Totes Amazeballs! How listening leads to learning on the social web

Here’s a great example of how listening to the social web can support your research & development (or R&D, as marketing wonks call it).

The story begins with an innocent, light-hearted tweet by Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess:

“Just invented a breakfast cereal called Totes Amazeballs™,” Burgess wrote. “Kellogg’s are interested.”

Burgess probably wouldn’t have known that Kellogg’s were listening, as usual, for mentions of their brand – and were instantly taken with the idea.

Within weeks, Kellogg’s had produced a mock-up of Totes Amazeballs, replete with Burgess’s grinning face. “They’re schhhweet!” he says on the box.

Great to see @Tim_Burgess liked the cereal we invented for him! We think it’s Totes Amazeballs too! 🙂 twitter.com/KelloggsUK/sta…

— Kellogg’s UK(@KelloggsUK) February 20, 2012

While those doyens of breakfast cereals only planned on making one box (which they sent to Burgess), the response on the social web has been so positive, they are now considering producing Totes Amazeballs on a grander scale.

To sum up, Kellogg’s created some wide and overwhelmingly positive online and offline PR and genuine product development simply by doing some basic social media monitoring and spotting an opportunity.

Or…from Tweet to treat in just a few weeks.

Michael Taggart (here on Twitter) is head of digital and social at MRM – to find out more about MRM’s listening and monitoring services please email Michael on michael.taggart@mrm-london.com