Alpen: Advertising in a Commodity Market

Gerard Smith

Rapid expansion of mueslis, following the 1979 dispute at Kellogg's plant and consequent shortages, led to mueslis becoming a commodity market with growing share for own label brands: Alpen, the first on the market and the dominant brand, was under threat with a declining share (down to 27%); high price thought to be the cause.
Agency: D'Arcy Macmanus & MasiusAuthor: Gerard Smith

Alpen: Advertising in a Commodity Market

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes how advertising helped restore the fortunes of Alpen, brand leader in the muesli sector of the breakfast cereal market, reversing losses in volume and market share and protecting a premium price in a sector where own-label versions had infiltrated extensively.

In 1979, a dispute affected deliveries of Kellogg's brands, and being by far the largest cereal manufacturer, severe disruption resulted. One consequence of this was that the muesli sector grew rapidly, largely through enforced trial, and because supplies of...

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