When maths marketing goes wrong.

[00:00] I have some major issues with this cereal packet. 

[00:08] the cereal section, pick up a packet, and on the 

[00:15] with the front of the box. I have a major issue 

[00:22] is genius. Hang on, let me bring it over here. 

[00:29] What is this? We did the math. Donut 

[00:35] more glaze. The area of a sphere equals 

[00:45] uh 2 pi squar r r r r r r r r r r r r r r 

[00:55] Oh yeah, I um printed them out.

[01:01] Okay, things we have to deal with straight away. 

[01:07] object. I don't know what's going on there, but 

[01:12] Kelloggs in that regard. Um, there is a typo. So, 

[01:18] equation of the surface area of a sphere. That 

[01:23] the surface area of a Taurus, which features pi 

[01:28] tao. And they put it in brackets for no obvious 

[01:34] instead of a four. That's harder to forgive, but 

[01:40] I wish they would fix it. If they had a spelling 

[01:44] been putting this out for a while that they've got 

[01:49] it. So I am annoyed at that. But it is a little 

[01:55] problems with the whole concept they're trying 

[02:00] first person to get annoyed at this box. Other 

[02:04] information. Very exciting. Get to that in a 

[02:09] annoyed at just the maths. And I showed this to a 

[02:14] got annoyed for subtly different reasons. And so I 

[02:22] Kelloggs could mean and eventually what they do 

[02:31] void in the middle of the donut. Well, here's the 

[02:37] where they, as a marketing gimmick, sold the dough 

[02:44] they get punched out. And actually, I've scaled my 

[02:50] to be the hole from the middle of a donut, but 

[02:54] you the hole. And a lot of people think that's 

[02:58] because that's not how you make donuts. You just 

[03:02] some boiling oil or something. So, there is 

[03:07] looked it up. Producer Nicole found this a video 

[03:11] Donuts because obviously that's happening at some 

[03:18] of doughut ooze and then they stamp out donuts 

[03:27] dough from the doughut holes. Now whether or not 

[03:33] sell feels very unlikely. I imagine it just gets 

[03:38] in between the donuts? I don't see them selling 

[03:47] I'd buy that. What a delicious snack. You could, 

[03:52] the point is the gimmick was it's the dough from 

[03:56] dough in the middle. I don't think they actually 

[04:00] American cuisine there is the notion of a donut 

[04:09] sphere. The second part of the name we need to 

[04:17] holes, they've glazed them, as I believe the kids 

[04:24] to put this kind of pure sugar all over. And then 

[04:32] put pure sugar all over. And they're trying to 

[04:40] when you're smearing a sugary glaze on it. And 

[04:48] very naively. No, if this was the donut and that's 

[04:56] Like, if you had to glaze all of this, that's way 

[05:01] what we're talking about. In fact, the picture 

[05:08] we can already accept that no, we're not talking 

[05:16] But does that mean maybe big R is the same? 

[05:22] and you could solve for that like if you solved 

[05:30] the same area for both. And if it was any bigger, 

[05:36] more area on the sphere. But that's just it's a 

[05:45] to a certain extent. It depends obviously on the 

[05:52] Um but I don't think I don't think that's what 

[05:57] the equations just represent that radius of 

[06:04] are the same. And when you look at a big list of 

[06:08] they must all have the same height or whatever." 

[06:13] I think what we're actually talking about is just 

[06:21] Finally, we're going to get to the point a lot 

[06:24] very beginning of this video because they say, "We 

[06:29] to deliver more glaze." And you've been yelling, 

[06:35] rigorously to deliver the minimum amount of glaze. 

[06:43] way to maximize your volume, the amount of cereal, 

[06:50] glaze. So, it's the exact opposite of what they're 

[06:56] glaze you need, you'd go spheres. If you want more 

[07:02] Taurus. Now, side fact, proving that a sphere is 

[07:11] volume. Non-trivial. I think it was like the 

[07:17] somewhere, right? Like complicated. And we'll 

[07:23] but it is true. This is if you want to minimize 

[07:29] mind your decisions did a whole video about this. 

[07:34] happens when you donutify a sphere and how that 

[07:42] principle of this argument is that would be if you 

[07:51] So, if every piece of cereal is the same amount 

[07:56] like you've got your your quantum of cereal and 

[08:02] the record, Kelloggs don't even make loops of 

[08:09] on about donuts. They don't do any donut shaped 

[08:14] guess it's flake shaped. It's like a probably like 

[08:20] oh, the machine gives a certain amount of 

[08:25] we mold it into? Sphere is the worst 

[08:32] equal cereal per cereal. Actually, how 

[08:41] About yay big.

[08:52] Max flavor.

[08:57] The top two ingredients are 

[09:04] infilled sphere purely as a mechanism to 

[09:22] They somehow as piping submerged in 

[09:32] I've made some weird career choices. I 

[09:38] Just literally eating a bowl of cereal 

[09:45] you better keep watching.

[09:52] Now, where this gets interesting is a Reddit 

[10:00] reached out to Kelloggs, expressed the concerns 

[10:08] Kellogg's side of the story. Connie from their 

[10:16] They had a bit of back and forth. I'm going 

[10:21] from Connie lays out their logic behind 

[10:28] "Oops, you got us." No, they came to play. As we 

[10:36] the most efficient mass to surface area shape. 

[10:43] that's the founding premise of why people are 

[10:48] it's curious that they're establishing what seems 

[10:56] argument. But there you are. At least we all 

[11:03] when holding the glaze percentage constant, both 

[11:15] mass and serial mass. Okay, now this one takes 

[11:23] of marketing speak and maths babble. Uh uh what 

[11:32] assumption we were discussing before if you've 

[11:38] it's the constant serial per serial. So when 

[11:44] and cereal mass I believe they're saying and 

[11:49] do loops or donut holes it's the same amount of 

[11:55] out is it oh is it the one that matches etc. No 

[12:00] volume of the sphere if you're choosing between 

[12:05] they say it's the same glazing mass. So not only 

[12:12] they're also holding the amount of glaze 

[12:20] less surface area than a loop for the same serial 

[12:31] of paws? Are they saying it's absorbent? Let's 

[12:40] we agree. The sphere has less surface area than 

[12:45] all on the same page. Closing statement. When 

[12:51] why do they keep saying mass? The sphere will 

[12:59] to the limited surface area in comparison to the 

[13:09] you have the same amount of cereal in both cases 

[13:14] the Taurus, you're going to have to spread it out 

[13:20] is the optimal shape to build up the thickest 

[13:29] glaze is indeed more for some definition of more. 

[13:42] the perfect shape to deliver more glaze. They mean 

[13:51] we should ignore the fact that they they you can 

[13:58] as mathsy as possible. They keep referring to 

[14:05] percentages. Like, okay, we appreciate that, but 

[14:11] to be thicker. And you know what? I I agree with 

[14:18] any possible doubt, I'm going to take take a leaf 

[14:25] to we're not going to glaze some loops and some 

[14:36] Here's the plan. I'm currently being very uplit 

[14:45] things and producer Nicole here has first of all 

[14:52] this one? Uh this is plain plain plain sponge. 

[14:58] now got. Hang on. Spherical cake. Right. So, we 

[15:09] sphere. And more more in a moment on that. We now 

[15:16] here? This is coffee and walnut. Coffee and look 

[15:23] half a donut. So, in theory, again, hold that up. 

[15:29] in. It's adequate. Completely adequate. And these 

[15:37] amount of cake. There it is as a sphere. There 

[15:43] still works. And finally, we have the frosting. 

[15:52] to put exactly the same amount of frosting on 

[15:58] cakes as I put the frosting on them. How can this 

[16:06] going to go wrong. Oh, it's got a delicious skin. 

[16:13] calling it. There we Okay, all I got to do now, 

[16:24] So, I think I think we can all agree it's only 

[16:31] for Celebrity Bake Off. Imagine this in a tent. 

[16:41] I had to spread the icing way thinner on this 

[16:49] I didn't even have enough to really do that 

[16:54] Exactly the same amount of cake. Exactly the same 

[17:00] now if I cut uh permission to cut these in half. 

[17:09] this one I'm going to do in two cuts. Stressed 

[17:17] You know, I'm going to do both cuts 

[17:22] So, here we go. Big reveal over here. You can see 

[17:31] ended up being. And I'm This is me doing the 

[17:37] here in Sphere Town, look at that. There. So, 

[17:46] as you can see, the sphere is the perfect shape 

[17:58] You know what? Kelloggs have convinced me. I'm 

[18:04] have the thickest glaze possible without 

[18:08] these dose do not need any more sugar. Sphere. 

[18:14] for no more added sugar. You get a thicker glaze. 

[18:20] as red is not good and the typo. Fix the t. 

[18:27] have emailed you and you not responded and we've 

[18:32] typo and we're cool because I think you've got a 

[18:37] technobabble language. And more importantly, I 

[18:43] Kelloggs or indeed any any brand who want to put 

[18:50] get more maths and culture like this is clearly 

[18:56] there. That's great. We should encourage that 

[19:00] and fixing their typos and phrasing it better. But 

[19:06] so in conclusion, Kelloggs, your your maths, 

[19:15] Keep it up. Just turn that turn that two into a 

[19:22] email to say they don't reply to that sort of 

[19:28] or we're not getting through to the right person. 

[19:33] This is a fun video to do and I don't think that's 

[19:37] I really appreciate that. Oh, I'm on tour again. 

[19:42] the UK. Sorry people in America. You have to 

[19:48] we're doing the Reading Hexagon on the 4th of 

[19:55] and it's called the Hexagon. And I insisted that 

[20:00] very embarrassing if we don't have enough people. 

[20:04] nights before. Um they got a big paraboid at the 

[20:11] a lot of fun. And we end in Manchester, Sulford, 

[20:17] well me to do. I assume the audience also have a 

[20:21] links are below. Last night, however, spoke about 

[20:26] detail. That's my uh intimate nerdy variety night 

[20:33] our buddies talk about things in unnecessary level 

[20:38] just talking to the audience, getting their 

[20:42] who comes along to Unnecessary Details. If you're 

[20:47] March and June. Uh it's not a big room though, 

[20:52] of fun. Come along. Uh and that's it. Uh thanks 

[20:59] all on tour. Why should I eat more and um if you 

[21:06] It's a lot of fun. Or bring a box. I'll sign 

[21:15] They just get worse every mouthful. It's 

[21:32] Cereal artificially flavored. Tony Glazo.