Huge and privately held, Minnesota-based Cargill used to be one of the biggest companies you’d never heard of.

The $108-billion grain-processing giant has its finger in food commodities all over the world, It’s a huge presence in ingredients for better-for-you foods and beverages, and it occasionally ticks off environmentalists over sustainability issues. But Cargill wasn’t known for building consumer brands.

Until now. With some practice on its Coro Wise sterols that are an ingredient in cholesterol-lowering foods such as Minute Maid Heart Wise orange juice, Cargill has hit a brand-building home run as a rookie at the practice.

Its Truvia “natural” sweetener, made from the stevia bush native to South America, has surpassed venerable Sweet ‘N Low as the No. 2 sugar substitute in the country, according to AC Nielsen.Continue reading...

Where Reese Witherspoon's International Women's Day campaign for Avon is earnest, some celeb Brit wits address the same issue — domestic violence, plus and a host of other issues holding back women's equality — with dark wit.

The PSA above, running in cinemas and on British TV, depicts actor Daniel Craig, in his guise as James Bond, putting himself, literally, in a woman's shoes.Continue reading...

Just a few years after making its appearance in all-natural beverages and other “foodie” items, stevia-based products are stepping up their bid for a bigger share of the sugar-substitute market that has been dominated for a decade by Splenda.

Just as the battle over high-fructose corn syrup and sugar — and America's battle with obesity — heats up, Cargill’s Truvia brand has launched a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign with the tagline "Honestly Sweet" and plans to take the no-calorie sweetener brand’s relationship with consumers to the next level, from mere awareness to an emotional connection.Continue reading...