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The article discusses how Wal-Mart and the candy bar company Mars are trying out a line of nutrient-fortified kids' snacks called "Kid-Didits." Nutrition watchdog groups are heavily criticizing the snack products, which include pretzels, cookies and cracker products. The groups believe that even though the products are being labeled "healthy," they are still nonetheless junk food. Kid-Didits products will initially be only available at Wal-Mart stores.

The article reports that Unilever has named Silvia Lagnado as group vice president-savory foods. Lagnado has been the marketing mastermind behind Dove's Real Beauty campaign. The project she is about to be heading is highly classified, global and aimed at extending Unilever into the snack foods category. Patent activity indicates the food contains a compound shown to improve mental alertness and focus. In addition to applying for a patent for the compound, the company also applied to trademark the term brain food across several categories, including snacks.

Reports on the trend in the U.S. snack business wherein companies offer 100-calorie per serving products. Statement issued by Tom Vierhile, executive editor of Datamonitor's Productscan Online, on the trend; Success of Kraft in offering 100-calorie per serving products; Products of General Mills that offer 100-calorie per serving.

The article reports on the decision of Frito-Lay snack food maker PepsiCo to shift its 2006 advertising spending from the Super Bowl to more cost-efficient grassroots means. The media budget of PepsiCo is increasing, which will result in an increased television spending. The company pledged to devote as much as half of its marketing to its better-for-you products.

Reports the reaction of snack food companies to the decision of Kraft Foods to stop advertising snacks to children. Views of the companies on the Kraft's move; Efforts of such companies, such as Kellogg Co., to advertise to children in a responsible manner; Opinion of Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Dave Nelson on the impact of Kraft's move.

Presents information on the actions being taken by Procter & Gamble Co. to test whether it can revive dead brand Eagle Snacks. Prospects of any kind of bagged-chip battle between food manufacturers; Overview of the product testing of potato chips.

The article focuses on the decision of Kellogg Co. to double its advertising spending for its snack products and reduce its advertising efforts for its cookie brands. The $30 million advertising budget aims to maintain and defend Kellogg's cookie brands rather than grow it. The shift reflects the consumer sales trends showing the company's snack-bar category grew 31% while the cookie category was up just 1%.

The article reports that Procter & Gamble Co. has warned its Pringles snack business and Sunny Delight juice drink brand to show signs of turnaround or possibly be divested. However, a company spokesman has denied that the brands are working against a deadline to turn around. Both brands have posted lower sales than their competitions. Pringles is being challenged by PepsiCo's LaysStax while Sunny Delight have been hurt by Tampico.

This article reports that Kellogg Co. is increasing its advertising spending by more than 20 percent for its snack brands in the U.S. Kellogg will increase sales promotion efforts, package-design initiatives, and in-store activities. Advertising is handled by Leo Burnett.

Presents news briefs relating to U.S. advertising. Contract negotiations between Maytag Corp. and Interpublic Group of Cos.' Universal McCann to handle Maytag's media business; Decision of McDonald's Corp. to add fruit and yogurt snacks from General Mills and Danone; Award of online lender E-Loan's advertising account to Pickett Advertising; Others.

The article reports on Frito-Lay's pullout of its Wow! chips off of some store shelves in a reverse test market. It is the company's intention to determine if consumers prefer low or no-fat snacks. An analysis of how the chips have underperformed initial sales expectations is provided. There is a decline in consumer interest for healthier snacks.

The article reports that U.S.-based General Mills Inc. is planning to become a major seller of salty snacks, competing with PepsiCo's Frito-Lay. The company has already launched an air-puffed crispy corn chip line called Wahoos. It has also increased marketing support for its Chex Mix, Bugles, and Gardettos snack mix brands.

Discusses the marketing methods used by Procter & Gamble Co. to promote two products due for release in fall 2000. Its plan to launch national advertising for Crest Whitestrips teeth whitening system before it reaches store shelves; How it will market its bite-size tortilla snacks, Jeckles.

The article reports on the television advertising of Frito-Lay Inc. in the U.S. The advertising is noteworthy not only because it announces the first-ever cash-in-a-bag promotion but also because it was the first to be created by its promotion agency, Frankel. The company has developed traditional advertising centered on its summertime "Magic in a Bag" effort.

The article reports on the back-to-school promotion of Nabisco Food Group Co. in the U.S. in 2000. The cookie and cracker marketer has ramped up its promotional spending to drive sales. The back-to-school promotion includes a sweepstakes that awards one lucky winner a concert with pop band N'Sync for their school.

This article reports on the plan by Kellogg Co. to launch a snack product line. The company is again attempting to become more portable for modern consumers. The marketer is packaging three of its top tween-targeted cereals in canisters into a brand called Snack 'Ums. The line is set to be launched in December 1999, supported with $25 million in advertising beginning early next year. Anxious to find more profitable growth arenas than what it has been seeing for its base cereal business of late, Kellogg found that 5% to 10% of cold-cereal consumption is for snacking. Though it already has Snack Packs of three top cereal brands, the new line features larger, flavor-enhanced versions of Fruit Loops, Rice Krispie Treats Krunch and special caramel-flavored Corn Pops in resealable packs Kellogg hopes will be relevant to the younger, on-the-go set.

Reports on Hershey Chocolate's launch of its Hershey's Crispy Rice Snacks snack food brand. Move as part of the company's plan to compete with Kellogg Co. for share of the crispy rice snack market; Details of Hershey's marketing strategies for the snack food.

The article reports on the strong sales of the Sunchips multigrain salty snack from Frito-Lay Inc. The first-year sales of the product is in excess of $100 million and the chip product is expected to become Frito's sixth core brand within five years. The product took over ten years to develop and Frito has invested $30 million in marketing the chips. Sunchips is available in French Onion and Harvest Cheddar flavors.

This article provides information on the TV advertising campaign launched by Frito-Lay for its Fritos corn chips as part of a major repositioning efforts of the company. Two 30-second TV advertisements bring back the more-than-20-year-old Muncha buncha Fritos theme with messages aimed at 10-to-18-year-olds. The Frito marketing program signals the company's intent to market its entire snack food line more directly to youth and teens who are the biggest snack-eaters. The advertising spending will be doubled via DDB Needham Worldwide.

The article reports on Frito-Lay senior vice-president for marketing David Gustin's strategy for the 1990s, which will place an increased emphasis on advertising and new products. Gustin claims that he is willing to try novel media strategies as he oversees an estimated $90 million 1990 advertising budget for Frito-Lay's snack brands. There are speculations that the company is in contact with advertising agencies for a one-time creative assignment for a test product.

The article discusses product development at food and beverage corporation PepsiCo in Shanghai, China as of December 2013, with a focus on adapting food products to local tastes in China. Topics include research and development (R&D) for consumer-goods companies, innovation and branding copycat challenges, and the snack market in China.

The article considers a snack food industry trend in which consumers are increasingly purchasing ready-to-eat popcorn rather than popcorn which must be cooked in microwave ovens. It is noted that sales of ready-to-eat popcorn increased by 11.9 percent in the year ending March 24, 2013. The impact of this trend on companies including Frito-Lay, ConAgra and Diamond Foods is examined.

The article examines a trend in developing countries in which consumption of snack foods have increased as more consumers enter the middle class. The implications of this trend for snack food industry firms is discussed, with the international business enterprise Mondelez International used as an example of a firm whose business model is built on growth in emerging markets.

The article considers the sale of rights to brand name products by food industry firm Hostess Brands as part of its liquidation following business failure. Companies which are potential buyers of Hostess' snack cake brands including Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and Twinkies are discussed including Flowers Foods Inc., Sun Capital Partners and C. Dean Metropoulos & Co.

The article focuses on snack foods and snacking. The Rabobank Group's "Never Eat More Than You Can Lift" report found U.S. consumers snack two or three times a day and some have replaced the three-meals-a-day standard with snacking. The report also found the market for snack bars doubled in 10 years. A report by Bernstein Research notes the sales growth of General Mills' U.s. snacks division.

The article discusses marketing initiatives being taken by various companies. Among the efforts noted are a competition offered by Google Inc. called its "Life in a Day" project, a battle game involving Crunchy and Puffy Cheetos, and a "Show Us Your Pizza" promotion by Domino's Pizza that will use customer-supplied photographs of their pizza.

The article focuses on marketing by the snack food company Kettle Foods. The company's use of communication with customers in the development of new products and new flavors for existing products is considered. Once limited to the West Coast, Kettle products are now distributed throughout the U.S., and it has doubled its market share in the potato chip category.

The article reports the success of the on-line launch of Frito-Lay's new Spicy Sweet Chili chips. The snack food company received more than 200,000 visitors to the MTV site, which is the sole media outlet for the new flavor of Doritos. The company will also premier a short series of 60 second episodes of "When Spicy Meets Sweet."

The article focuses on a marketing campaign which Frito Lay Inc and its group vice president of marketing Ann Mukherjee developed to help the company determine which of two newly released flavors of Doritos tortilla chips the company should continue to market. A discussion of sales which Doritos saw in 2007 as of September 9, which amounted to $512.9 million, is presented.

The article focuses on a 2006 advertising campaign which was developed by Martin Abrams, the marketing manager of the Wholesome Adult Business Unit at General Mills, in an effort to help launch Caribou Coffee Snack bars. A discussion of the positive reception the bars received at Wal-Mart and other retail and grocery stores, and of the $25 million in sales which the campaign helped the bar achieve in 2007, is presented.

The article presents the magazine's picks for the top ten stories in the advertising industry in the United States for 2006. The number one story of the year was Wal-Mart's hiring and subsequent firing of advertising agency DraftFCB, and their firing of marketing executive Julie Roehm. The alleged lack of diversity in the industry is the number two story. The portrayal of food marketers as villains in their advertising campaigns targeted toward children for unhealthy foods is mentioned.

Reports on the impact of the debate over childhood obesity in the U.S. on the kids' fruit-snack category. Fruit snacks marketed by General Mills; Action taken by the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) on the snack's designation; Effort of Kellogg to change packaging and advertising in advance of the concern of CARU over the category.

Reports on the plan by the PepsiCo U.K. company to launch a lower-fat potato chip in January 2005 in Great Britain. Efforts by the company to address concerns on child obesity in the country.

The article reports on the selection of Publicis Groupe-backed Bartle Bogle Hegarty to handle the advertising account of Unilever for Close Up toothpaste in Indonesia and the Philippines as well as Taro, an Indonesian snack food company bought by Unilever.

The article reports that food marketers in the U.S. are developing healthier foods in view of the increasing incidence of obesity. Kraft Foods is promoting its more nutritious Lunchables variety, Fun Fuels, including new products such as Ritz Chips that have less fat than traditional potato chips. Kellogg Co. is introducing Keebler branded cookies and crackers, and convenience bars such as Special K Bars and Cereal and Milk Bars.

The article highlights the decision of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay to forgo Super Bowl TV advertising for Internet initiatives as a way of trying to reach elusive teenagers. The marketer was so pleased with the results that it will commit at least as much to the Internet next year for Doritos. Doritos' decision to commit extensive resources to the Internet stemmed in part from a study from researcher Teenage Research Unlimited. One side benefit of streaming commercials online was that Frito-Lay was able to gauge the popularity of one ad it was hesitant about. The Internet also provided a great way to make consumer promotions relevant to teens.

The article discusses the cost-saving deals between airlines and package-food marketers. Under the deals airline companies will pitch snack marketers on sampling and advertising possibilities their captive audience affords. The deals give snack marketers the added incentive of test marketing. Snack marketers with airline deals include Kraft Foods, Hain Celestial and Crave's Candy Co.

The article reports on the plan of Kraft Foods Inc. to launch the product line of Rip-Ums in an effort to boost the sales of the company's cheese business. Cheese accounts for 12 per cent of the company's revenues and the Rip-Ums line will be the first nationally distributed cheese-snack brand in a regional category.

The article reports on the advertising campaign of Campbell Soup Co.'s Pepperidge Farm business unit to promote its snack products in the U.S. in 2002. Key issues discussed in the article include the launch of the company's first-ever national tour promoting Goldfish crackers, Milano cookies and Swirl Breads, as well as other details of the campaign created by the College Kit advertising agency.

The article reports on trends in the snack foods industry in the United States in 2001. Key trends in the industry include the launch of snack products, growth in the manufacture of meal substitutes citing business strategies and operations of snack food companies, Hershey's, Kellogg, Keebler, and Mars.

The article describes advertising campaign launched by U.S.-based H.J. Heinz Co. for its Ore-Ida Hot Bites frozen snacks. The ad, created by DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc., features X-Games champion Tony Hawk, will target tweens. It will also be accompanied by newspaper inserts and sampling in conjunction with the ESPN event.

The article announces the plan by package goods company, Procter & Gamble Co. to compete with Frito-Lay's chip and dip products in the United States. The company has launched a test marketing strategy citing a television advertisement which features P& G's chips. The company has also launched several snack foods to compete with Frito-Lay.

This article explains that Frito-Lay's U.S. holiday sales promotion with tie-in partner Nintendo of America features the Pokemon character. Pokemon will appear on packages of Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Cracker Jack, and Planet Lunch snack food brands as well as on retail displays and point-of-purchase materials.

The article reports on the advertising campaign launched by Heinz Frozen Food Co. Inc. for its Bagel Bites frozen pizza-flavor snack brand in the U.S. The company has decided to change its marketing strategy to target boys instead of mothers. Bagel Bites will try to woo under-16 consumers through signage, sampling and promotions. It has also sponsored Summer X Games in California.

Focuses on Nestle USA's Chocolate & Confections division's Nestle Pretzel Flipz. Sales for the year ending March 26, 2000; Leadership of Barry Crossland, vice president of marketing for the division; Campaign by Daily & Associates for marketing the product; Success of the snack brand.

This article reports on an agreement between PepsiCo's Frito-Lay snack food unit and the Walt Disney Co. for back-to-back promotions it hopes will build its share of the salty snack market during the crucial warm weather months in the U.S. in 2000. First, PepsiCo will tie its Lay's potato chip brand to the May 19 release of Disney's new Dinosaur movie. Then, around July 4, Frito will link with cable network Toon Disney for a promotion that will include several family-targeted chip brands. Frito has eschewed major media expenditures, relying instead on Disney's support behind the megahyped film release. The second part of the dual-Disney effort is a sweepstakes promotion dubbed "Magic in a Bag" that centers around programming from Toon Disney. Fritos and Ruffles will carry game pieces offering cash and prizes--including posters and plush toys--based on Disney cartoons.

This article reports on the plan of food company General Mills to release a new line of Pokemon Rolls, fruit snacks made into a kid's collectible, in November 1999. The Pokemon product joins several other lines in the Betty Crocker snack cup board such as Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot and Gushers. Pokemon, originally a Nintendo videogame, has become the No.1 trading card game in the U.S., reaching a broad kid demographic that includes 4- to 14-year-olds. Aside from offering kids punch-flavored foot-long fruit rolls packaged six to a box, the new line aims to capitalize on the trading card fever inspired by the Wizards of the Coast trading-card game by offering free cards inside. Aiming at both the younger set that identifies with the game's virtual-pet characters and older kids looking for videogame strategies, General Mills will feature 10 different character profiles on the metallic pouches enclosing the Pokemon Rolls. It will also offer trading card game tips on the backing paper of the actual product.

This article reports on the plan of snack food marketers to use free-standing inserts in newspapers to advertise products and sweepstakes geared around the Super Bowl on January 31, 1999. Kraft Foods leads off January 17 with a six-page insert that links 36 of its brands. Nabisco Biscuit Co., like Kraft, is running a sweepstakes in a free-standing insert offering the grand prize of an easy chair. The promotion supports Nabisco's Ritz, Triscuit and Wheat Thins crackers. Pillsbury Co. will run its free-standing insert on January 10.

The article reports on the decision of Frito-Lay Inc. to discontinue the selling of its Olean-based potato chip line. According to market analysts, Frito is experimenting with price in several markets, selling the line at a 20 per cent, 40 per cent and 60 per cent premium over its regular chips. The marketing strategies launched by Frito to promote the Olean-based line are discussed.

The article shows a BBDO Worldwide television advertisement for Baked Lay's low-fat potato chips which stars supermodels Vandela and Kathy Ireland and muppet, Miss Piggy. The commercial continues Frito-Lay's use of the supermodels, adding the porcine puppet for this new effort that started on August 4, 1996.