bran Crunch. As of right now, consumers can purchase Instabowls on Walmart’s website and at “select Walmart locations, with plans for wider distribution in the future.”

However, the issue Kellogg’s will need to overcome is convincing consumers that powdered milk mixed with water sounds appetizing. To be successful, the brand will have to figure out the perfect positioning — perhaps by leaning into the product’s convenience, on-the-go appeal, and “real milk” taste.

Only time will tell if Instabowls become a hit or not, but we’ll be watching closely to see if this food manufacturing giant manages to launch a successful new product or not.