Candy marketers want to make it easy for consumers to count calories. Amid growing concerns over obesity, confectioners have begun a widespread trend of creating so-called "calorie controlled" products that are clearly labeled with the number of calories contained in the product. Some of the new items were unveiled this week in Chicago at the National Confectioners Association convention. The list includes Hershey Co., and Nestle USA, each of which unveiled candy sticks, calorie-controlled versions of some of their most popular candies. Later this year, Hershey will introduce a 100-calorie candy bar. Also, Lite Foods Corp. is showing an 80-calorie …

Marketers more commonly associated with basketball hoops than hoop skirts are rushing to put their sponsorship dollars into an unlikely arena: fashion shows. The list includes United Parcel Service, Motorola and Miller Brewing's Peroni beer, all of which have signed on to sponsor fashion week events staged in cities worldwide. Much of the activity is being generated by IMG, the sports-management giant best known for representing stars such as Tiger Woods. In recent years, the company has acquired the rights to produce fashion weeks throughout the world and is adding a host of new cities to its growing list of …

Not to be outdone by Starbucks, three of the nation's largest fast-food eateries are increasing their stake in the coffee wars. McDonald's Corp., Burger King, and Dunkin' Donuts have all recently introduced new coffee products and are promoting them heavily in new marketing campaigns. But while the products may be similar, the three chains' approach to selling them is decidedly unlike that of Starbucks. Instead of going for the upscale audience Starbucks has targeted, the fast food outlets are taking a more "common man" approach. For example, at Burger King, the new entry is called the BK Joe coffee. BK …

Just by the nature of its name, Nestlé USA's famous Baby Ruth candy bar has long been associated with America's favorite pastime. But now the relationship is official. This week the candy marketer signed a three-year deal that makes Baby Ruth the official candy bar of Major League Baseball. For Nestle, the deal includes MLB promotions, in-game virtual signage and advertising commitments for baseball telecasts and other league-produced programming. In addition, Baby Ruth will be the title sponsor of a new attraction at the All-Star Fan Fest in Pittsburgh July 7-11, and packaging graphics will flag Baby Ruth as the …

The upfront network TV ad market is finally moving, but it took awhile. And some believe it may go more slowly than usual and take a long time to complete, for a wide variety of reasons--most of which never existed before. "Advertisers are holding money out of the market this year because they want to experiment with other forms of media," said Bill Cella, chief executive of ad buying powerhouse Magna Global. "Last year it was starting, and this year it's really happening." Some experts say marketers are turning away from network TV in favor of new and emerging media …

Alcoholic beverage marketer Seagram is going the literary route this summer in a new promotion for its Cooler Escapes line of drinks. The company has partnered with Audible.com in a new initiative to offer consumers downloadable audio books when they purchase the drinks, including two new flavors that were recently launched: Tahitian Sunset and Passionate Kiss. Consumers purchasing Seagram's Cooler Escapes can download two audio books from a collection of more than 30,000 titles at Audible.com/Seagrams. They are required to subscribe to Audible.com to retrieve the downloads, but can cancel the subscription within 30 days if they so choose. "Books …

Marketers who are advertising their products and services on British TV beware: many of the consumers who see your commercials might not believe them. That's the bad news emanating from a new survey by the U.K.'s ITV television network. Of 4,000 viewers questioned, around one in eight said they agreed with the statement "the commercials shown on ITV are truthful and accurate." Around half neither agreed or disagreed, with one-third saying they disagreed. "This research can be looked at a number of ways," said an ITV spokesman. "It shows only a minority disagreeing with the statement, and around 60 percent …

Nestea is going back to its roots. With summer fast approaching, the company is reviving its classic "Nestea Plunge" ad campaign, while at the same time adding new flavors to reinvigorate the brand. "We are going back to the basics--50 years of brand equity and consumer trust together with new flavors will make Nestea an even stronger contender in the competitive iced tea category," said Abigail Berens, Nestea brand manager. In new print, radio, outdoor, and point-of-purchase efforts that will run throughout the summer, consumers will be urged: "Go on. Take the plunge." Some of the creative will feature celebrity …

After a marketing hiatus sparked by a period of introspection and reevaluation, the Gap is back. Beginning in July, the popular clothing retailer will return to the advertising scene with a new campaign to introduce its new fall clothing line. The effort will once again include print ads featuring celebrity endorsers and for the first time, the company says it will change store window displays once a month rather than once a season. The initiative marks the beginning of a new "back-to basics" fashion strategy for the company. After straying from its casual roots and alienating loyal customers along the …

As everyone knows, Starbucks isn't just about coffee anymore. Over the past couple of years, the chain has cut several deals with music companies and now sells CDs--sometimes first releases unavailable in regular record stores--as well as lattes and muffins. Now Starbucks is stepping up its food offerings in a bid to compete more effectively with fast-food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's. Just recently, the chain began offering egg sandwiches in 450 stores in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. The sandwiches come in five varieties, are toasted on English muffins or bagels, and are served …