• Kellogg Snares Phelps For Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes
    When General Mill unveiled gymnast Nastia Liukin and decathlete Brian Clay as the Olympic-faces-to-be on its Wheaties boxes Thursday, the bigger news was who wasn't going to be munching the Breakfast of Champions this year. That's because eight-time gold medalist Michael Phelps has been signed by Kellogg's to grace its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes. The PR coup comes as Phelps rides an almost unprecedented wave of publicity. He has, for instance, agreed to appear on "Saturday Night Live" and MTV's Video Music Awards. General Mills spokeswoman Shelly Dvorak is quick to point out that although Phelps …
  • Demand Strong For Superpremium Juices
    Driven by the health and wellness trend, sales of superpremium juice drinks rose 12.8% in 2007, according to a report from the Beverage Marketing Corporation. The group includes fresh packaged juice, which is typically 100% fruit juice, or drinks that are similarly positioned in the market. Marketing for the sub-segment often contains terms like "antioxidants" and "omega fatty acids." The study highlights POM Wonderful pomegranate juice as a prime example in the market place. The growth of superfruits is also demonstrated by the purple açaí berry from the Amazonian rainforest, which manufacturers boast contains antioxidants and omega …
  • To Avoid Disclaimers, Drug Makers Don't Name Brands
    Under Food and Drug Administration rules, ads that don't directly name a drug don't have to include the reading of possible side effects that can chew up expensive television time. Some drug marketers are taking advantage of that loophole by running TV spots that direct viewers to Web sites without mentioning the name of the product being sold, or its possible side effects. Pfizer, for example, has a commercial in which a middle-age woman tells the camera about her cigarette habit. During the 60-second commercial, a voice discusses ways to break the habit and directs viewers …
  • Department Stores Turn To Brands To Stand Out In The Crowd
  • 99 Cents Only Stores May Break The Dollar Barrier
    99 Cents Only, which pioneered the single-price retail concept in 1982 in Los Angeles, has expanded to 277 locations in California and the Southwest. But 99 cents isn't what it used to be, and CEO Eric Schiffer admits that change may be overdue. "When you are part of a family that comes up with a concept, sometimes you're the last to admit that it needs to be changed," he says. The deep-discount retailer sells groceries, household supplies and health and beauty products, and remains one of the few true "dollar" stores. Family Dollar Stores, a chain of more than …
  • Aston Martin Values Scarcity
  • IPhone's Network Woes Delight AT&T's Rivals
  • Wal-Mart Converts Garden Centers To Football Areas
  • New Dell PCs Target Small Businesses In Developing Markets
    Dell has introduced four computers aimed at helping it deepen its hold on developing markets as sales have slowed in mature markets including the U.S. Two notebooks will be available in more than 20 countries, starting at about $475. The cheaper of the two desktop computers -- part of the Vostro line -- will start at about $440. Dell's new models will be targeted to small to medium-sized businesses. The company has traditionally focused on winning contracts from corporations and institutions with thousands of employees, says Bryan Ma, an analyst in Singapore with industry research firm IDC. "Given Dell's …
  • Sony Videogame Challenges Wii With Advanced Graphics
    Sony is hoping that Afrika -- a game for the PlayStation 3 videogame console it is releasing in Japan today -- will broaden its sales beyond the core audience of young male players who love action-packed games. In an attempt at emulating Nintendo Wii's straightforward game play, players tour a virtual African safari, completing photo-taking assignments. There is no shooting, little action, no winning or losing, and not even an ending. The PS3 has the ability to render images more realistically than ever, and developers took extra care with the smallest details like the way muscles ripple when they …
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