Q] As Kellogg’s doubles down on its muesli portfolio with a fresh new campaign, could you walk us through the idea behind it and the core messaging you’re aiming to deliver?
Muesli is gradually gaining momentum in India, but it’s still an early-stage category with single-digit household penetration. One of the biggest barriers is that many consumers simply don’t know what muesli really is. With our new campaign, we’ve addressed this head-on by showcasing that muesli is a blend of 12 wholesome ingredients: oats, ragi, barley, wheat, corn, rice, papaya, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cranberries, and more.
This consumer insight shaped our core proposition: ‘12-in-1 Power Breakfast.’ It offers a clear, simplified promise that builds confidence and encourages trial. For this campaign, we’ve also brought together Kajol Devgan and her mother, Tanuja Mukherjee, marking their first-ever on-screen appearance as a duo.
Additionally, the campaign aims to broaden our target audience, expanding beyond young adults to appeal to both younger and older consumers. We’re also moving from simply stating ‘12-in-1’ to explicitly highlighting each ingredient, making the product easier to understand and more relevant for first-time buyers.
Q] Kellogg’s introduced its muesli range back in 2006. How has the advertising journey for this category evolved over the years?
For the first 11–12 years, we didn’t advertise at all; the category was still in its seeding phase. Our advertising efforts began only about seven years ago, and from the outset, the focus was on demystifying muesli by showcasing its core components: grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The 12-in-1 proposition is relatively new, just two years old, but it has quickly become the cornerstone of our communication strategy.
Q] Who are you targeting right now, both demographically and geographically?
While the category is growing rapidly, its consumption is still concentrated in a few pockets. Earlier, our communication was focused on just 4–6 major metros, but today we’ve scaled up significantly and now advertise across nearly 30 large urban markets, including metros, mini-metros, and key Tier-1 cities.
Demographically, we’ve also expanded our lens. Beyond young adults, we now target younger consumers entering the category as well as older audiences seeking healthier breakfast choices. We further segment our audience using ACCs (Affluent Consumer Clusters). Essentially, premium households are more open to trying new categories, and this base continues to grow. Our single-minded priority is penetration, and broadening our addressable audience, both geographically and demographically, is essential to achieving that.
Q] Why opt for a 20-second TVC? Was this campaign designed with television in mind, and what does the media mix look like?
This campaign isn’t TV-led at all. Muesli, as a category, has always been highly digital, and many of our earlier campaigns were completely digital-only. We opted for a 20-second format because it travels efficiently across platforms, especially online. This is very much a digital-first campaign, and our media strategy is built around that.
Our media mix is intentionally broad and extends well beyond social media. We’re active across broadcast digital (CTV), YouTube, OTT platforms, digital telecasts of marquee shows like KBC and Bigg Boss, social media, influencers on Instagram and YouTube, shopper media, and performance marketing. So while our investments over the last year have been 100% digital, the ecosystem spans retail, social, and digital broadcast, ensuring we reach consumers across every key touchpoint.
Q] Kellogg’s is strongly associated with Chocos. As Muesli gains more visibility, is there any concern about the two categories cannibalising each other?
Not at all. India has one of the most diverse breakfast landscapes in the world, and our goal is to increase overall penetration for Kellogg’s, not worry about one variant eating into another. Chocos Multigrain, for instance, isn’t a new addition; it simply replaced the older Chocos. Each product serves a very distinct consumer need: Chocos is a multigrain, no-maida option that delivers chocolatey enjoyment for families and kids while Muesli is a nutritionally rich blend of grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds for those seeking a more wholesome breakfast. Even our No Added Sugar Muesli is designed specifically for consumers actively reducing their sugar in-take. Each offering has a clear role and its own audience, so there is no real overlap or cannibalisation, just a broader portfolio solving different breakfast needs.
Q] Kajol is the face of both Chocos Multigrain and Muesli. Does using the same ambassador risk blurring the communication for each product?
Not at all. Kellogg’s is a single masterbrand with multiple offerings, and having Kajol across products actually strengthens brand consistency and recall. What matters is that the messaging remains distinct for each offering. For Chocos Multigrain, the focus is on multigrain goodness and chocolatey taste. For Muesli, the emphasis is on 12-in-1 nutrition and ingredient diversity.
Kajol brings a unified tone and recognisability, while the product narratives stay sharply differentiated. This balance ensures coherence at the brand level without compromising clarity at the product level.
Q] Many FMCG brands test new products on quick commerce before scaling. Do you follow a similar distribution strategy?
We build confidence even before a product hits the shelves, our pre-launch testing is rigorous, so we already have a strong sense of product–market fit. That said, the rollout philosophy is very much in line with FMCG best practices: start controlled, monitor offtake, optimise, and then scale. Quick commerce, e-commerce, or modern trade brands may choose different entry points, but the principle remains identical: prove performance in the initial set of stores, refine, and then expand intelligently.
Our customer marketing teams use a structured, data-driven framework evaluating price, category dynamics, competition, channel requirements, and regional nuances to ensure each launch is both disciplined and effective.
Q] As 2025 comes to a close, how would you review the year, and what are your expectations from 2026?
2025 has been a year of focus and steady progress for us. We concentrated on elevating our food portfolio by making our offerings more enjoyable while also strengthening their nutritional value. At the same time, we worked on reaching more households by sharpening our distribution, communication, pricing, and product strategy.
While the year has been positive, we see it more as momentum than a finish line. Looking ahead to 2026, our ambition is to build on this foundation, accelerating our reach, deepening consumer connect, innovating with intent, and ensuring our products play an even more meaningful role in the everyday lives of our consumers.
PROFILE
Vinay Subramanyam is the Head of Marketing for Kellanova South Asia, where he leads category development, key strategic projects, and the company’s brand and marketing functions. He is also part of Kellanova’s AMEA commercial leadership team. With over 20 years of experience, Vinay has worked across major FMCG organisations. Before rejoining Kellanova, he was the Chief Marketing Officer at Pidilite Industries and has also led marketing at Britannia Industries Ltd. He began his career in 2002 as an Area Sales Manager at VIP Industries. Vinay previously worked at Kellanova from 2011 to 2015 in sales development and category marketing.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company), with a legacy of more than 100 years, entered the Indian market in 1994 and set up its first manufacturing plant in Taloja, Maharashtra. In 2015, it expanded operations with a second facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The company also established an R&D Centre in India to serve the needs of the South Asian market. Kellanova is a leading player in the breakfast cereal category in India. Its multigrain products, including Millet Muesli and Multigrain Chocos, support everyday nutritious eating.
FACTS
Creative agency: IPG
PR agency: Adfactors
Social media agency: LS Digital
Media agency: Mindshare
