Clorox is launching a super-premium, plant-based "natural" laundry detergent, Jonathan Birchall reports, that underscores marketers continuing rollout of relatively expensive green products despite the recession. It will cost about 10% more than traditional liquid detergents. "We still think about 15 to 25% of consumers are still very focused on eliminating chemicals from their home," says Clorox CEO Don Knauss. "And we still think that despite the recession there is a pretty robust group of people that still use green as a clear decision maker." The product will be part of Clorox' Green Works brand. The label, launched nationally …

When Wal-Mart wanted to carry Deep River Snacks, a line of 11 varieties of kettle-cooked potato chips, baked fries and cheese popcorn made by Old Lyme Gourmet Co., founder and president James Goldberg responded the way any rational maker of a high-end, all-natural, gluten-free, kosher gourmet product would. He said no. He turned down Stop & Shop, too, David Holahan reports. "I don't want to be in those places. We have a gourmet product," he says. So he sells his products exclusively through independent health food stores and prides himself on taking better care of his customers than his …

In an effort to reel in older drinkers with a hankering for flavor, Anheuser-Busch is rolling out Bud Light Golden Wheat nationally Oct. 5, Jeremiah McWilliams reports. It will be backed by a $30 million ad budget, about the same as that for Bud Light Lime, which has been the most successful new product in the industry's recent past. Bud Light Golden Wheat will be positioned as a flavorful alternative, with the "drinkability" that folks expect from Bud Light, according to Keith Levy, A-B vp of marketing. The brewer is "trying to stay ahead of where consumers …

Dell CEO Michael Dell expects his company to acquire a "significant-sized company" in coming months, a source in the know tells Justin Scheck and Romy Varghese, and it particularly wants to beef up its data-storage and tech-services businesses. Darren Thomas, gm of Dell's storage business, says the company wants to "expand its portfolio" in storage-related hardware, software and services. Dell sold $1 billion in bonds Wednesday. The debt offering is "for general corporate purposes, and among the possibilities -- and certainly no commitment has been made -- are acquisitions," according to a spokesman. The acquisitive mindset …

It has seemed recently that everyone wants a piece of Starbucks --Dunkin', Big Mac, 7-Eleven and all manner of wannabes with an espresso machine and a cutting-edge logo, but now the pride of Seattle is striking back with some timely facts. Namely, Starbucks was the top vote getter for the coffee category in Zagat's 2009 Fast Food survey, and it's touting that accolade with a new campaign from BBDO, New York. The results came out Monday; the ads hit Wednesday. In between, Elaine Wong writes, Starbucks mobilized several marketing components -- from newspaper ads to digital, …

Will the Indian mango be the next pomegranate, rising from relative obscurity to the top of everyone's must-have functional foods list? Sandip Roy is no Lynda Resnick, and the succulent fruit may have a ways to go before it has "ambassadors" like Resnick's POM brand http://www.pomwonderful.com/pombassadors.html does, but Roy's report sure teases the taste buds on a dreary Northeastern morning. Indian mangoes -- thought to be some of the best in the world, according to Roy -- weren't allowed in the U.S. for almost 20 years because of FDA import standards and a seed weevil problem. …