• Ford's Environmental Executive Reports To CEO
    Ford yesterday promoted Susan M. Cischke to a new job as senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering--the first executive at a Detroit auto company to have sustainability in her job title. Cischke, who now reports to CEO Alan R. Mulally, will be in charge of creating a long-range strategy on sustainability matters. On April 2 the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency had the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from automobiles. The primary way that can be done, carmakers and environmentalists say, is to increase automobile fuel economy. As a …
  • Miller's CEO Stands Ready To Fight All Comers
    Fresh from the flop of its "Man Laws" campaign, Miller CEO Tom Long told distributors at an annual conference last week that the No. 2 brewer intends to return Miller Lite to the combative posture it largely abandoned in 2005. Long--the one-time president of Coke's Northwest European division--is modeling the Miller offensive on the Pepsi Challenge model of his former archrival, Pepsi Cola. But unlike Pepsi, which went after one brand--Coke--Miller Lite plans to compare taste, carbohydrates and calories to all rival beers. A similar strategy worked well for Miller Lite when it picked up market …
  • Will Interactive Cards Revive Topps?
    Sales in Topps sports card division--which make up about half of the company's revenues--fell 15% annually between 2000 and 2005, as kids flocked to high-tech diversions, as well as gaming cards. Now former Walt Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner has partnered with private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners in a $385 million bid to take the ailing card and candy company private. One possible way forward is interactive cards. Mattel introduced its HyperScan card games in 2006. They use CD-ROM and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies to allow users to select a character from a card, such as The …
  • Terra-Cycle Exploits Miracle-Gro Lawsuit
    Tiny organic plant-food brand TerraCycle is making hay out of a lawsuit for trade-dress infringement and false advertising by Scotts, the $2.7 billion maker of Miracle-Gro. TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky says the brand has gone to great lengths to differentiate itself from Miracle-Gro. For one thing, its labels prominently proclaim all the products are made from worm poop. TerraCycle has launched a Web site, SuedbyScotts.com, lampooning Scotts. It lists 81 other lawn-and-garden products that use green-and-yellow packaging like Miracle-Gro's. The site also includes side-by-side comparisons of the companies' CEOs. Szaky's main perk: "Free worm poop." Scotts Chairman-CEO …
  • Pepsi Getting Greener This Summer
    In the coming weeks, PepsiCo will unveil plans to reduce its carbon footprint and extend the environmentally friendly practices it already has embraced, according to a source. In support of its environmental stance, it will be one of the headline sponsors of the 24-hour "Live Earth" concert on July 7. Seven concerts in support of fighting global warming will be held on all seven continents. U.S. sponsors also include Microsoft, Stonyfield Farm and DaimlerChrysler's Smart division. The U.S. leg of the event includes Kayne West, the newly reunited Police and Smashing Pumpkins at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. …
  • Under Armour Facing Stiffer Competition
    Net income at sports apparel maker Under Armour nearly doubled in 2006--to $39 million--on sales of $430 million, but hedge funds and others are betting its stock is headed for a fall, due to the company's aggressive expansion plans and rich valuations. The company has made its fortune by exploiting the niches largely overlooked by the biggest names in sports stuff. When founder and CEO Kevin A Plank started the business 11 years ago, he targeted fitness buffs with a line of tight-fitting T-shirts made of a material designed to keep participants cool and dry during workouts. Building …
  • Ford's Tougher Ads Show Sales Results
    An upswing in sales for Ford's Edge, Fusion and Expedition nameplates can be traced to a pugilistic marketing plan. New ads don't just mention the competition, but dis it as well br> For example, Ford recently hired provocative playwright and director David Mamet for TV ads that claim the new Edge is "quieter than a Lexus" and "quicker than a BMW." Those ads follow previous ones that contrasted the Fusion with the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord in a driving performance test and ones matching up the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Suburban. The new approach …
  • Turn Customers Into Guests Says Hotelier Tisch
    Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, says the most basic lesson he learned is applicable to all marketers in the business of attracting and keeping customers: Turn customers into guests. Tisch recently published "Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough" with co-writer Karl Weber. The book salutes Urban Outfitters for harnessing "the power of welcome to attract customers." The retailer, for example, doesn't limit its offerings to clothes. The managers start with what interests their customers and assembles a collection of items that will appeal, such as furniture, jewelry, housewares and music. To keep people interested, the …
  • Saks Uses Grid To Find Right Store Mix, Sales Up
    Saks Fifth Avenue CEO Steve Sadove's efforts to overhaul the selection of clothing and accessories at the company's 54 stores around the country appear to be paying off. For seven of the past eight months, sales at stores open at least a year have risen more than those at archrival Neiman Marcus' 38 stores. Having the right merchandise is the key to Sadove's strategy for turning around the tony department-store chain that stumbled in trying to attract young women with what one analyst described as a "Hollywood bling-bling look." To be successful, Saks faces the challenge of figuring out …
  • FTC Preparing Subpoenas For Food Marketers
    For a report that it is preparing for Congress, the Federal Trade Commission says it will subpoena 44 unnamed food, beverage and fast-food restaurant marketers for detailed information on how they market to children. The information demands will be detailed and all-encompassing, according to a Federal Register notice. The FTC is particularly interested in breakfast cereals; snack foods; candy; dairy products; baked goods; carbonated beverages; fruit juice and non-carbonated beverages; prepared foods and meals; frozen and chilled desserts; and quick-service restaurant items. Among other things, the FTC is seeking information on the use of traditional media targeting kids; …
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