When Luke Dunphy began eating an amalgamation of Oreos as if it were corn on the cob in an episode of ABC's Modern Family last week week, it put a cap on a frenetic and impactful season of marketing for Kraft and its assorted brands.

Having the kid character pig out on Oreo cream was a winning bit of TV-sitcom placement befitting the 100th anniversary of the iconic cookie introduced by Nabisco, which later was acquired by Kraft. But Kraft also has been getting more aggressive about promoting other and some newer brands as well, ranging from the new BelVita Breakfast Biscuits to a line extension of its Mio drink-mix-in brand to the launch for its Planters Peanut Butter.

What's going on here? For one thing, the venerable company likely is trying to juice the performance of many of these reliable brands before it divides them between a North American grocery business and a global snacks firm by the end of this year, to try to create better financial results for the whole.Continue reading...

The new Doritos have a larger-than-life flavor, so what better way for PepsiCo's snack brand to introduce them to the world than with a larger-than-life "vending machine"?

At the cauldron of brand and music and digital fervor that is the annual SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, Doritos is unveiling its latest innovation: Doritos Jacked tortilla chips, which are 40 percent larger than conventional Doritos and come in two flavors, Enchilada Supreme and Smokey Chipotle BBQ. As it's been promoting on Twitter and Facebook, Doritos promises that Jacked Tortilla chips (hitting stores on March 26th) will deliver a "one-two punch of intense flavors up front, followed by a twist of spice or tanginess that packs the ultimate crunch."

To drive home the point, Doritos is promoting the Jacked chip line with a 56-foot-high vending machine at SXSW. Consumers at the festival, while sampling the new chips, can get "larger-than-life Doritos-branded quarters" via Foursquare and Twitter.Continue reading...

Today is National Potato Chip day. What better moment for PepsiCo to highlight the snack achievements and potential of its potato-chip brands and products not only in the United States but around the world?

Without specifically mentioning the ubiquitous chip's solemn day of observance in America, PepsiCo reminded everyone today that its global "Banner Sun" potato-chip portfolio has grown to more than $10 billion in annual retail sales, anchored by Lay's, the world' largest food brand and the No. 1 potato-chip brand globally.

PepsiCo said that the Banner Sun logo — which appears on packaging for leading brands such as Lay's, Walkers, Smith's and Sabritas — "has grown into a symbol for quality potato chips around the world." Most Banner Sun sales come from non-U.S. markets including Russia, Spain and India.Continue reading...

With every turn of the menu, McDonalds becomes more like Starbucks becomes more like Jamba Juice becomes more like — well, you get the idea.

Apparently reacting specifically to the opportunity to compete with Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Donuts for the morning sweet tooth of New Englanders, McDonalds is expanding its breakfast lineup in its stores in the region to include baked goods: cheese danish, two kinds of muffins, banana bread, and vanilla scones. They join traditional standbys such as Egg McMuffins and recent additions such as oatmeal on the morning menu, but unlike those staples, the new bakery fare will be available at McDonald's all day.

The goods will be baked on-site at each of the McDonald's involved. "The fact that we bake them on the premises is a unique piece," he said. "We actually bake them — they're not frozen," Lou Provenzano, a franchise owner who operates 13 McDonald's locations in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, told the Boston Globe.Continue reading...

While regular chocoholics are spending their nickels and dimes on such treats as Kit Kats and Crunch bars, one global leader that specializes in such treats is looking at a new market to make a little extra: high-end, customized chocolates.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the Swiss-based Nestlé started inviting “Internet shoppers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (to) order a taster pack from the Nestlé-owned Maison Cailler line of luxury Swiss chocolates” in January. 

Once the consumer has a taste of the different “Ecuador-sourced chocolate(s)” inside, they can figure out their “chocolate personality,” allowing them to order boxes with the fillings they desire. Chocolate filling choices include peppercorn (yes, peppercorn), vanilla, raspberry, and verbena.

With sixteen pieces of personalized Maison Cailler chocolates costing about $30, can the concept — however delicious — work in these tough times? Mais oui, argues Nestlé.Continue reading...

The fast casual market is growing rapidly and Panera Bread Co. doesn’t want to lose its grip. The company is increasing its media spend this year in order to keep pace with the growing marketing, according to the Wall Street Journal.

And it's not just growing its ad spending incrementally. The Journal reports that the increase is expected to be on the 26 percent range up to somewhere between $55 million and $60 million. However, Panera isn’t expecting its customer base to grow much this year, the paper notes.

"A lot of people think, if you do nothing, you will stay at zero. But the reality is, if you do nothing, you'll be at a negative," said founder and chairman Ron Shaich to WSJ.

Part of that spend will go towards producing more commercials in the vein of last year's "Make Today Better" campaign featuring Shaich and his employees.Continue reading...

Denny's made a big impression in the zeitgeist about a year ago with its unapologetic Baconalia menu and promotion, offering every manner of recipe made with those glistening gobs of animal fat, seemingly heedless of the forces of better-for-you swirling around the chain.

Things are different this year. The South Carolina-based quick-serve brand expanded its Fit Fare menu in the middle of last year, emphasizing tasty better-for-you options, and hasn't looked back.

"Denny's is looked at as an indulgence restaurant," John Dillon, Denny's vice president of marketing and product development, told brandchannel. "We want to be able to maintain and strengthen that but also be able to balance that with the [expansion] of Fit Fare."Continue reading...

Are you ready to go Doritos Locos? Taco Bell introduces the highly anticipated Doritos Locos Tacos in three test markets today, and fans are willing to drive as far as 965 miles to get their hands on one as seen above in launch spot, "Road Trip," which will run during the NBA on TNT and The Jersey Shore on MTV this evening.

Doritos fans, a.k.a. "Doritos-heads" are infamous for their passion and antics such as "Crash the Super Bowl" amateur commercials on Game Day. Doritos Locos Tacos have "Taco Bell on the inside and Doritos on the outside," and the product launch is part of the brand’s 50th anniversary this year.

The co-branded product launch with Doritos includes an augmented reality execution on the side of Taco Bell cups so users can see tweets on their smartphones in real-time, contribute their own tweet, and see the broadcasts on live digital billboards in New York’s Times Square and Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Continue reading...