How FMCG brands are thinking about the web-experience

I'm always fascinated when everyday brands that you wouldn't usually think twice about (cereal, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste...) especially the Fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) brands make the effort to ensure that they are providing their customers a uniform and unique experience acrosss all channels.

Most FMCG brands don't get it that they have passionate customers too. If they did, would'nt they be doing the same thing that Kashi just did with it's website ?

I associate Kashi with Whole Foods because that's where I buy the cereal. I wouldn't care a lot about my cereal brand having a website, but I would sure google it to just check it out. I would perhaps spend a couple minutes on teh site and then never return. But Kashi's new website works for me on several accounts: 1) I spent more than a couple minutes on it. 2) I returned back to the site and will probably continue to do for as long as Kashi remains one of my favorite cereals.

In addition to becoming an extension of the brand themselves, useful websites like this one, also promise a very unique experience to each individual user. Customers get passionate about their brands - and this passion needs a platform too. Even if it's just for a box of cereals.

I chatted with Rick Webb of the Barbarian Group and he mentioned how he has pitched useful sites like this one to 30 or so clients and had just one taker: Kashi. Kudos to Kashi for being bold enough to break the mold. Webb also mentioned that the site has seen an 80% repeat visitor rate and about 300 people signing up on the site every day. Not bad for a cereal brand, huh?