When a company has a lifestyle brand with intensely loyal consumers, it has the mileage to expand outside its category. The Kellogg Company’s brands Kashi and Special K have demonstrated that, extending beyond dry cereals into hot cereal and now into the snack aisle. This cross-category expansion keeps the brand fresh and innovation from growing stale.

Special K extended into bars such as cereal, protein and nutrition. The brand also offers treats such as the new Brownie Bites Moments and Fudge Dipped Pretzels, in addition to its other snack lines of cracker chips, popcorn chips and crackers. The brand can even be found in the frozen aisle with flatbread breakfast sandwiches and waffles.

Kashi started out with “seven whole grains on a mission” and an emphasis on cereals and bars. The brand moved on to include cookies, crackers, crisps and even entrees, pilaf, pizza and waffles.

Once a brand has a devoted consumer group, they will follow wherever it chooses to go, as long as it stays true to the group’s needs and its own platform.