An Elaine Wong Q&A with Lisa Partnoy, marketing manager for Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, answers the question left hanging by the brief we ran the other day about Clorox disinfectants being promoted in Macy's window. That would be: "Why?" "Not only does it fit with Macy's being about home décor and stylish trends, but it gives us the opportunity to showcase the product in a way that's most relevant," says Partnoy, who evidently was no slouch in Marketing Parlance 101. "That was the objective of the partnership with Macy's, to make sure we were driving awareness behind …

First, know your customer. There's the "Whole Foods Woman," who lives in a city, practices yoga and buys organic produce. Then there's the "Geek Chic Guy," who listens to Radiohead and wears vintage Converse sneakers. Then there are five other "sectors," all of which are addressed when Sigg Swizterland executives gather in Manhattan each year to pour over designs to slap on their aluminum reusable beverage vessels in the fall. Every year, Sigg chooses from 3,000 different designs; winners get names like "Girlie Skull" and "Samurai Spirit." The U.S. marketing strategy is built around Sigg's three "brand pillars"-- its …

Noting that half of his chain's beverages cost less than $3 and one-third are priced less than $2, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz admits that his company has been defined by its competitors and suffers from its association with the wastrel ways of the Old Profligacy. "For whatever reason, Starbucks Coffee Co. has become the poster child for excess, and if you want to be really smart, you should cut out that $4 cup of coffee," he bemoaned to shareholders yesterday. Well, new advertising will attempt to convince consumers that Starbucks products aren't as expensive as they are perceived …

The National Advertising Division says that Extra-Strength Excedrin's claim about headache relief within 15 minutes has no merit, and it is asking the brand to "modify or discontinue" the assertion. The ruling was prompted by a complaint from Wyeth, a rival of Excedrin parent company Novartis, which claimed that a study Novartis submitted to back up the claim was flawed, Todd Wasserman reports. Looking at Novartis' study, the NAD found that the "statistically significant" number of respondents who reported feeling better 15 minutes after taking Extra-Strength Excedrin was "very small." Julie Masow, director of communications for Novartis Consumer …

China's rejection of Coca-Cola's $2.4 billion bid for China Huiyuan Juice Group could prompt a backlash against Chinese investing abroad as it risks chilling investment within the country, according to lawyers and investment bankers commenting on the action. China's Commerce Ministry says that the combined company's market power could "narrow the room for survival" of smaller players in China's beverage industry, Gordon Fairclough and Carlos Tejada report. But the ruling sends "a very negative message," according to Lester Ross, an attorney in WilmerHale's Beijing office who wasn't involved in the deal. "I think it was driven by protectionism, fueled …

General Motors has not yet said how much first-generation models of its electric-drive, extended-range Chevrolet Volt will cost, but estimates have suggested about $40,000. The company did say yesterday that it's working on the second and third generations of the vehicle and that they will likely be more affordable. "This first-generation technology is expensive," admits Robert Kruse, executive director of GM's global vehicle engineering, hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries, but he says several factors should make a first-generation Volt a viable business. They include government incentives and relatively lower fuel costs. Kruse says the motivation for quick …

Kellogg CEO David Mackay will tell Congress today that the U.S. food safety system must be overhauled with a focus on prevention, Christopher Doering reports. In prepared remarks for a congressional hearing, Mackay says the country needs an authority within the Department of Health and Human Services devoted solely to food safety. Mackay also backs annual inspections by the Food and Drug Administration of facilities producing high-risk products and the requirement that every food company develop a food safety plan. Kellogg and hundreds of other companies have recalled 3,491 products from crackers to ice cream that contain peanuts …