Dr Pepper Snapple is reformulating 7UP to give it a "crisper" lemon and lime taste, Anjali Cordiero reports. The "restaged" flavor will hit shelves in September, according to the company's CMO, Jim Trebilcock, who says sales of the drink grew last year. "We wanted to see if we could accelerate it," he says.

News of the restaging is actually buried in Elaine Wong's Brandweek Q&A with Trebilcock and svp of marketing Andrew Springate; she led with the news of two new Snapple flavors created by the finalists on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

"About a year ago, [the brand] was floundering and it wasn't very differentiated," Springate admits. After "listening to our drinkers," the result was a reformulation and new graphics and marketing that culminated in the tie-in with Donald Trump's TV show. Snapple sales were up 15% in the first quarter, Trebilcock reports.

Dr Pepper, which introduced a Cherry version last year, also grew and the uptick continues. The three big drivers in the category, the executives maintain, are health, wellness and taste. Read the whole story...

Marketers need to make a brand a critical part of their core fans' culture, says Frank Cooper, PepsiCo America Beverages' svp and chief consumer engagement officer. If you achieve this, you'll not only uncover new details about your brand, you'll also develop co-collaborators.

There are at least three benefits to be had: 1. Great ROI; 2. Powerful word-of-mouth buzz and 3. A better brand reputation.

Cooper cites the Mountain Dew DEWmocracy campaign, which Laurie Sullivan details in this morning's Marketing Daily, as a prime example of ROI generation. "Having fans involved in the media and advertising buy-in process gave us better insight into which Web sites they are truly engaged with and not just passively visiting," he says. And the more transparent you are in your actions with your core audience, the more positive the response will be, he maintains. Read the whole story...

A Horizon Air flight from Seattle to Portland, Ore., yesterday featured a perk from the glory days of air travel: free food. But, Michael Bush reports, there was marketing twist. The snack boxes were part of a program from Air Advertainment in which marketers sponsor free meals or snack boxes.

Consumer-electronics company Creative Labs sponsored yesterday's offering, which included Stacy's Pita Chips, pretzels and Hershey's chocolate.

"We can broadcast in a big way to build a brand image or be really razor sharp with accuracy just like in the Seattle-Portland market," says Ryan Matway, president of Air Advertainment, who says that 25,000 food boxes will be given away on the route over the next 20 days. "Carriers are turning an expense into a potential profit center," he says. Read the whole story...

Product Editor Rick Kranz speaks with Mike Colleran, COO of Saab Cars North America and the man in charge of steering the brand in North America following its acquisition from General Motors by Dutch sports car maker Spyker. Saab has been on an 18-month roller coaster ride since GM first announced it was taking the brand through a strategic review. Dealers, in fact, had no new inventory for most of the 2010 model year.

"Just getting new product into the pipeline is a biggie," Colleran says. It is preparing for a full-blown launch of the 9-5 model next month, which will compete primarily with the Audi A6. There will be dealer and consumer events, as well as TV and print components. The company is also using social media to fight the perception that the brand is gone, and it knows it needs to instill confidence in consumers about the viability of the brand.

Saab is, in fact, gearing up for several additional launches. "Two years from now, the oldest product on the showroom floor will be the new 9-5," Colleran says. "What an amazing change." Read the whole story...

Toyota won't sell its high-end 2009-10 Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h sedans until it develops a remedy for the electronics problem that can cause steering wheels to fall out of alignment, Nathan Olivarez-Giles reports. On Friday, the company recalled the nearly 4,000 vehicles in the U.S. that are already in customers' hands, and 7,500 elsewhere.

The steering wheel can get stuck in a turned orientation even though the car is going straight, says company spokesman Brian Lyons, although it can still be used to steer the car. There have been no reported accidents related to the issue in the U.S. or Japan, and Toyota believes the vehicles are safe to drive.

"This will hurt the perception of Lexus in terms of safety," says IHS Global Insight analyst Bruce Harrison. "But I think people are beginning to get numb to the idea that Toyota and Lexus cars can have problems and recalls, whether they associate the brands together or not." Read the whole story...

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