The actual introduction of the co-branded Doritos Locos Tacos may be a couple of weeks away from joining its menu nationwide, on March 8th, but Taco Bell is in need of a hit product launch. It's been only a year since the since-discredited lawsuit against Taco Bell's beef did its damage. And the brand's young-adult customer base is still struggling with unemployment doldrums.

So the chain has been gearing up its highly capable promotional machine far in advance for the new line that consists of Taco Bell fillings and shells made from Doritos, including a campaign on Twitter. While Taco Bell typically must make marketing mileage out of a new layer of cheese here or a different flavor of meat filling there, what's different this time is that the chain is able to co-brand with one of the biggest names in snacking. A clock on Taco Bell's website counts down the seconds until the magic date.Continue reading...

Don't look now, PepsiCo and Kraft, but a proven CPG rival is coming after your global snacks business in a big way. Kellogg's just-announced acquisition of the Pringles brand from Procter & Gamble signals the potentially significant elevation of Kellogg's ambitions in snacks.

Kellogg was able to pick up Pringle's from P&G for $2.7 billion, of course, only after Diamond Foods — which owns the Emerald Nut brand — had to back out after an investigation of accounting irregularities with the co-op's walnut growers resulted in the replacement of Diamond's CEO and CFO.

Kellogg executives were openly thrilled at the opportunity to triple their global snacks sales in one move and to become the world's second-largest maker of savory snacks after PepsiCo's Frito-Lay brand.Continue reading...

If you get all puffed up with double scoops of self-righteousness whenever you put your pennies toward munchies with “all-natural ingredients,” such as Frito-Lay’s Tostitos or now-quieter SunChips, instead of the alternative, a New York man is suggesting that you might want to chill out.

New Yorker Chris Shake has filed a “proposed class-action lawsuit” that claims “snacks actually contain corn and oils made from genetically engineered plants.” Shake says in the suit that he paid an extra dime per ounce so he could have all-natural products, but then “independent testing conducted on samples of Frito-Lay products labeled ‘all natural’ uncovered the presence of ingredients — including corn and vegetable oils — made from genetically modified plants,” according to Reuters.Continue reading...

Apple hires Dixons CEO as new retail chief, while iPad sales propel Apple to top of PC market over HP. Apple patent challenger Samsung, meanwhile, faces EU inquiry.

AT&T names new strategy officer in management shuffle.

Bang & Olufsen debuts cheaper line of high-tech gadgets.

Belstaff brings luxury leather jackets to London and New York with dual flagships.

BSKyB to start movie service rivaling Netflix.

BlackBerry-maker RIM posts corporate governance report indicating why co-CEO role was scrapped.

Carrefour names yet another CEO in turnaround struggle.Continue reading...

Adidas taps Katy Perry for new campaign.

AFL-CIO launches image campaign.

Airbus posts record sales.

American Airlines stops flying to India, sacks 150 workers.

AOL leads companies testing crowdsourcing.

Apple expands iTunes Match, reportedly preps interactive textbooks for the iPad, while pre-earnings valuations vary.

BASF halts its genetically modified products in Europe, including its Amflora potato.

Beats Electronics breaks up with Monster.

Beyonce accused of skin-lightening in album promotion, gives first post-baby interview.

BlackBerry-maker RIM criticized by analysts for PlayBook incompatability.

BMW recalls 89,000 Mini vehicles.

Burberry quarterly profits jump 22%.

Carnival faces heat in wake of Italy shipwreck, its worst accident in 40 years, as environmental fears mount and cruise industry is rocked.

M&M's will introduce a sixth candy character — Ms. Brown — in its Super Bowl commercial, while Kia plans 60-second commercial with Adriana Lima and Motley Crue, in keeping with trend to longer Super Bowl spots.Continue reading...

Amazon leads Klout list of most influential retailers.

Avon ousted CEO Andrea Jung's two-year exit deal criticized by former CEOs.

Bank of America settles fair-lending case for record $335 million.

Beats by Dre pumps up headphone sales.

Diddy plans to launch tequila brand.

Facebook tests private messaging between users and brand pages.

FedEx disciplines delivery man who tossed computer monitor.

Frito-Lay sued over "all natural" claims.Continue reading...

PepsiCo executives are still committed to promoting "better for you" versions of their product lines, following a decade of business strategy that has seen the company drive hard into health-conscious product development. Maybe it's just the holiday spirit, but now PepsiCo is ready to pay closer attention to its traditional "indulgent" products and brands, including long-time favorites under the Pepsi and Frito-Lay banners.

"We cannot forget about what I call the indulgent core businesses," Albert Carey, chief executive of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, said at an industry conference this week, according to the Financial Times. "If you're going to do the healthy, you have to do the core, because we still have a very strong business in the core." Examples, he said, include Frito-Lay "bar food" snacks such as taco-flavored Doritos and hot-wing-flavored Ruffles.

Depending on how hard astern PepsiCo wheels, this could mark a significant turnabout.Continue reading...

PepsiCo numbers crunchers could get to scratch off a nice chunk of change from its Frito-Lay division’s delivery budget. After all, the company will be eliminating a half a million gallons of fuel annually from the budget when makes 176 of its North American delivery trucks electric.

According to Today’s Trucking, that’s what the company plans to do before year’s end. It has already started running 10 of the trucks in Orlando.

“With the seventh largest privately owned fleet in the U.S., we have set a goal of becoming the most fuel efficient fleet in the country," said Mike O’Connell, senior director of fleet for Frito-Lay North America, according to the report. "These vehicles give us an opportunity to use the latest advances in transportation technology as a significant way to reduce our environmental impact.”Continue reading...