PepsiCo plans to make $1 billion brands stronger PepsiCo is focused on making its 22 $1 billion brands even stronger, according to Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. In an interview with Bloomberg, Nooyi also addresses the in-home sparkling machine trend and PepsiCo's plan to collaborate with machinery manufacturers to provide PepsiCo products for users of all in-home machines. "I think there's a place for both [in-store products and home-produced ones], the challenge is to play both intelligently to grow the whole pie," Nooyi said.  Bloomberg Businessweek (5/1)
 | Sweetener 360. The Video. Watch It Now. Meet Walter & Stacey. Different people with different backgrounds and different attitudes, yet some surprisingly similar shopping habits. It's a message about the difference between what consumers say vs. what they actually do. Just one of many insights into consumer behavior you'll find in the Sweetener360 research. Watch the video now. | | GMA awards Wal-Mart's Duke with highest honor The GMA will give the Hall of Achievement Award, its highest honor, to Mike Duke, the retired president and CEO of Wal-Mart. The GMA is honoring Duke for critically investing in technology and human resources while delivering strong financials during Wal-Mart's global expansion. "Mike is an exemplary leader whose integrity, dynamism and ingenuity have made our industry stronger and the lives of consumers better," said GMA President and CEO Pamela Bailey. Supermarket News (free registration) (5/5) Survey: More shoppers are buying private-label products Nearly 90% of shoppers buy store-brand products, saying their quality is at least the same as their name-brand counterparts, according to a new survey from Deloitte. Consumers still purchase brand-name products in the beer, soft drinks, pet food and coffee categories, but they don't really consider brands when purchasing bottled water, tabletop disposable paper products, food storage, deli meats, condiments and salty snacks, the survey revealed. MediaPost Communications/MediaPost Weekend (5/4) Rockit apples find niche as convenience and snack food Rockit apples, which are crisp, red and golf-ball-sized, have seen success being marketed as a high-end convenience food and snack item, rather than just another produce option. The apples, grown in New Zealand, are packaged in clear plastic tubes to help them stand out from other apple varieties and are now sold in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.K. "Rockit was thinking outside the square, repositioning the total apple offering," said Steve Saunders, director of the firm Havelock North Fruit Company, which played a major role in the marketing strategy for Rockit apples. The New Zealand Herald (5/1) Bottled maple water trickles onto store shelves Brands including Vertical Water and DRINKmaple are bringing bottled maple water to store shelves in the U.S. The maple water, or maple sap, is collected from trees and then pasteurized to make it shelf stable -- all of its natural vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, calcium and iron, remain. "It's always been a regional, seasonal thing. It's exciting that companies are getting into bottling it year around," said Michael Farrell, a maple expert at Cornell University. USA Today (5/1)  | Companies live and die by their employees
Businesses with fewer than 500 employees drive the economy, and represent about 55% of all jobs in the country. However, finding suitable employees can be tough. Small Business Owners with limited time and resources need to make every new hire count because the actions of each employee can go straight to the bottom line. Download your free white paper, Welcome Aboard: A Guide to Small Business Hiring and learn how to hire smarter. |
 |  | The 2014 American Pantry Study
11 AM EST on May 7
During this webcast, we will take an in-depth look at how to succeed in a fundamentally changed consumer marketplace. After four years of data, learn about our recommendations in our new "playbook". You will not want to miss the most current results around brands, consumer behaviors and attitudes. Register. |
 | | Grocery Aisle: Take a look into the consumer packaged goods and grocery industries with SmartBrief | In quest to stand out, some brands start new packaging trends New food and beverage packaging trends often begin as a way to stand out and appeal to consumers whose tastes are changing, such as the time Kraft Foods set its South Beach brand of frozen meals apart with white packaging. The tactic proved so popular that a few years later, the brand was surrounded by rival meals also dressed in white, said Meghan Labot of Spring Design Partners, adding that all design trends are cyclical. "If it ties to your brand, it's brilliant. If it's just a trick to stand out, then it's just a trick, and you will have to find another in a few years," she said. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Food & Beverage (5/5)  | Building Super Brands with Superconsumers
A recent study shows that superconsumers represent 10 percent of a category's customers and 30-70 percent of its sales. HBS Executive Education's Marketing programs focus on building superconsumers who influence millions via social media. Read more in a complimentary Harvard Business Review article. |
 | Natural Grocers: Competition won't drive us to change pricing Prices at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will not change due to regional competition, which increased to 51% this year, up from 15% last year, the retailer said. To gain a competitive edge in the market, Natural Grocers has instead launched new standard initiatives that include pasture-raised, non-confinement dairy products and non-GMO organic chickens. "[O]ur pricing surveys show we are the best-priced natural food chain in each of our markets by 10% to 25%, so we don't believe we need to invest in price," Natural Grocers' Co-President Kemper Isely said. Supermarket News (free registration) (5/2) | Experts: Interested in sharing your insights on SmartBlog on Food & Beverage? We're always open to expert contributions of knowledgeable and insightful stories on news and trends in all areas of the food and beverage industry. Check out our step-by-step guest post guide and then e-mail editor Tricia Smith with your story idea or for more information. |  | Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom." | | | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.
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