Into business

In 1906, W.K. decided to risk a portion of his hard earned capital on his first advertising campaign, with spectacular results.

One full-page advert in the Ladies’ Home Journal boosted sales to 2,900 cases per day and by 1909 the small company in Battle Creek was producing and selling one million cases per year.

Among many innovations W.K. made that were later to be accepted wholesale by the food industry was an insistence on consistency and quality control.

Not just that, he also led a relentless campaign for improvement and innovation in his products.

Drawing on previous experience as a nutritionist, he printed healthy eating advice on his packs as well as recipe ideas and product information. Seems nothing out of the ordinary now, but in its day it was revolutionary.

Going one step further in 1923, he hired a full time home economist to develop recipes and spread the word about healthy eating to consumers and schools - the start of a company tradition of providing the latest information about diet, nutrition and health that persists to this today.

By 1930, almost 60 years after his initial, accidental discovery that led to Kellogg's Corn Flakes, W.K. decided it was time to ‘put something back’ and set up the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Dedicated to the principle of guidance and self-help, the foundation is still going strong today. In fact, it is one of the world’s largest philanthropic institutions, funding projects in health, education, agriculture, leadership and youth worldwide.