The value proposition: Custom made muesli of high quality (organic) using more than 75 ingredients in 566 quadrillion combinations. What I like in this case is the strategic approach to marketing and more specifically the strategic use of social media in combination with traditional ones.
Background
During a road trip 3 friends from Bavaria, Germany Max Wittrock , Hubertus Bessau and Philipp Kraiss came to the idea to create MyMuesli after listening to a muesli radio commercial. My Muesli is an online shop selling custom-made biological muesli to customers with special wishes regarding their breakfast. An online configurator allows customers to create their own muesli mixes choosing from 75 different ingredients and order online; customers can give also a name to their mix.
Marketing
MyMuesli is a textbook example of an innovative idea using (mainly) Web 2.0 elements for promotion, transactions and interaction with customers. Therefore a very suitable case for the Social Media Marketing matrix. What impressed me is the simplicity of the idea and the “cleanness” of the web site which based on a simple design presents customers with a functional and attractive service: a perfect solution for customizing a mass consumer product with the possibility of 566 quadrillion combinations! The web site is made using Apple tools. Unique is also their TV commercial made and edited using exclusively a iPhone 4 as camera!
Using a combination of promotional tools both social and traditional created substantial publicity for MyMuesli. Regarding Social media they have of course a blog, a Twitter page and a Facebook fan page. They have several online videos posted on YouTube and in a videocast where Max presents the business to the public. As a good marketing team they combine e-marketing with traditional marketing approaches. I suspect that they put a lot of effort in publicity, with success I think considering that their story has reached the TV screens. The partners participate in many promotional events and more interviews like this one where Hubertus also talks about MyMuesli are available online. In an email I sent to Max I asked him what are they doing to monitor the voice of the customer online. They are not using any sophisticated methods for capturing the online talk but they keep an open ear on what people say online. I recently saw that their site next to the English version includes also a section targetting the Dutch market, and also a Dutch Facebook and Twitter page.
Conclusion
My impression is very positive about this business, it is a textbook case for online startups combining a good idea, innovation, entrepreneurship and simplicity. Their strategy would fill most of the blocks of my table (below). My only advice to them is that they should switch their focus from the German market to the European or even to the global market. I think that the first signals with the Dutch site are evident of their intention for an international expansion. This is a logical step: the nature of their product makes this possible.
Good luck guys, I hope yo will become one of the successful online stories of the future.
