Consumer Packaged Goods Broker News: General Mills debuts gluten-free dough

Campbell Soup appoints new U.S. retail president | What's driving the Greek yogurt revival? | Retailers focus on private-label packaging

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August 7, 2013

News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry

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Campbell Soup appoints new U.S. retail president
Campbell Soup Co. has promoted Ed Carolan to president of U.S. retail; Tim Hassett to senior vice president and general manager of Away from Home, and chief customer officer of Campbell North America; and Darren Serrao to senior vice president of innovation and new business development. Carolan and Hassett will report to Mark Alexander, president of Campbell North America, who said, "Ed and Tim are outstanding leaders who have delivered strong results throughout their Campbell careers." Chain Drug Review (8/6), BakingBusiness.com (8/6)

General Mills debuts gluten-free dough
General Mills has launched a line of refrigerated gluten-free dough under its Pillsbury brand. "We're excited to welcome the gluten-free community back to the fresh dough aisle," said Rebecca Thompson, marketing manager for Pillsbury fresh dough innovation. The line includes pizza dough, chocolate chip cookie dough, and pie and pastry dough. FoodBusinessNews.net (free registration) (8/6)

Sweeteners and Your Customer: The New Conversation

For the past several years, some food and beverage companies have focused on sweetener type. However, independent research and real-life case studies tell a different story. "The New Conversation About Sweeteners" shows that consumers are more concerned about total added sugars. Download this new, free white paper at CornNaturally.com.

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What's driving the Greek yogurt revival?

U.S. yogurt sales hit $7.3 billion last year, up 6.6% compared with 2011, according to Packaged Facts. Many attribute the increase to the soaring popularity of Greek yogurt, says Michael Neuwirth, senior public relations director at Dannon. The company recently launched a partnership between its Oikos brand and celebrity chef Michael Symon. "The fact was that Michael Symon has eaten and cooked with Greek yogurt for a long, long time, and then when he found Oikos on his own, it was a very organic match for us," Neuwirth said. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Food & Beverage (8/7)

Retailers focus on private-label packaging
As retailers put more emphasis on private-label products, they are relying on packaging that sets their merchandise apart, instead of mimicking national brands. Target, for example, has created an identity for its Simply Balanced brand that uses whimsical photography, clean lines and nutrition information. Food Processing (8/6)

Quickservice chains put more branded products on the menu
Taco Bell's success with its Doritos Locos Tacos may have inspired new dishes from rival chains looking to capitalize on the popularity of packaged food brands, from the Pop Tart Ice Cream Sandwich at Carl's Jr. to the Fritos-topped Crunchy Chicken Enchilada Melt at Subway. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (8/6)

Culture matters in food company acquisitions
Being acquired by a larger firm is a path to growth for many regional food brands, but there has to be a beneficial fit for the two companies. Typically, they share a culture and product category, as with the Treasure Valley Food Group acquisition of 505 Southwestern Chile Sauces. Food Safety Magazine (9/2013)

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Advertising & Marketing

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Rice Krispies campaign focuses on simple foods, not treats
Kellogg has launched a campaign for Rice Krispies that targets young moms by touting the cereal as made of simple ingredients that are easy to digest. TV ads show precocious children asking questions such as why mom has a tattoo of some man's name, with a voice-over saying, "Some things are hard for kids to digest. Rice Krispies are easy because they're made of rice, which is gentle on tummies." The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (8/6)

Zico's marketing chief details the coconut water's national push
Bill Lange, vice president of marketing for Zico, is overseeing the coconut water brand's first national campaign, which features the tagline "Put a little oomph in it." Coca-Cola bought a majority stake in Zico this past year and took it nationwide in February. "For us, it's always been about the credibility of coconut water as recovery, and restoration has really been our focus. But you can't just be boring and about sports all the time, because we know the people that are exercising are also going to concerts, going out at night and doing other things in their lives," Lange says. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (8/6)

The Subscription Economy CFO: Using Data to Drive Long-Lasting Customer Relationships
Accelerate is a collection of articles that provide practical guidance and best practices for success in the Subscription Economy, with contributions from a variety of thought leaders and industry experts. In this eBook chapter, you will learn how to use date to drive long-lasting customer relationships. Download the free eBook chapter now.

Retail Spotlight

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Kroger cuts prices and remodels Houston stores
Kroger shoppers in Houston will find lower prices on thousands of items as part of the grocer's "Refresh" campaign. The company also plans to spend $79 million to upgrade stores in the area. "We know that price is important to every customer and, at times, can be a deciding factor where to shop," said Bill Breetz, president for the Southwest. "With our Refresh initiative, we're making a multimillion-dollar investment to reduce prices across the store and re-engaging our employees to offer highly satisfied customer service." Supermarket News (free registration) (8/1), Progressive Grocer (8/1)

New white paper: Overcoming challenges of asset management amid declining federal budgets
Modern asset management solutions are often no longer included in large program budgets and logistics professionals and engineers at federal agencies are being tasked to do more with less and extend the service life of existing assets. Agencies must find other ways to modernize their asset management solutions - learn how in the free white paper.

GMA News

Insights. Innovation. Execution.
Today’s most successful food retailers and CPG manufacturers are seeking bold strategies and new tactics to drive sustainable growth -- together.

That's why this fall, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association have come together to launch Collaborating for Growth, Oct. 7 to 9, in Fort Worth, Texas. Don’t miss these high-power speakers:

Mir Aamir, President, Customer Loyalty and Digital Technologies, Safeway
Spencer Baird, Senior Director, Category Strategy, The Kellogg Co.
Joe Buescher, Vice President, Grocery Merchandising, Sales Planning and DSD, Kroger
Peter Hall, Chief Commercial Officer, Heineken Americas
Henry Karamanoukian, Chief Customer Officer, Procter & Gamble Company North America
Mark Schreiber, Senior Vice President, Sales and Distribution, Pepperidge Farm