CEREAL BOX PROJECT

This unit combines marketing, advertising, agriculture, word processing, Desktop

Publishing, spreadsheets, data processing, and presentations into one project.
Students will do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Define marketing, identify and describe the 4 Ps of marketing

Conduct market research and create a report (Spreadsheet)
Create a new cold cereal
Develop a slogan, logo, brand name, and company name for the cereal
Use the AIDA formula
Create the front and back of a cereal box (Desktop Publishing)
Create a TV commercial as a slide show (PowerPoint)

Teaching Sequence:
MARKETING
Present What is Marketing? material
Explain 4 Ps of Marketing?
Discuss Promotion
Assignments:
1) The 4 Ps of Marketing (worksheet)
2) Jones Market (worksheet)
PRODUCT & PRICE
Assignments:
3) Kid Preferences Survey
4) Parent Preferences Survey
MARKET RESEARCH REPORTS
Teach the basics of spreadsheets. Demonstrate how to create a report.
Assignments:
5) Create 2 Market research reports (computer printout)
DESIGN COLD CEREAL
Discuss cold cereal
Assignment:

6) New Cold Cereal Cost (worksheet)

DESIGN CEREAL BOX FRONT AND BACK
Simple presentation on package design principles
Discuss the AIDA formula
Assignments:
7) Cereal Box Plan (worksheet)
8) Cereal Box Front (pass off on computer monitor)
9) Cereal Box Back (computer monitor)

CREATE A TV AD FOR THE CEREAL

Teach basic slide show principles for PowerPoint
Assignment:
10) Create a TV advertisement for the new cereal using slide show software
(computer monitor)

Product Identification Activity

(Activity 1)

DIRECTIONS: Show students pictures of different products. Help

them identify and associate goods, services, and ideas (information) as
products. Help students understand that GOODS, SERVICES, AND
IDEAS ARE ALL PRODUCTS.
Possible Examples:
Goods: diskette, food, football, automobile
Services: doctors, nurses, cosmetologists, chefs, cruises
Ideas: newspaper, television, radio, weight loss programs, dont drink
and drive
REMEMBER: Students need to understand that GOODS, SERVICES,
AND IDEAS ARE ALL PRODUCTS!!!

Name_______________________________ Period_________________

Cold Cereal Project

Date

Points
Possible

Activity
1. The Four Ps (worksheet)

10

2. Jones Market (worksheet)

10

3. Kid Preferences Survey (worksheet)

10

4. Parent Preferences Survey (worksheet)

10

5. Market Research Reports (computer printout)

20

6. New Cold Cereal Costs (worksheet)

10

7. Cereal Box Plan With AIDA Formula (worksheet)

10

8. Cereal Box Front (computer monitor)

30

9. Cereal Box Back (computer monitor)

30

10. TV Ad For Cereal (computer monitor)

80

Extra Credit:

0
Total

220

Points
Earned

Name ___________________________ Period # ______________

The Four Ps Worksheet

(Activity 1)

Directions: This is a classification activity. Your goal is to look at the words

below and then determine if it is an example of product, price, promotion, or
place. Write the word in the correct column.
Car
Newspaper
Distribution
Profit
Coupons
Restaurant
Product

Coat
Wholesale
Food
Labor
Business Address
Mark-up
Price

Dentist
Warehouse
Taxi
Cost
Flyer
Radio

All Day Lagoon Pass

Personal Selling
Retail
www Address
Computer
Billboard

Promotion

Place

PROMOTION
(Activity 2)
PROMOTION is letting people know about products and services in a positive way so they
will want to make a purchase. Promotion is used to tell potential customers about:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How to use a product or service and what it is used for

The quality of a product or service
Where the product or service is available
New products that are on the market
Other important information about the product

There are THREE MAJOR REASONS to use promotion. They are to INFORM
customers about products, to REMIND customers of the product, and to PERSUADE
customers to buy. For example:
To Inform:

A company that makes puffed rice cereal prints a magazine ad with

recipes for Rice Crispy Squares.

To Remind:

A pizza restaurant gives away free refrigerator magnets with delivery

information.

To Persuade:

A company uses labels to emphasize that products are new and

improved, concentrated, extra strength, etc.

There are FOUR TYPES OF PROMOTION used to help sellers get their message to
customers.
1.

ADVERTISING - Any paid form of communication. (newspapers, TV, radio,

magazines, billboards, etc.)

2.

PUBLICITY - Free promotion. (press releases or news reports describing how the
company sponsored events or donated to a cause.)

3.

SALES PROMOTION - Special things done to get customers interested in trying

products or to come into a store. (coupons, contests, rebates, free samples,
displays, etc.)

4.

PERSONAL SELLING - A salesperson assists each customer. (A shoe salesperson

helps a customer select the proper shoe size. A college student goes door to door
selling childrens books.)

Name______________________________ Period_________________
Jones Market
(Activity 2)
Directions:

Jones Market is a food store that has a large cold cereal department.
Read the information below, and decide which type of promotion
(Advertising, Publicity, Sales Promotion, or Personal Selling) matches
each action taken. Each answer will be used more than once.

Advertising

Publicity

Sales Promotion

Personal Selling

_______________ 1.

Sponsored a carnival for a local charity.

_______________ 2.

Coupon program mailed to every resident of the city.

_______________ 3.

Sales people assist customers who visit the store.

_______________ 4.

Advertising space is purchased in the local newspaper.

_______________ 5.
_______________ 6.

A free gift is given to each customer who purchases 2 boxes of

cold cereal.
Placed several radio ads on local radio stations.

_______________ 7.

Special sales throughout the year.

_______________ 8.

A salesperson assists customers in the cereal aisle.

_______________ 9.

Free mini boxes of cereal are given away at the store.

_______________ 10. Each customer receives a free balloon with the stores name
and address printed on it.
_______________ 11. The store puts up a new billboard along the highway.
_______________ 12. The cereal manufacturer and Jones Market sponsor a read-athon at local schools.
_______________ 13. Cereal samples are given to each customer coming into the
store.

_______________ 14. Customers are offered a 2 for 1 coupon when they buy a box of
cereal.
_______________ 15. The store places an ad in the yellow pages.

MARKET RESEARCH SURVEYS

(Activities 3, 4, and 5)
Companies conduct market research surveys to help them make decisions. As you create a
new cold cereal, you will have many questions. You will need to know what kids want in their
cereals. You will also need to know what the kids parents are willing to buy. Your market
research will help you answer those questions.
You will need to complete Activities 3 and 4 by asking students the questions on the forms.
Then, total their responses. You will use these results to create a spreadsheet report.
To complete Activity 5, you will need to use the spreadsheet program called Microsoft
Excel. When you are done with your report, you will print out the spreadsheet. (Look at the
example of a completed report.)
Directions:
1.

Open Microsoft Excel.

2.

Looking at my example Enter the information into the appropriate cells. Make sure
you use the numbers from your research NOT the numbers from the example.

3.

Sort the kids preferences from highest to lowest. This can be easily done by
highlighting cells A4 to B12. Then, select Data - Sort. Create the charts.

To create the kids preferences chart

1.
2.
3.

Highlight cells A5..B12.

Click on chart . Select All , clustered column.
Right-click on the chart to edit it. If you want to change the type of chart, rightclick and select type/layout.

To create the parents preferences chart

1.
2.

Highlight cells D5..G8.

Then, follow directions 2 and 3 from the kids preferences chart.

Name____________________________________ Period_____________

Kid Preferences Survey (Activity 3)

ASK 25 STUDENTS:
Student
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Sugar
Coating

Which 3 items would you choose to have in your cereal?

Color

Unique
Shapes

Marshmallows

Fruit

Nuts

Reduced
Calories

Extra
Nutrition

25.
TOTALS:

All combined, the totals should add up to 75 (3 per person).

Name_________________________________________Period______________

Parent Preferences Survey (Activity 4)

ASK 25 STUDENTS THESE QUESTIONS:
1. Do your parents buy cereals with sugar coating or marshmallows?
2. Does price of cereal determine which cereal your parents buy?
3. Do your parents buy cereal with extra nutrition or fruit?

Question #:
Student:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

1
<33%

33-67

2
>67%

<33%

33-67

3
>67%

<33%

33-67

>67%

Question #:

25.

Totals:
All combined, the totals should add up to 75 (3 per person).
Cell

What to enter

A1

Your Name

A3

Kid Preferences

A5

Sugar Coating

A6

Color

A7

Unique Shapes

Market Research Survey Report

(Activity 5)

Enter the following Information into Excel

Below is an example of the final report.

A8Name: Marshmallows
A9

Fruit

Kid Preferences

Parent Preferences

A10

Nuts

A11

Sugar
Coating
Reduced
Calories

18

A12

Extra NutritionColor

B5

# Unique Shapes

B6

# Marshmallows

16

B7

B8

B9
B10

Fruit

Extra Nutrition

Nuts

Reduced Calories

Reduced Calories

#
#

B11

B12

<34

34 to 67

>67

Sugar

16

Low Price
Nutrition

3
1

4
5

18
19
Nutrition

Nuts
Low Price

Fruit

Extra Nutrition

B14

@SUM(B5..B12)

D3

Parent Preferences

D6

Sugar

D7

Low Price

D8

Nutrition

E5

<34

F5

34 to 67

G5

>67

E6

E7

E8

F6

F7

F8

G6

G7

G8

7
75

Marshmallows
Unique Shapes

Sugar

Color
Sugar Coating

10

15

20

5
<34

10

15

34 to 67 >67

20

BREAKFAST CEREAL COST LIST

BASIC COSTS
COST OF CEREAL

$ .70

Basic Cost for 15 oz. of cereal with basic nutritional

value (Includes the costs of manufacturing, market
research, advertising and distribution.)

COST OF BOX $ .32

Four color (full color) with wax paper inner wrapper

ADD-ON COSTS
CEREAL

Sugar Coating

.27

Coloring (raspberry red, lemon yellow, etc.)

.16

Unique or unusual shapes

.14

Marshmallows

.23

Fruit

.26 (Each kind)

(raisins, blueberries, etc.)

Nuts

.24 (Each kind)

Reduced fat and calories

.27

Enhanced nutritional value (extra vitamins)

.32

Box larger than 15 oz or oddly shaped

.16

Foil inner wrapper

.13

BOX

OTHER
Premium (a neat-o prize)

.42

Celebrity endorsement or on package

.50

Fictional character on package

.25

Made-up character

.07

Name____________________________________ Period___________

NEW COLD CEREAL COST WORKSHEET

COST OF CEREAL

Cereal Add-Ons

.70

Basic Cost

.32

Four color with wax paper inner wrapper

$
$
$
$
$
COST OF BOX
Box Add-Ons

$
$
$

Premium

Celebrity, Fictional Character,

or Made-up Mascot

$
$

(Total of all costs listed above)

Profit to Manufacturer

(Total Production Cost * 13%) (multiply by .13)

COST TO RETAILERS

(Add Total Production Cost and Profit

to Manufacturer = Wholesale Price)

Profit to Retailers

(Cost to Retailers * 8%)(multiply by .08)

TOTAL PRODUCTION COST

COST TO CONSUMERS

(Add Cost to Retailers and Profit to

$

Retailers =

Retail Price)

THE

AIDA FORMULA

There is an advertising plan or formula which helps advertising professionals make the
best advertisement they can. This is called the AIDA Formula. AIDA is an acronym
(each letter stands for a word). AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and
Action.

ATTENTION - Get the customer to notice the ad.

It is important to get the attention of the reader if he or she is going to read the
rest of the message. Often, the headline attracts a customers attention. For
example: You May Have Already Won $1,000,000! etc.

INTEREST - Keep the customer interested in what you have to say.

Once you have a customers attention, you need to keep it and build on it. What will
your product or service do for them? Save time? Save Money? Make them more
attractive? etc.

DESIRE - You get the customer to want your product or service.

The advertisement is doing its job if the consumer starts to want the product or
service. These jeans will make you more beautiful! This car uses less gas! This
is the best tasting pizza ever! etc.

ACTION - The customer buys the product or service.

The advertiser makes it easy for the customer to get the product. Operators are
standing by. Get free shipping from our web site. We beat any price! Available
at your local supermarket or home center. etc.

Name__________________________________________ Period_______________

Cereal Box Plan

(Activity 7)

Cereal Name:_______________________________________________________
Company Name:_____________________________________________________
Slogan:___________________________________________________________
Logo:

Promotion Gimmick:__________________________________________________
Celebrity or Fictional Character:________________________________________
How I will get the customers ATTENTION.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
How I will get the customers INTERESTED in my cereal.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
How I will get the customers to DESIRE my cereal.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

How I will get the customers to ACT on their desire for my cereal.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

CEREAL NAME, COMPANY NAME, SLOGAN, AND LOGO

Logos are specific words or letters, symbols or marks, pictures, numbers, or a combination
of all of these. A company first decides on a brand name which identifies its product,
such as Quaker Oats, Post Raisin Bran, Ivory Soap, Levis, etc. Then, they have a logo
designed for that product. Companies usually also have a logo that identifies their company.
When customers see the logo, they remember the product or the company. You can
probably identify many company logos and slogans, because you have seen them often on
television, on billboards, in newspapers, etc.
Recognizing brand names and logos makes shopping easier. Many customers dont want to
try a new product unless they know the brand. For example, Coca-cola drinkers quickly
tried Diet Coke when it was introduced, because they recognized the brand as one they
liked. Many logos are considered to be trademarks. The way Coca-Cola is written is their
trademark.
Trademarks can be words or symbols to help identify a product. A trademark is legally
registered with the United States Patent Office for use by a single company. You can tell
that a trademark or logo is registered with the Patent Office by the next to the logo or
trademark or an at the end of it. The stands for trademark and the stands for
registered.
Trademarks and brand names are similar, but there is a technical difference. The word
Jeep can be used to explain the difference. The Jeep vehicle is branded under the brand
name of Jeep (whether it is spoken or printed in any manner). When Jeep is printed in a
certain kind of script, however, it becomes a trademark. A trademark does not need to be
attached to the product. It can be a word or a symbol.
When advertising professionals create logos, they make sure each logo is suitable, is easily
recognizable, supports a good company image, is creative, and is memorable.
Slogans are short phrases that are used in the companys advertisements so that you can
begin to associate the slogan with the company and product. They are another tool used by
advertisers to help customers remember a company, product, or service. Some slogans are
also made into what we call jingles and are set to music.
Logos and slogans have to be chosen very carefully so they will represent the company and
its products well. Companies spend large amounts of money on advertising. Most companies
have a professional advertising firm create logos, slogans, trademarks, jingles,
advertisements, and commercials. It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to create all of
this advertising and do it well.

Logos and slogans have common elements

These elements are:
SUITABILITY The graphic art in a logo and words in a slogan must be
suitable for the companys product or service and give the
company and its product or service a good image.
CREATIVITY The logo and slogan must be clearly distinctive from
others, especially products or services that are in the same
field.
MEMORABILITY - They must create a strong, lasting impression. Looking
at logo or hearing the slogan one time should be enough to
remember it.

DESIGN A PACKAGE ASSIGNMENT

You may use a computer to design your logo and other
graphics, it is up to you.
Design your box.

FRONT OF BOX (Activity 8)

Must include:
!

Company Name: We generally associate company names with quality - is it a Saturn or

a Cadillac. The name should be easy to remember and represent the type of products
or people that are the company- such as Quaker, General Mills, Kelloggs, Post, etc.

Product or Cereal Name: This should be easy to remember, represent the kind of
cereal you are producing, and appeal to your target market.

Celebrity, Fictional Character, or Made-up Character

Promotional Gimmick: These may include free toys, coupons, games, music, etc.

BACK OF BOX (Activity 9)

Must include:
!

Company Name

Cereal Name

One Promotional Gimmick for Target Market such as: puzzles, word searches,
mazes, games, health tips, recipes, cartoons with your fictional character or celebrity,
etc.

DESIGN TIPS
PACKAGING
Packaging is part of Promotion. It can Persuade, Remind and Inform us. Packaging sells the
product in addition to protecting it. Your package and its design will help set apart your
product from all other cereals on the store shelf. The package design must attract the
consumers eye and motivate him/her to purchase your cereal.
DESIGNING A PACKAGE
Look at several cereal boxes to get ideas on good design. Some elements of design that will
be helpful in designing your package are listed below.
FOCAL POINT:
What do you want the consumer to see and remember? To see first? Main item (Name
of Cereal) should be larger, bolder, placed on the package carefully and/or more
colorful than other items.
COLOR:
Color attracts attention and interest. It provides background for your message and
helps deliver the message. It makes people happy, sad and even makes people hungry.
The first color we see is yellow. Research has proven that red, orange, brown and
green are colors which stimulate the appetite or encourage people to eat! Blue and
purple do not. However you would never put bread in a green color - it might look moldy.
Select your colors carefully.
SPACE:
Putting too much on a package makes it hard to see the most important message. Also
size of message and style make the message more appealing and more readable. Use
only one or two fonts, but use many sizes and bold and italics to add emphasis.

CREATE CEREAL ADVERTISEMENT IN on of the following

imovie /comic life / powerpoint / of another program that you
have pre Approved with Mr Muir
(Activity 10)

You were employed by a major manufacturer of nutritious and delicious breakfast cereals to
produce a TV advertisement promoting their new cold cereal. The target market is made up
of kids ages 12-15. They are starting to become independent and want to have things of
their own. They look to other teenagers as their role models. They love popular music,
sports, and video games. Their parents, however, still make the ultimate decision about
which cereal to buy. Parents are concerned about nutrition and price, and they want to buy
cereal that their children will eat.
Your assignment is to create a 9-page (minimum) slide show to advertise the cereal.
You will use PowerPoint to create the ad.
Keep the following things in mind as you design and create your slide show.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3.
4.

What graphics will you use?

Do you have an original logo?
What will the colors be? (Make sure they are consistent throughout the ad.)
What transition works best for your ad?
How will you use animation?
Fonts (Dont use more than two font styles. You can change font sizes.)
Keep a focal point on each page.
Use appropriate white space or open space.

You will probably want to include some or all of the following items in your slide show.
(You have already created many of these things.)
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Logo
Brand name
Company name
Slogan
Promotional gimmicks (toys, coupons, contests, etc.)
Celebrities or fictional characters
Cereal box
Testimonials (people telling how great the cereal is)

Be sure to refer to your Cereal Advertisement Grading Sheet to see how your
advertisement will be graded.

Name:______________________________________ Period:_______

Cereal Advertisement Grading Sheet

Check the number of points earned for each of the following categories. Multiply that
score by the number of pages completed (up to 9 pages) to get the total score.

Category

Completed
(1 point each)

Graphics
Logo
Promotion Gimmick or Celebrity
Color
Animation
Transitions
Fonts
Use of Space
Target Market
Overall Quality
Total Category Points (up to 10 possible)
***Multiply***
Total Category Points X Number of Pages
Number of Pages (Up to 8 Possible)

Total Points Earned

(80 Possible)