Kellogg is looking to reward its most loyal customers with a new "Family Rewards Program," giving people the opportunity to enter codes found in packages of the company's cereals, frozen foods and snacks in exchange for discounts, toys, books and a chance to win $200 in free groceries. The program also offers additional bonuses for consumers who try new products, putting new SKUs on the radar of shoppers who might not normally see them.

LG is encouraging consumers to dream big, via a Facebook app that lets people create their ideal home (complete with LG appliances, of course). After users (who get a chance to select between three different styles: antique, modern and Zen) create their dream interior, they can share them via an interactive movie among friends and family. An "Eco-meter" also shows them how much money they can save with the appliances.

A small Wisconsin-based cheese company has rolled out a steady stream of contests to bring attention to its handcrafted cheeses. Great Midwest, DCI Cheese Co. uses promotions to highlight a different brand, like the company's Organic Creamery line of products, through a well-honed in-store marketing strategy that relies on coupons to incent purchases. Thus the company is grooming its customers to not only expect, but to watch for its latest promotion. The use of in-store coupons encourages regular customers, as well as those new to the brand, to try something new.

Higher food prices seem a certain result of the drought that has parched about one-third of the U.S. How high prices might go, which proteins will see the sharpest gains and when operators and consumers will feel the impact are the key questions, and there are disagreements and conflicting forecasts. Should burger-concept operators be concerned or just wait it out? BurgerBusiness.com asked Christopher A. Hurt, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., to provide an in-a-nutshell assessment of the damage so far and to predict the impact on prices. Conditions could change, but at this point his …

Jaime Hoerbelt, social media strategist with Tenthwave offers some ways to work with Pinterest. "The best niche marketing allows brands to communicate the most appealing attributes of their products or services to the right consumers. The diversity of social media platforms makes niche marketing easier than it has ever been before. Pick any interest or hobby and there is an existing platform with a network of like-minded people to support it," she writes. They keys to victory: identify your targets; leverage Influencers; tie back your content to purchases.

Pinterest is problematic for marketers, partly because it may have shooting star syndrome, with its user-base plateauing and brands can't get Twitter-like traction. Unlike Twitter, where brands and celebrities dominate the most-followed lists-the top brand on Pinterest has less than one-tenth the followers of the top individual user. And Pinterest's user interface is limited for brands because you can only post things, like them, and follow people. The few brands that have tried to be innovative in the medium have had little success in terms of adding followers. May be they can take a cue from people who have been …

Six years ago, Home Depot had entered the fuel business, or so it seemed. Industry insiders wondered and worried that Home Depot's new concept would, no doubt, cannibalize competing c-stores. As Convenience Store News reported at the time, the home improvement retailer planned to open 300 Home Depot Fuel convenience stores by 2010, and expected to earn $5 million to $7 million annually in revenue per site. The Home Depot Inc. operate just six Home Depot Fuel convenience and fuel stores. Spokesperson Stephen Holmes, in this interview with CS News, says growth in that area is not in the retailer's …

Honda's new telematics platform, HondaLink may seem late to the party with the launch of its new HondaLink technology, except that Honda's smartphone-based system will pull down data from the "cloud," eventually offering the ability to access dozens, perhaps 100s of different "apps." The new HondaLink system will make its debut in the all-new 2013 Honda Accord and then expand to the Fit Electric, Crosstour and other Honda models.

Smashburger this month has launched a broadcast/digital ad campaign along with its new logo and tagline, "Smashed fresh. Served delicious." A series of 60-second radio spots introduce a recurring character/spokesman known as the Smashburger Burger Smasher. He discusses his job as a Smashburger cook and explains why smashing burgers makes them better. After testing the spots in Denver, Minneapolis, Tulsa, Boise, East Texas, Omaha and Des Moines they are currently running in New Jersey and Atlanta. The chain plans to air them in Denver, Houston and Boise later this year.

With fuel prices taking an unexpected tumble since nearing an all-time peak in April, sales of pickups, SUVs and other lower-mileage models have begun bouncing back. But a new study suggests that demand for electric vehicles and hybrids is anything but dead. Sales of dedicated hybrid and alternative-energy vehicles surged more than 164% in June, per Kelley Blue Book.