 | March 10, 2011 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  |
- Heinz seeks to lure fans with "tryvertising" on Facebook
Heinz's launch of its latest ketchup variety provides a model for brands looking to embrace social media commerce, writes Paul Marsden. The company made 3,000 bottles of a balsamic-vinegar-flavored condiment available via its Facebook page, generating social media chatter ahead of the product's broader roll-out. "Rather than simply mirror your traditional web-store with an f-store selling all your wares ... instead use Facebook to create word of mouth advocacy for your new product launches," Marsden writes. Social Commerce Today (3/8)        - Powerade preps for March Madness
Powerade, the Coca-Cola brand that is the "Official Sports Drink of the NCAA," is tying a campaign to March Madness that includes sideline presence for all games. The campaign, called "Game Science," has the tagline "Focus. Hustle. Hydrate. Believe." The first ad will star New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (3/9) - Nestle opens food science laboratory in China
 Nestle is partnering with Xi'an Jiaotong University to open a food science laboratory, its 14th collaboration with a Chinese institution since 2001. "This new endeavor will enable our scientists to work alongside academic scientists and students from the university to help develop nutritional solutions for metabolic health issues such as diabetes," said a Nestle official. NutraIngredients (3/9)  | To become a top-performing distributor, you must:
• Achieve 98% inventory accuracy.
• Reach 95% on-time and complete shipment rates.
• Maintain 12-hour order-to-shipment cycle times.
• Achieve 13% cycle-time reductions from ERP use.
Distributors, how do you stack up against top performers? View the Aberdeen webcast to find out. | | Trends |  | | | - For millennials, samples are not enough
In a nationwide survey, 78% of shoppers ages 21 to 25 said they prefer discussing a product with company representatives over standing in line to receive samples. They said learning about a product through discussions and demonstrations will prompt them to think more highly of it and recommend it to others. Progressive Grocer (3/9)  | The Plum Card®
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• If a store or vendor won't return an eligible item you purchased with your Card, we'll refund your purchase price up to $300 per item (excluding shipping and handling), up to $1,000 per account each year.
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  - Who wants to be friends with a brand?
A Forrester Research study is demonstrating the limits of social media when it comes to promoting brands to young people. Only 6% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 12% of 18- to 24-year-olds said they wanted to be Facebook friends with a brand, the survey found. Meanwhile, about half of 12- to 17-year-olds said brands shouldn't even be using social networking sites. Adweek (3/8)  | Create a winning social-media strategy
Relying on luck and good intentions when developing your social-media approach can leave you with disparate, ineffective initiatives. Get the data you need to formulate a savvy social-media strategy that produces measurable results. Check out SmartBrief's State of Social Media for Business. |
  | Keep business cards and notes together — Everyone has experienced the frustration of returning from a meeting, trade show,
or event with a pocketful of random business cards and mismatched scribbled notes. The Contact Keeper family of products solves that problem and will keep you organized and productive.
Visit contactkeeper.com to learn more. |
| Science & Technology | | | | - Cargill introduces cocoa for cold mixes
Cargill has developed a cocoa powder said to mix more easily in cold drink applications. Patents are pending, and the company expects to bring it to market in 2012, noting the product will also make it possible to use less sugar in cold drink mixes. Drinks Business Review (3/9) | Health & Wellness | | | | - Soy's effect on blood glucose needs further studies, researchers say
A meta-analysis of 24 studies found that soy intake had no substantial effect in improving people's insulin or blood glucose levels. Nine of the trials showed a 4 mg/dL decrease in blood glucose levels in patients who incorporated tofu and other soy-based foods in their diet, but researchers said that the change may not have been caused solely by soy foods. Further studies on the long-term effects of soy diet on diabetes risk and glucose levels are needed to validate findings, they suggested. Reuters (3/9) | GMA News | | | | - An investment like no other: Consumer Complaint Management
For more than 10 years, the GMA Consumer Complaints Management Conference has been the only complaints management conference built exclusively for professionals working in the food, beverage and consumer products industry by the industry. Year after year, attendees return to sharpen their skills with interactive and engaging lessons from leading consumer affairs experts as well as industry veterans who have been in the trenches. Featured sessions include:
• Crisis Management and Consumer Complaints
• What Complaint Handlers Need to Know about New Food Safety Laws
• Hell Hath No Fury Like a Customer Scorned
• Bush Brothers & Company: Model Practices for Handling Consumer Complaints
May 4 to 6 in Chicago. Register today!
| Government & Food Safety | | | |  | |  | | | | | | Senior Food Labeling Spec | ConAgra Foods | Naperville, IL | | Manager Research & Development | ConAgra Foods | Omaha, NE | | Project Leader - Capital Engineering | ConAgra Foods | Menomonie, WI | | Quality Manager | Unilever | US - MO - Jefferson City | | Manager Contract Manufacturing, Operations | ConAgra Foods | Omaha, NE | | Plant Manager | Richelieu Foods, Inc. | Grundy Center, IA | | Medical Officer Team Lead | Food and Drug Administration | College Park, MD | | Food Law Lawyer | Cargill, Inc. | Wayzata, MN | | V. P. of Sales & Marketing | $50MM+ Distributor/Processor of Fresh Fruit | San Joaquin Valley, CA | | | |  | |  |
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