Flemington, NJ, May 18, 2009 – A new national media study among 301 Americans regarding the recent controversy between Cheerios® and the FDA revealed that the majority (76%) do not agree with the FDA’s claims concerning the company’s marketing messages.

The study was conducted by the MediaCurves.com® website on May 15, to obtain Americans’ perceptions of the recent FDA claims targeted against the Cheerios® brand in which they claimed the cereal brand’s marketing strategy has positioned them as a drug to prevent, reduce or treat heart disease.

The study also revealed that most (76%) respondents think that Cheerios® shouldn’t have to change their marketing message; specifically their claim that the cereal can attribute to lowering cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks. The likelihood that our consumer respondents will purchase the brand remained unchanged from before and after the FDA claims went public.

Among the findings:

Do you feel the manufacturer of Cheerios should stop making the claim that it can lower your cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks, even if it can prove it’s true?

Based on what you have heard and read about the issue, do you agree with the FDA’s assertion that Cheerios is being promoted as a drug (that is, as a means to prevent, reduce or treat disease) because of this claim?

While viewing the video clip, participants indicated their levels of believability by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. The participants were also asked to respond to post-viewing questions.

About MediaCurves.com
MediaCurves.com® (www.mediacurves.com) is a media measurement website that provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements.  MediaCurves.com is a service of HCD Research, a communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ.  The company's services include traditional and web-based communications research.  For additional information on HCD Research, access the company’s web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.

Editors/Reporters: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net).  You can also receive updates from MediaCurves.com by following us on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/mediacurves.