Kellogg’s exec faced backlash on social media for tone-deaf remarks.
Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick was happy to report that more famlies are resorting to eating cereal for dinner in the face of economic pressure from inflation.
Pilnick joined CNBC last week to describe his satisfaction with emerging reports that families are now turning to breakfast cereal at dinner time to cope with rising inflation.
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” Pilnick said Friday.
Kellogg CEO is happy more families “under pressure” are eating cereal for dinner.
Also, chemicals such as chlormequat chloride, which has been linked to reduced fertility, altered fetal growth and delayed puberty … have been found in cereals and the EPA is considering allowing… pic.twitter.com/cKvhPSGMKp
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) February 26, 2024
“Some of the things we’re doing is first messaging. We gotta reach the consumer where they are, so we’re advertising about cereal for dinner.
“If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable,” he added.
CNBC host Carl Quintanilla expressed skepticism at the marketing strategy, asking, “I’m all for innovation in marketing, but the idea of having cereal for dinner, is there potential for that to land the wrong way?”
Pilnick replied, “We don’t think so. In fact, it’s landing really well right now…it turns out that over 25% of our consumption is outside the breakfast occasion. A lot of it’s at dinner, and that occasion continues to grow.”
“Cereal for dinner is probably something that is more on trend now and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure,” he added.
Many Americans blasted Pilnick’s tone-deaf celebration of future profits at their expense.
This meme has a whole new meaning when it comes to Kellogg’s cereal. SMH pic.twitter.com/QGbAe3Hvtv
— Sally (@TalkWithSally) February 26, 2024
such a cruel thing.. people are suffering with lack of good food due to inflation and this guy is very happy for that
— Omkhar Setty (@omkhar_setty) February 26, 2024
This is embarrassingly tone-deaf
— JD Breen (@realjdbreen) February 26, 2024
We’re at the “cereal for dinner” stage of the global financial collapse.
— Phi Capital Investments (@Ghost_of_Phi) February 26, 2024
Killing us in plain sight. And he’s so happy about it.
— Leo300 (@911Ferry) February 26, 2024
It kinda seems like it landed the wrong way, Gary.
— Trump Hall (@halljcarl30) February 26, 2024
Seems alittle too happy ?
— JB ??? (@spidersilva7) February 26, 2024
Notably, food spending as a share of disposable income has skyrocketed to the highest level in 30 years under Joe Biden.
IT’S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE FOOD ATE UP THIS MUCH OF YOUR INCOME
The last time Americans spent this much of their money on food, George H.W. Bush was in office, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was in theaters and C+C Music Factory was rocking the Billboard charts.
Source:… pic.twitter.com/9CMWtL8RiF
— Rob Bluey (@RobertBluey) February 27, 2024
Amid this persistent inflation brought on throughout Biden’s term, other media outlets have been urging Americans to eat less in the face of rising prices.
“To Save Money, Maybe You Should Skip Breakfast,” the Wall Street Journal wrote this month.
Bloomberg News also suggested consumers stop buying staples like milk and meat and to take public transportation instead of paying for gas for their vehicle.
The Atlantic, rather than offer any kind of advice at all, simply blamed the American people for high inflation.
