The fallout is complete. There is one clear winner and one clear loser in the recent scandal involving America's (now former) military commander in Afghanistan and Rolling Stone magazine. But could there be another, under the radar, winner?

The controversial Rolling Stone profile that led to his ouster this week notes that the general "prefers Bud Light Lime (his favorite beer) to Bordeaux."

Apparently one of the reasons Stanley McChrystal and his staff were so frank (read: career-suicidally open) with Rolling Stone's reporter was that they were "stuck on a bus" with him from Paris to Berlin, all the while "drinking case after case of Bud Light Lime."Continue reading...

The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry thrives on new brand introductions. That's what tends to drive consumer interest and boost a company's overall sales. Historically, that's been true year after year.

Well not last year – 2009, a year unique in so many ways, reversed the trend of new food brands outperforming brand extensions. Instead, brand extensions dominated "New Product Pacesetters," according to a report just released by research firm Information Resources Inc. (IRI).

Remarkably, each of the Top 10 food and beverage brands was a brand extension. The top three on the list were Campbell's Select Harvest, Bud Light Lime, and Arnold Select Sandwich Thins. The rankings are based on the total Year One dollar sales across food, drug, and mass channels, excluding Wal-Mart. "Very few new products really hit it big," says IRI. "Marketers that have established a strong brand equity are working to maintain relevance by 'tweaking' existing lines."Continue reading...