There’s a reason that Lucky Charms cereal consists of more than just marshmallows. But those marshmallows do seem to be everyone’s favorite part.
So General Mills (NYSE:GIS) is capitalizing on that popularity by giving away 10,000 boxes of marshmallow-only Lucky Charms. As part of the promotion, customers can purchase specially marked boxes of regular Lucky Charms cereal that include a code inside the box. Customers can then check the code to see if they won.
This isn’t the first time General Mills has given away marshmallow-only Lucky Charms either. But it is the largest such promotion to date. In fact, the company chose to expand the campaign in part because of the popularity of an earlier social media contest where 10 boxes of marshmallow-only cereal were distributed.
And reaction is huge!
Just as big as game 7 tonight.
General Mills announces plans to give away 10,000 boxes of Marshmallows Only Lucky Charms pic.twitter.com/3rorPds4z0
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 16, 2017
Lucky charms is now gonna sell boxes of just the marshmallows…the world is slowly improving
— crankdatholly (@crankdatholly) May 18, 2017
‘People are so childish’ I say as I sit in my footie pajamas and pick out all the marshmallows from the Lucky Charms box.
— Cat (@sassy__cat6) May 14, 2017
My sister used to pick out all the marshmallows from the bag every time we had lucky charms and I’m still mad about it
— tom (@RichHomieTom) May 18, 2017
Guys Nicholas & I are eating lucky charms & he saved all his marshmallows for me @ the end. I’m so in luv oh my gosh pic.twitter.com/STEfEPygIn
— Emma leigh (@emma_curdy) May 18, 2017
It’s a pretty simple concept — give away a special edition item that’s especially popular with customers. But small businesses can potentially put their own unique spin on this type of promotion.
Look at Limited Time Offer Marketing Examples
So brainstorm how you can make this concept your own. Think about your top selling items and take customer feedback into account as well. Then look for additional inspiration in real-life limited time offer marketing examples such as Starburst and Starbucks. You might just be able to come up with something your customers will love as much as Lucky Charms customers love marshmallows.
Image: LuckyCharms.com
Aira Bongco
I love Lucky Charms marshmallows. Used to munch on them when I was a kid. Those were the good times.
Annie Pilon
Same here!
I guess it’s time to run to the store and get a box of Lucky Charms! I think a key to staying competitive in any market today is being innovative. By creating a specialty item such as General Mills giving away 10,000 boxes of Marshmallow Only boxes, small businesses can also create a buzz around their company and products. Sometimes you can even offer specialty services to your customers in an effort to increase exposure and capture more loyal customers. I especially like your point about looking at other companies and how they have been innovative and apply that innovation to your company. Netflix is basically a mashup between Blockbuster and Pizza delivery. They deliver the movies to you so you don’t have to go to the store yourself. Being innovative is a key in today’s markets and can help you become more competitive. Great article Annie!
Annie Pilon
All great points and examples! Thanks for reading!