Wrigley patents gum that promises easy clean-up Wrigley has developed a chewing gum that is less adhesive to concrete surfaces and uses block polymers instead of linear, amorphous polymers. "[Block polymers] provide desirable elasticity during chewing. Moreover, if a chewed cud is improperly discarded and adheres to a rough environmental surface -- most commonly a concrete sidewalk -- the micro-domains prevent or reduce flow into the pores and cervices of the concrete making the cud easier to remove," the company said in its patent application. FoodNavigator (4/1) Fast Company names 10 most innovative food companies Fast Company has released its top 10 ranking of innovative companies that are changing how consumers think about food. Beyond Meat took the top spot for its environmentally-friendly meat alternative. Kind was rated No. 5 for using natural ingredients to create nutritious and delicious snacks. Blue Bottle Coffee came in at No. 10 for individually brewing each cup of coffee and using a pour-over style for rich flavor in its dozen cafes. Fast Company online (3/31)  | White Paper: Turn a good change strategy into great performance A number of trends are forcing consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to reinvent themselves to survive—and thrive. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, connections become more important. Ensure the success and desired results from your business transformation with change management solutions and resources from HP. Download the full white paper now. | | Consumers are thirsty for a new kind of carbonated beverage Sparkling, flavored waters seem to be picking up the sales from waning soda category. Sparkling Ice's sales have doubled this year to $302.4 million, a dramatic increase from sales of $2.7 million in 2009, according to IRI. Its success may be at the cost of other diet sodas; Sparkling Ice has zero calories, is sweetened with Splenda and is offered in a variety of fruit flavors. Coca-Cola recently released its sparkling, no-calorie Fruitwater and PepsiCo followed with Aquafina FlavorSplash. SeattlePI.com/The Associated Press (3/31) Ranch sales rise even as salad dressing category stays flat Ranch dressing is the most-shipped to U.S. cafeterias, restaurants and other places, according to The NPD Group, and sales of the dressing are increasing despite flat growth in the salad dressing category. Diners enjoy ranch dressing on a variety of foods, including salad, pizza and chicken wings. "It's cool, creamy, dairy, and it has a little bit of nip to it, but not much," said Lynn Dornblaser, new-product expert at Mintel. National Public Radio/The Salt Blog (4/1)  | 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. |
 | | On the Plate: An original look at trends in restaurants and foodservice from SmartBrief | Tech devices help consumers with healthy eating on the go Healthy Dining launched a mobile version of HealthyDiningFinder.com last fall that features 4,000 menu items to help consumers make healthier choices when eating out. Founder Anita Jones-Mueller cited a study that found 25% of smartphone owners and 22% of tablet owners used those devices to track health, diet or exercise. "A whole culture of change is in the works. ... We will look at food as the fuel for being our best," Jones-Mueller said. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Food & Beverage (4/2)  | Are your Backups Keeping up with Data Growth?
Imagine if you could save up to 38% in backup infrastructure costs. Imagine instant backups that can recover a single file in less than two minutes. IBM's smarter approach gives you the ability to visualize your backup infrastructure, control changes and automate tasks to help you deliver improved IT services at a lower cost. Learn more here. |
 | Food marketers should set their sights on millennials, Nielsen says Millennials, who account for 77 million consumers and $200 billion in spending, should be a target demographic for food manufacturers and marketers, says Beth Brady, Nielsen's president of segmentation and local market solutions. Millennials crave interaction and celebrate individualism, so marketers should offer them personalized deals and distinct products, Nielsen research suggests. They also shop less often and at a wider variety of stores than older generations, and they are driven by deals, which account for 31% of their shopping dollars. FoodBusinessNews.net (free registration) (4/1) General Mills shifts marketing focus to brand purpose General Mills' marketing focus has shifted from making TV commercials to creating content that is based on brand purpose. "We used to talk viewer reward; now, we need to talk about participant reward. That leads to a natural, rich dialogue," said Chief Marketing Officer Mark Addicks. The company has created "open-source platforms" such as Platefull, which started as an ad network and has evolved into 200 websites and social platforms. The Pillsbury brand focus shifted from baking to making, which led to consumers sharing their own uses for Pillsbury products. Advertising Age (free access for SmartBrief readers) (4/1), MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/1) Zatarain's app uses beacon technology to interact with shoppers McCormick & Co.'s Zatarain's has launched an in-application campaign that uses beacon technology to send shoppers grocery list reminders and loyalty points while they are at retail stores, making it the first CPG company to use the technology to interact with shoppers, the company says. The app uses inMarket's Mobile to Mortar beacon platform, which is available in 150 supermarkets in Seattle, San Francisco and Cleveland. Mobile Marketer (4/2)
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