Cereal topper ‘shakes’ up yogurt aisle

Breakfast just got tastier with the recent introduction of the YoCrunch Cereal Bowl – collaboration between powerhouse brands YoCrunch and Kellogg’s.  The YoCrunch Cereal Bowl unites cereal favorites from Kellog’s such as Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Special K in an innovative dome-shaped top with YoCrunch’s tasty yogurt making it easy for consumers to combine the two breakfast items and shake to get that perfect blended mixture.  

Packaging Digest caught up with Elliot Shifrin, senior brand manager for YoCrunch to get exclusive details on the innovative packaging.

What design trends does your packaging set in the breakfast category?

Shifrin: The packaging for YoCrunch Cereal bowls is all about convenience and is something completely new for consumers.  On their own many Americans are combining cereal with yogurt, and we’ve simplified that greatly with the YoCrunch Cereal Bowl. We believe it is the most significant innovation in the yogurt category since the introduction of Greek yogurt. The product has the largest dome in the yogurt aisle, creating an end product that has equal parts cereal and yogurt. In addition, consumers “shake” the two components together versus the traditional pour and stir in.

What is the motivation behind the recent activity in introducing new products/packaging?

Shifrin: Yogurt category growth, to which we are deeply committed, is in large part about finding new ways for Americans to enjoy the benefits and versatility of yogurt.  The YoCrunch Cereal Bowl’s large dome provides consumers the best way to achieve a perfectly blended yogurt and cereal flavor combination. As two thirds of Americans are currently mixing in a topping or other ingredients to their yogurt, this packaging makes it even more convenient for consumers to enjoy the yogurt and cereal combination.

Consumers have been mixing cereal into their yogurt on their own for years, what’s taken so long for this concept to come to fruition?

Shifrin: There are certainly companies that could have created this product before we did, but no one had yet. It’s the type of product that once you see it, it just makes perfect sense. We’re proud to partner with Kellogg’s to bring its strong brands and great tasting cereals to the YoCrunch family. Once we started the conversation with them, we were able to bring the products to market in just over 6 months, which is a testament to our collective agility.

What were the key goals and requirements from a marketing view? From a packaging view?

Shifrin: We wanted to make the lives of yogurt and cereal lovers easier and bring added value to the retailer with a truly novel concept.  Simultaneously, we are delivering the delicious flavor, convenience and nutrition consumers have come to expect from YoCrunch with the strong Kellogg brands.

Describe packaging components of bottle, closure, label (other?) by vendor(s) and specification (or structure/polymer, size, style). To what degree is each custom?

Shifrin: The design of the cup and the bowl are both custom.  The cup is made from PP and is thermoformed, while the dome is also PP and injection molded. Both the cup and dome are sleeved to deliver the premium look warranted by the respective YoCrunch and Kellogg’s brands.

What challenges were encountered from a packaging production standpoint and how were they solved?

Shifrin: YoCrunch was the first to pair creamy, vanilla and fruit-flavored yogurt with crunchy granola in a dual container and has been creating fun, wholesome yogurt combinations for more than 25 years. We already had the technology in place to create the topper, and we expanded it to create the largest dome ever to hit the yogurt aisle.

Were there any other unexpected results and/or pleasant surprises?

Shifrin: Thankfully there were no unexpected events during the development of the YoCrunch Cereal Bowls, which accounted for our getting the product from concept to market in just over 6 months.

Where are the products packaged?

Shifrin: At the YoCrunch plant in Naugatuck, CT.

Did sustainability play a role in the package development?

Shifrin: Sustainability is a factor in all of our decision-making and the larger dome is necessary to accommodate the cereals as well as facilitate the unique method of combining the cereal and yogurt.