Reporters Notebook
Supplier News
Natural health beverage company Odwalla has added a new flavor to its Protein Monster drink line. The newest addition blends strawberries with soy and dairy protein. Odwalla Strawberry Protein Monster packs 25 g of protein in every 450 mL recyclable plastic bottle.
Miller High Life is bringing a new look to store shelves. The new packaging for Miller High Life and Miller High Life Light will feature a cleaner, more streamlined look, while maintaining the timeless Miller Soft Cross logo, “Girl in the Moon” imagery and “Champagne of Beers” callout that have represented the brand for more than 100 years.
Hansen’s introduced its newest flavor, original cola and diet original cola. This cola joins such flavors as ginger ale, key lime, cherry vanilla, grapefruit, kiwi strawberry, vanilla, mandarin lime, raspberry, orange mango, pomegranate and black cherry. The premium soda maker’s products do not contain caffeine, preservatives or artificial flavors or colors.
Kraft Foods highlighted more than 30 new products at the 2010 Food Marketing Institute Show in Las Vegas in May. Kraft Foods is building on its innovative efforts to deliver more restaurant-inspired flavors. In addition, Kraft has expanded its snack lines to include: Chips Ahoy! cookies with Reese’s peanut butter cups and Heath English toffee bars mixed in; Mousse Temptations by Jell-O Mousse snacks in Chocolate Mint Sensation; Nabisco Classics Cookie Carnival and Snickerdoodle varieties; and limited edition Oreo DQ Blizzard Creme and Strawberry Milkshake flavored cremes.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group has partnered with nonprofit organization KaBoom! to build 10 new playgrounds in cities including Los Angeles; Houston; Detroit; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Rogers, Ark.; Waco, Texas; Victorville, Calif.; and Jacksonville, Fla. DPSG brand Mott’s will sponsor the second annual “KaBoom! Play Days” from Sept. 18 to 26, which supports fit and active lifestyles for children.
Powerade is featuring goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa in the brand’s first-ever fully integrated marketing campaign aimed at the Hispanic community. The Spanish-language campaign, Powerade Latino, kicked off June 1 in major U.S. Hispanic markets and is supported with a fully integrated marketing platform that includes broadcast, print, out-of-home, online, in-store and product packaging.
Retailer News
Winn-Dixie Stores has partnered with Niagara Bottling and Silver Springs bottled water to raise funds to help veterans injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For a limited time, for every 24-pack of Winn-Dixie brand bottled water sold at an SRP of $2.99, 10 cents will be donated to the organization, up to a total of $100,000.
Industry News
First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to cut obesity in America received backing from a coalition of retailers and food firms. The Partnership for a Healthier America signed an agreement with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, whose members are pledging to reduce 1.5 trillion product calories by the end of 2015. Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation manufacturing companies will pursue their calorie reduction goals by growing and introducing lower-calorie options; changing product recipes where possible to lower the calorie content of current products; or by reducing portion sizes of existing single-serve products. Companies participating in the program include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kellogg.