Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick promoted a “cereal for dinner” campaign as a budget-friendly option in the current economy, drawing parallels to Marie Antoinette’s infamous “let them eat cake” statement.
Despite Pilnick’s optimism, the advice received backlash on social media for being out of touch with financial realities and nutritional concerns.
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable, and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” Pilnick said.
“If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable,” he added.
“In general, the cereal category is a place that a lot of folks might come to because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and with fruit is less than a dollar. So you can imagine why a consumer under pressure might find that to be a good place to go,” Pilnick said.
“Over 25 percent of our consumption is outside the breakfast occasion. A lot of it’s at dinner, and that occasion continues to grow,” Pilnick said. “Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure.”
Critics highlighted the health implications of sugary cereals and the financial strain of purchasing them, advocating for more nutritious and cost-effective meal options.
The broader issue of rising food costs and economic instability under the Biden administration was also emphasized, with a call for political change as a solution.
“She told everyone to just eat cake. The Wall Street Journal is advising that we just don’t eat breakfast times are hard financially. And then here comes the cereal king the CEO of Kellogg’s telling you to eat frosted flakes for dinner because of the high cost of living,” one X user wrote.
“Cereal isn’t that cheap and it’s empty carbs, sugar, and chemicals. You’d be a lot better off buying a dozen eggs and having eggs for dinner,” another wrote.
