Advertising for cereals? Unnecessary.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for one in three Germans - this was the finding of a representative survey conducted by Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Vogler, Professor of Retail Management, Retail Marketing and Retail Controlling at THI Business School, and Nymphenburg Consult AG. The aim of the study was to find out which brands and products for breakfast are particularly in demand among consumers and where and through which channels they are most likely to become aware of these products.

The result: contrary to expectations, online advertising for classic breakfast products, such as cereals or coffee, plays only a minor role. TV or print advertising also barely reaches customers. Instead, most perceive breakfast brands through their placement on supermarket shelves. The authors of the study therefore recommend that food manufacturers do without expensive advertising budgets in the media and instead focus on prominent placements in stationary retail.

The study was conducted in spring among 1,030 people and published in the current issue of Lebensmittelzeitung.