Malt-O-Meal got its start in 1919 with its innovative hot wheat cereal. Now the Advertising Age magazine is recognizing the flourishing company and its wide array of cereals as one of the 25 hottest brands of 2011.

The company's hotness factor comes from its ability to outsell well-known competitors, including Kellogg's, General Mills, Post and Quaker. According to Advertising Age, Malt-O-Meal's sales grew by 5.1 percent in 2011 while other cereal sellers were on the decline.

According to Malt-O-Meal spokeswoman Melissa Zierden, the cereal guru employed a simple strategy to move ahead of the rest: packaging 90 percent of its cereals in bags rather than boxes, and avoiding costly ad buys. Those savings were then passed on to customers who enjoyed comparable products that consistently cost about 30 percent less than the competition.

In 2011, the company launched its "Bag The Box" campaign to raise awareness about the earth-friendly benefits of its streamlined packaging.

Malt-O-Meal, which has Utah operations in Tremonton, was one of three food brands to make Advertising Age's top 25 list this year.

For more information on Malt-O-Meal's award, go to http://tinyurl.com/cevjla5