Every few years we see a category that has previously been stagnant for decades explode. We saw it with Smoothies, followed by Oat Milk a few years ago, and now we are seeing it with cereals.

There is a cereal epidemic.

Low in sugar, high protein, organic cereals are everywhere.

This may be coincidental, founders could have all simultaneously spotted the same gap in the market or there may a number of brands are in hot pursuit of the success of a few after second mover advantage* but lots and lots of different cereal companies have suddenly popped up.

*Second-mover advantage is the competitive edge a company has when it enters the market later than other companies. A second-mover benefits from the first-mover by appealing to its existing customer base and using marketing strategies that have proof of success.

I am a big believer that competition is no a bad thing, as it can do wonders to draw broad awareness and lift up the entire company. But my issue lies in how the vast majority have all shown up- it is nearly identical.

Magic Spoon

OffLimits

Surreal

Brave

Misfits

Crispy Fantasy

Yummo's

Copy and paste examples of brands, all tapping into nostalgia- childhood wonder with an adult twist.

I love this brand territory as it allows for lots of fun marketing activations. Still, with everyone playing in this space instead of standing out, there is going to be a bunch of brands doing the same thing - directly going head to head with no real point of difference.

This is why it is so important to:

1) not fixated on the category that you are trying to disrupt as this will result in you inadvertently showing up in the same way, instead get your inspiration from other sectors and industries

2) build your own unified brand strategy that is unique to you, what you stand for as a brand, the exact problem that you solve and your point of view on the world.

Getting this strategy right will be what unlocks your exponential brand growth. If you need a bit of help doing this, get in touch.

What other categories have become near identical carbon copies of each other?