Reese's Puffs Launches "Lil Yacht's"

     This article stood out to me as a fan of today's rap scene. Lil Yachty has been all over my Apple Music since he released his Lil Boat album in 2016, so I felt the article would be entertaining and be fun to write about.

    This article talks about the most recent introduction to pop culture in food related items. Lil Yachty released 20 remote controlled Yachts that have the ability to swirl together milk and Reese's Puffs together. They promptly sold out right after their release. Although they were only $150 it got people talking about the cereal boxes that will be widely available in your local cereal Aisle momentarily.

    The value proposition for General Mills:

This is a very unique product similar to the Travis Scott meal released at Mcdonalds. It gives Lil Yachty a chance to gain popularity and gives Reese's puffs a upper hand in the cereal aisle, especially with those aged 12-25.

The promise that this product makes is that Lil Yachty's favorite cereal is Reese's Puffs. For those that are fans of Yachty this could be a deciding factor while they are shopping.

The competitive advantage that this brings to General Mills is popularity and coverage. The fact that I could find an article about this upcoming good means that it is getting media coverage. This will stand out in the market compared to other cereals due to the popularity of Lil Yachty and how he showcases the product on social media.

Summed up: Lil Yachty is about to take over cereal aisles across America.

Marketing Relevance: 

Lil Yachty released his Reese's Puffs "Lil Yachts" as a marketing scheme to help gain momentum before product launch. By introducing a new product using a musician who's popularity is monumental General Mills started a new marketing campaign for the same Reese's Puffs they have been selling for years. This can rejuvenate or even elevate sales as we get to the tail end of this global pandemic. By using a public figure who has stature and pull in the music world General Mills hopes to reenact what they did previously with Travis Scott's Reese's Puffs, which sold very well and have value to this day.

Challenge:

I believe the biggest challenge for General Mills right now will be to maintain their early pandemic sales. In the article it states that they are indeed trying to hold onto the gains they during the rise of the Coronavirus pandemic. Although there was no data in this article the fact they reached out to another large musician may be an indicator of a drop in sales.

What Makes this Unique:

What General Mills has chosen to do is very unique in its own way. Taking figureheads out of their comfort zone to market products to their fans is something that we are seeing more and more. What makes this unique are the "Lil Yachts" that General Mills is selling in collaboration of Lil Yachty. They are a little over the top, butt hat is what gets people's attention.

Critique the Marketing Solution:

Depending on the faces of music to pick you up in a time of need may not be a sustainable way to undergo marketing. This is the second time General Mills has called upon a rapper to collaborate with their brand. I have not seen a everyday Reese's Puffs ad since I watched Disney Channel as a kid.

What I would Do:

If I were the brand manager I would milk Lil Yachty's popularity while I could. He has such a large and diverse fan base that goes beyond music and towards admiration. These are the people who are going to go out of their way to purchase this product.

I learned a lot about how using a public figure can momentarily spike popularity of a product, store or company. I also learned about how releasing a limited time product encouraged consumers to go purchase the item as soon as they can.

https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/reeses-puffs-launches-lil-yachts-lil-yachtys-favorite-cereal/2327406