Two members of Congress are urging the Food and Drug Administration to move quickly to limit the amount of salt in processed foods, calling the matter a "public health crisis" that demands a swift response from government. "I understand they want to do it in a phased kind of a deal, but I don't want it to be too long," says Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "This is crying out for change that's long overdue." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) agrees. "I don't want this to take 10 years," she says. …

A new report from McKinsey says that word of mouth is the "primary factor" behind between 20% and 50% of purchases. It also finds that recommendations from a "trusted source" like a friend or family member are 50 times more likely to persuade someone to buy a brand than a "low impact" recommendation. Advertising runs a distant second. "Marketing-induced consumer-to-consumer word of mouth generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising in categories as diverse as skincare and mobile phones," the report claims. The study points to the emerging power of mobile …

The companies atop the Reputation Institute's annual list of the large companies most trusted and admired by your fellow Americans -- at least by the 7,790 people who responded to its survey -- are cuddly old standbys like Johnson & Johnson, which repeats at No. 1, and Walt Disney, which moved from No. 7 to No. 4. The secret to their showing is an ability to forge a direct connection to consumers and their families, Laurie Burkitt reports. Judging criteria changed this year, allowing companies with at least $8 billion annual revenue into the running as opposed to the …

Single Americans spent $2.2 trillion in 2008, which represents 35% of all consumer spending and is a 30% increase over 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why then, asks Andrew Adam Newman, are so few marketers paying attention to them? "Other than dating services, I don't see it happening," says branding expert Rob Frankel. "Singles are underserved by various brands and I'm not that surprised because there's an incredible dearth of marketing intelligence out." Ads that do feature single people often reinforce stereotypes, Newman writes, such as they're partiers or always on the prowl. …

Rite Aid is taking its Wellness+ customer rewards program national with a television, radio, circular and digital advertising campaign, Michael Johnsen reports. The free rewards card offers benefits such as 24/7 toll-free access to a pharmacist and 10% off Rite Aid brand products. Members also earn one point for every dollar spent on non-prescription purchases and 25 points for every eligible prescription. "We've tested this program in four markets over the last six months, and results exceeded our expectations," says John Learish, Rite Aid svp marketing. "This is the drug store industry's only customer rewards program focused around …