Sky Pilots

3 Articles-Crest

2006-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 The Gazette, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publication Inc.All Rights Reserved The Gazette (Montreal)
October 9, 2006 Monday Final Edition
SECTION: PHARMACEUTICAL OUTLOOK; Pg. F4LENGTH: 1158 wordsHEADLINE: P&G strategy: connect and develop: Procter & Gamble sees C&D as a strategic evolution from the more traditional R&D (research & development), and grows through collaborative partnershipsBYLINE: Andy McClenaghan, General Manager, P&G Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., The GazetteBODY:Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a global consumer product company with a strong portfolio of trusted, quality, leadership brands like Tide, Crest, Pampers and Charmin. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in more than 80 countries worldwide. P&G is one of the leading consumer products companies in Canada, with more than $2.7 billion in annual sales.P&G Pharmaceuticals is one of Procter & Gamble's health-care businesses. We have successfully developed and marketed a wide range of prescription products since the 1980s including Entex, Dantrium IV, Macrobid, Asacol, Ziac, Didrocal, Actonel, Zomig, and Enablex. P&G Pharmaceuticals has on-the-ground operations in 22 countries including the U.S., Canada and all major markets throughout Western Europe. The approximately 130 employees of P&G Pharmaceuticals Canada are dedicated to creating and delivering solutions that improve the health and well-being of more than 1.2 million Canadians every day. Our health-care heritage began more than 150 years ago when P&G researchers were among the first to scientifically establish the health benefits of washing with soap. A specific focus on health care began in the early 1950s with the introduction of Crest toothpaste. Research in toothpaste and laundry detergent led to breakthrough discoveries about the effects of bisphosphonates on bone strength in the early '70s and the first drug in the class Didrocal (etidronate) in the early '80s. Osteoporosis has been one of our core therapeutic focus areas for nearly four decades.The Alliance for Better Bone Health was formed by P&G and Sanofi-Aventis in May 1997 to promote bone health and disease awareness through numerous activities that support physicians and patients around the globe. The success of this partnership, further bisphosphonate research, and collaboration with leading researchers led to the development of Actonel (risedronate), a third-generation bisphosphonate approved in Canada in 2000. Actonel became P&G's first billion-dollar pharmaceutical product in 2004.Patients and health-care providers are at the heart of everything we do. Our partnerships focus on world-class patient and health-professional education, delivering improved patient outcomes. Since the launch of Actonel, we have made substantial investments in research, health education, and programs to encourage osteoporosis management in accordance with Canadian evidence-based guidelines.Our scientists work with investigators around the world to design and run clinical trials and conduct other research to examine important scientific questions within our therapeutic focus areas. Since January 2005, P&G Pharmaceuticals has conducted 25 clinical trials involving nearly 14,000 patients and approximately 1,150 investigators in 33 countries. We are especially proud of two projects in Quebec that serve as a model for partnerships involving industry and other stakeholders in the Canadian health-care system.ROCQ (Recognizing Osteoporosis and its Consequences in Quebec) is a patient health management program and research study aimed at improving osteoporosis management in women over 50 years old who have suffered a fragility (low trauma) fracture. The project is led by Dr. Jacques Brown and Dr. Louis Bessette at Universite de Laval and Dr. Louis-Georges Ste-Marie at Universite de Montreal. The project involves a broad coalition of stakeholders including osteoporosis experts, physicians, pharmacists, and patient associations. The multi-million-dollar project is funded by P&G Pharmaceuticals and other industry partners.The Optimus project is a two-year study aimed at improving the management of patients with osteoporotic fractures. The objective is to improve long-term treatment of osteoporosis in patients with fragility fractures by addressing therapy initiation and persistence. The project is led by Dr. Gilles Boire and Dr. Francois Cabana at the Universite de Sherbrooke. Partners include the Agence de developpement de reseaux locaux de services de sante et de services sociaux de l'Estrie and the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), P&G Pharmaceuticals Canada and other industry partners.For more than 160 years, the vast majority of our innovation at P&G was done internally. When A.G. Lafley became CEO in 2000, he challenged us to acquire 50 per cent of our product innovation outside of P&G. Our strategy was to better use the capabilities of our 7,500 researchers and support staff so that half of our new products would come from our labs, and half would come through them.We call this Connect & Develop, a strategic evolution from traditional Research & Development. While we still invest heavily in R&D - nearly $2 billion every year - nearly 35 per cent of the new products currently in the market have elements that originated from the outside.P&G Pharmaceuticals has taken the strategy of Connect & Develop to another level. We've made the strategic choice to exclusively in-license all of our new drug development and commercialization initiatives via a network of academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical company collaborations. We have specifically structured our R&D and commercial organizations to excel at identifying, evaluating, negotiating and managing long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.P&G Pharmaceuticals has a long-standing record of partnerships, from small university-based labs and biotech companies to large multi-national pharmaceutical companies. Our strategic focus and targeted portfolio helps ensure that each development project and marketed product gets the attention it deserves.We are focused on three therapeutic areas which align with broader P&G strategies, and in which we have proven expertise: musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and women's health. We also selectively seek out innovation opportunities in other areas of strategic corporate interest - areas where the patient plays an active role in managing their health through both prescription and over-the-counter treatments (e.g. adult incontinence, hair growth, skin aging).P&G Pharmaceuticals applies the unique insights of the world's largest marketing company to build health-care brands. Three billion times a day, 300 P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world.With the No. 1 or No. 2 brand in more than 20 different consumer categories, P&G has developed a deep understanding of the world's diverse consumers. Our unparalleled market research leads to insights and communications that help patients and physicians make better health-care decisions. Trends toward more patient involvement in health-care decisions play to our strengths.P&G Pharmaceuticals offers the best of both worlds for potential partners: the marketing expertise and unique insights of the world's largest consumer company and the personal touch of a small pharmaceutical company with deep experience and proven capabilities in our therapeutic focus areas.GRAPHIC: Photo: Andy McClenaghan.; Colour Photo: JUPITER IMAGES; Procter & Gamble has a wide-ranging portfolio that includes household items like toothpaste and laundry detergent as well as pharmaceuticals.LOAD-DATE: October 12, 2006

Copyright 2006 Associated PressAll Rights Reserved Associated Press Online
August 2, 2006 Wednesday 8:36 PM GMT
SECTION: BUSINESS NEWSLENGTH: 554 wordsHEADLINE: Procter & Gamble 4Q Profit Up 36 PercentBYLINE: By TERRY KINNEY, Associated Press WriterDATELINE: CINCINNATI BODY:The Procter & Gamble Co., maker of Crest toothpaste, Pampers diapers, Tide detergent and other well-known household products, said Wednesday its fourth-quarter profit grew 36 percent, as price increases helped boost revenue.The results beat analysts' expectations and the company's shares soared more than 4 percent.Quarterly profit was $1.9 billion, or 55 cents per share, compared to $1.39 billion, or 52 cents per share, during the same period last year. The latest results include a dilution of between 6 cents and 8 cents from the company's acquisition of Gillette.Analysts, on average, predicted a profit of 54 cents on earnings of $17.5 billion, according to a Thomson Financial poll.Revenue climbed 25 percent to $17.84 billion, from $14.26 billion last year. Organic sales, which exclude the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange, increased 8 percent."In general, the core business is doing quite well," said Patrick Schumann, an analyst with Edward Jones & Co. in St. Louis. "Some of the concerns on Gillette, we believe, have been overdone. We continue to think the combination of the two is good long-term. We're upbeat."Sales results were helped by price increases across several segments and the addition of the Gillette business acquired late last year. In addition, unit volume grew 23 percent, or 6 percent excluding newly acquired or former businesses.Beauty unit sales grew 9 percent to $5.44 billion, helped by growth from the company's Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Oil of Olay and other brands. Health Care sales jumped 35 percent to $1.97 billion, buoyed by adding the Gillette Oral Care business. Household care sales grew 9 percent to $4.35 billion, helped by price increases and gains from brands including Tide and Ariel.Baby care and family care sales grew 4 percent to $3.08 billion, as price increases in the U.S. and Western Europe offset rising commodity and energy costs.Sales at the division that markets pet health, snacks and coffee products grew 2 percent to $1.11 billion as a double-digit earnings increase in snacks offset a decrease in coffee and pet health.For the year, profit grew 25 percent to $8.68 billion, or $2.64 per share, from $6.92 billion, or $2.53 per share last year. Revenue gained 20 percent to $68.22 billion, from $56.74 billion last year."This marks the fifth consecutive year in which P&G has delivered topline growth at or above the company's targets," A.G. Lafley, president and CEO, said in a statement."We're focused on delivering a full decade of strong top and bottom line growth," Lafley told analysts later.The company expects 2007 earnings to be between $2.96 to $3, including a 12 cent to 18 cent dilution due to Gillette. Sales are expected to grow 8 percent to 11 percent from 2006 levels.Analysts expect a profit of $2.99 on revenue of $68.03 billion.P&G expects to report a first-quarter profit of 76 cents to 78 cents, with Gillette-related costs diluting earnings by 5 cents to 7 cents. It expects organic sales growth of between 5 percent and 7 percent.Analysts are looking for a profit of 78 cents on revenue of $18.24 billion.Shares of P&G rose $2.36, or 4.2 percent, to close at $58.29 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares have traded in a 52-week range of $52.75 to $62.50.On the Net:Procter & Gamble Co.: http://www.pg.comLOAD-DATE: August 3, 2006
LENGTH: 119 wordsHEADLINE: P&G to provide 25,000 travelers with free toiletries kitHIGHLIGHT: In the wake of new security regulations banning most toiletries in carry-on luggage, Procter & Gamble (P&G) is offering travelers free Crest Smile Packs - each worth more than $10 in retail value.BODY:The packs, available while the supply of 25,000 lasts, include full-size toothpaste, rinse and dental floss, and will be available to travelers in 25 of the top US airports. The offer is being made to help travelers comply with the new TSA travel regulations prohibiting liquid and gel items in carry-on luggage."Many people are still trying to understand what they can or can't bring on planes or had to leave carry-on items like toothpaste and rinse with security. We wanted to help these people out," said Diane Dietz, general manager of P&G's oral care business in North America.The Crest Smile Packs will include new Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Crest Pro- Health Rinse and Crest Glide Deep Clean dental floss.LOAD-DATE: August 24, 2006

Three Crest Stories

2006-10-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Crest and China

2006-10-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Financial Times InformationAll Rights ReservedGlobal News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence WireCopyright 2006 Business Daily Update Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Intelligence Wire Business Daily Update
October 16, 2006 MondayACC-NO: A2006101642-12AF4-GNWLENGTH: 1266 wordsHEADLINE: CHURCH & DWIGHT EYES BATTERY-POWERED TOOTHBRUSH MARKETBYLINE: the end of this year, Trojan, a condom brand of Church & Dwight andBODY:Author: d Sometimes the best business plan is to acquire someone else's developed brand. At least that's what consumer goods maker Church & Dwight Co Inc is hoping. Wanting to expand from traditional manual brushes to modestly priced battery brushes, Church & Dwight entered the segment last October by acquiring Procter & Gamble's Crest SpinBrush for US$75 million. "We were very pleased with the acquisition, as it enhanced our oral care portfolio with a leading brand in the battery-powered toothbrush segment," wrote James R Craigie, the company's president and chief executive officer (CEO), in its annual report 2005. But this is only part of the company's reason for the acquisition. Later this year, Church & Dwight announced it will enter China for the first time with the newly acquired Crest SpinBrush. "The acquisition is an extremely important purchase for Church & Dwight's entry into the China market, and we are working to develop a pipeline of new products under the SpinBrush brand," says Adrian J L Huns, president of International Church & Dwight Co Inc. "We will introduce other products under the ARM & HAMMER brand gradually based on researching which would be successful here." Founded in 1846, New Jersey-based Church & Dwight is the world's leading producer of sodium bicarbonate, popularly known as baking soda, which is a natural product that cleans, deodorizes, leavens and buffers. The company's ARM & HAMMER brand is one of the most well known trademarks in the United States for a broad range of consumer and specialty products developed from the base of bicarbonate and related technologies. "We are a well-known name in the US, the same as Pepsi and Nike, but we're a little late being here now," Huns says. Five or six years ago, the company began to look at China, and had planned to take a normal practice to get into the market studying the market, setting up relations with retailers and manufacturers, and introducing products tailored for China before the SpinBrush acquisition came last year. "Then we changed our mind," Huns says. "The company knows little about China, the consumption trends, the consumers, the labour market, and the sales channels, but Crest SpinBrush does and can greatly facilitate Church & Dwight's local business. It's a good deal," says Chen Fuguo, CEO of China Business under Interbrand, a London-based brand consulting company. As part of the acquisition deal, Church & Dwight and P&G signed a licensing agreement which says the former can use the brand name Crest for fours years worldwide including China. The company has given a Chinese name for Spinbrush, xuanjie (meaning bright and white). "Crest is a good name in China. It's good to use it, why not? We will think about a new name for SpinBrush four years later," Huns says. In 1999, Dr John Osher created and launched SpinBrush. He achieved impressive success one year later, and SpinBrush became the leading battery-powered toothbrush in sales at Wal-Mart. In 2001, P&G acquired SpinBrush, changing its name to Crest SpinBrush and gave it an additional feature: dual heads. P&G introduced Crest SpinBrush to China after it was a hit in the US in 2001, and it also became a popular battery-powered toothbrush brand in China. This July, Church & Dwight began to operate the Crest SpinBrush China business. Supermarkets and hypermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are its target stores. "During the transitional period, P&G has helped us familiarize with retailers like Wal-Mart and Carrefour," says Zhao Tong, marketing director responsible for SpinBrush with Church & Dwight Beijing Trading Co Ltd. Church & Dwight also set up a Guangzhou office of 20 employees responsible for research and development, quality control, and distribution. Compared to the fast pace of battery-powered toothbrush consumption worldwide, China has seen slower growth. But Church & Dwight believes the China market has great potential, and thinks the company will grow with the market. In 2004, global toothbrush retail sales was US$6 billion, and the sales of power-operated toothbrushes was US$1.4 billion. From 2001 to 2005, the sales of battery-operated and rechargeable toothbrushes around the world had increased by 16 and 10 percent, while that of manual toothbrushes reduced by 5 percent during the same period. But in China, "the market size is currently small, and China is not in favour of battery-powered toothbrush companies thanks to low disposable incomes and consumer habits," says Dong Junfeng, a senior analyst from Galaxy Securities. "I don't think Church & Dwight has done the right thing entering China with Crest SpinBrush." Richard A. Lister, general manager with Church & Dwight Beijing Trading Co Ltd, does not agree with Dong. "Chinese people will be more concerned about oral health and the market is expected to grow fast," Lister says. "We expect sales in China can increase a lot," he adds, while refusing to elaborate on specific figures. According to a report released by the China Stomatology Association in June, as much as 97.6 percent of Chinese people have suffered from oral hygiene-related disease, and one third of urban residents ignore oral hygiene. "Battery-powered toothbrushes provide better bristle coverage on teeth surfaces, resulting in better plaque removalthe more they know about it, the more Chinese people will like to use battery-operated toothbrushes," says Wang Weijian, vice-president of Stomatology Department at Peking University. Currently, SpinBrush, Oral-B and Colgate are major battery-powered brands. Considering Chinese people are price-sensitive, SpinBrush is aimed at the low-end market, the same as Colgate, while Oral-B is positioned at a higher market. "The price ranges from 29 to 39 yuan (US$3.67-4.94), it is affordable in China, but we can earn a thin profit," Zhao says. This August, the National Bureau of Statistics announced that the average resident's income in July in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou was 1,822 yuan (US$230.63), 1,810 yuan (US$229.11), and 1,350 yuan (US$170.89) respectively. Besides good products and lower prices, Lister says Church & Dwight's uniqueness lies in its commitment to consumer education to promote the local consumption market. In 2006, the company kicked off education campaigns in eight elementary schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, teaching children the correct brushing methods in maintaining good oral care and personal hygiene and distributing some SpinBrushes as well. In 2007, it will also send one university student to New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry for a dental hygienist training programme. "We will continuously send more students abroad," says Lister. While developing the SpinBrush brand, Church & Dwight is also planning to introduce other products under the ARM & HAMMER brand into China. a product whose market share in the US is more than 70 percent will come to China. "The products will mainly sell at hypermarkets, convenience stores, and drug stores in China's major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu," says Hou Yizang, marketing manager responsible for Trojan with Church & Dwight Beijing Trading Co Ltd. In 2005, China ranked fourth in sales of condoms which are 2 billion units, following the UK, the US and Japan, and the figure is expected to gain an annual growth rate of 15 percent. British brand Durex got the highest share of 10 percent last year here. "We will surely have more products to come," Lister says.

Text Message Campaign

2006-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Business Wire, Inc.
Business Wire

June 26, 2006 Monday 11:00 AM GMT

DISTRIBUTION: Business Editors

LENGTH: 407 words

HEADLINE: Procter & Gamble Selects Flytxt to Launch Mobile Marketing Campaign for Crest Whitening Plus Scope Extreme Toothpaste

DATELINE: NEW YORK June 26, 2006

BODY:

Celebrities Participate in "Irresistibility IQ" Mobile Quiz

Flytxt, Inc. (R) the leading mobile direct marketing company, today launched Irresistibility IQ for Crest(R) Whitening Plus Scope Extreme Toothpaste; the first in a series of mobile marketing campaigns planned for Procter & Gamble (P&G) brands using integrated short message service (SMS) messages.

Flytxt is providing P&G with a wireless strategy designed to stimulate brand awareness and drive sales of P&G's new Crest toothpaste by providing consumers with SMS-based promotions including sweepstakes and text-based trivia campaigns.

Flytxt and Crest have partnered with Samantha Daniels, relationship expert and author of Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern Day Matchmaker, to create the Irresistibility IQ Test that gauges consumers' social savvy in the most extreme situations. Initially launched on the Web, The Irresistibility IQ Test for Crest featured MTV's Wild 'N Out host, Nick Cannon. Additional details are available at (http://www.CrestIQ.com), including information for how to win prizes, including Video iPods, iPod Nanos and signed copies of Nick Cannon's latest album, Stages.

The mobile program for Crest will run on all major U.S. wireless carriers including AT&T Cingular, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel and Verizon. To take the Irresistibility IQ quiz text IQ EXTREME to C-R-E-S-T (27378) or visit www.crestIQ.com.

"We're pleased to be working with P&G, the #1 producer of household products in the world," said Carsten Boers, co-founder and President of Flytxt, Inc. "Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The mobile phone is the perfect channel to connect P&G and its consumers further."

About Flytxt, Inc.

Flytxt, Inc. is the leading mobile direct marketing and services company. It specializes in cost effective tools and services to help businesses sell products and promote brands using the mobile phone channel. Flytxt customers include Levi's(R), Time Inc., Procter & Gamble (R), Target, Cingular, Yahoo! Inc., Capital Radio Group, HarperCollins Children's Books, British Airways, Orange (TM), and Virgin Mobile.

Incorporated in 2000, Flytxt is headquartered in London England, and has offices in Seattle, Washington, and New York City, New York. Flytxt is available on the World Wide Web at www.flytxt.com

CONTACT: For Immediate Release, Inc. (for Flytxt) Susan Donahue Direct: 617-262-1960 Mobile: 651-283-8700 susan@firpr.com

URL: http://www.businesswire.com

LOAD-DATE: June 27, 2006

Listerine vs Crest

2006-10-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Financial Times InformationAll Rights ReservedGlobal News WireCopyright 2006 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News Source Financial Times Information Limited (Trade Mark) - Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News KRTBN Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News - The Record - Hackensack
April 27, 2006 ThursdayACC-NO: A200604298-10DF6-GNWLENGTH: 712 wordsHEADLINE: MOUTHWASH RIVALS SPAR OVER ADSBYLINE: Dunstan PrialBODY:A recent legal skirmish between the makers of two popular mouthwashes seemed like a mismatch from the start.Playing the role of David was an upstart called Crest Pro Health, launched in early 2005 by Procter & Gamble.In the role of Goliath was the iconic Listerine, marketed by New York-based Pfizer Inc., the largest drug company in the world.Yet it was Pfizer that charged Procter & Gamble with unfair competitive practices in a lawsuit filed last month in federal court in Manhattan. At issue was a series of television advertisements in which P&G compared the benefits of Crest Pro Health to "the leading mouthwash." The commercials went on to claim that Crest Pro Health promotes dental hygiene "without the burn of alcohol." Listerine was never mentioned by name.Pfizer's lawsuit said both claims were "intended and unmistakable" references to Listerine.Finally, the commercial boasted that "four out of five [dentists] who tried it said they would recommend" Crest Pro Health.Pfizer argued that such a claim, without the proper evidence to substantiate it, misled consumers and therefore created an unfair competitive advantage for P&G."P&G's false and misleading claims concerning Crest Pro Health cause a substantial number of consumers to believe that this product is recommended by the vast majority of dentists -- which is false -- and that these dentists are recommending it for specific product-related reasons -- which is also false," read Pfizer's lawsuit.The suit continued: "P&G's commercials unmistakably are intended to and do compare Crest Pro Health to Listerine and P&G's false claims are causing irreparable harm and damage to Pfizer, as well as to consumers."That Pfizer would argue that a mouthwash barely a year on the market had somehow gained an unfair competitive advantage over Listerine, a 125-year-old product that commands nearly two-thirds of the $578 million U.S. mouthwash market, was seen by some as ironic.Marketing experts saw it as business as usual, however, in the highly competitive world of health care products.Mark Bard, president of Manhattan Research, a New York firm that studies marketing trends, likened the suit to complaints frequently filed with the Food and Drug Administration that challenge assertions made by drug companies touting the benefits of their drugs.Such challenges are usually made with little fanfare, Bard noted, whereas the Listerine suit garnered international media attention.The complaints filed with the FDA are rarely filed by consumers, Bard explained.Instead, similar to the Listerine suit, they tend to be filed by companies seeking to dull a perceived competitive edge achieved by another drug maker -- one maker of a cholesterol fighter, for example, seeking to gain ground on the maker of a similar product.While these complaints tend to fly under the media's radar, a successful challenge could have a significant financial impact on both the company that filed the complaint and the company against whom it was filed. Sales of several cholesterol drugs, for instance, reach into the several billions of dollars annually.Considering the stakes, Bard defended Pfizer's position and dismissed the David versus Goliath perception."It's not an issue of 'Big Bad Pfizer' going after a smaller competitor," he said. "It's one company seeking within the letter of the law to diminish the value of a claim made by a competitor."The challenge appears to have worked.Bryant Haskins, a Pfizer spokesman, said a settlement reached two weeks ago included a provision that P&G stop making the claim that a majority of dentists recommend its product.Procter & Gamble spokeswoman Tonia Elrod declined to comment on the specifics of the settlement, but said P&G stands by the claims made in its advertisements. "All I can tell you is we settled the case mutually," she said.Wall Street also seemed happy to dismiss the suit."It's a backburner issue," said one analyst who follows Pfizer. The analyst asked not to be named because he hadn't paid much attention to the suit."From a stock analyst's position, it probably won't mean much to Pfizer's bottom line. But Listerine is a major product within their consumer business so I understand where they're coming from," he said.LOAD-DATE: April 29, 2006

Lawsuit--so your aware

2006-10-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 AFX News Limited AFX.COM
August 31, 2006 Thursday 8:31 PM GMTLENGTH: 159 wordsHEADLINE: Procter & Gamble settles lawsuitBODY:CINCINNATI (AFX) - Procter & Gamble Co. said Thursday it has reached a settlement with Cumberland Swan Holdings Inc. for alleged trade dress infringement and false advertising of its Crest Pro-Health oral rinse products. Smyrna, Tenn.-based Cumberland Swan denied the allegations but has agreed to stop manufacturing, distributing and selling the products in question, Procter & Gamble said.'This case was about consumers being misled into believing that they were buying products comparable to Crest Pro-Health,' said Jim Johnson, chief legal officer for Procter & Gamble. 'We're satisfied that Cumberland Swan must now compete with its own designs and substantiate its performance claims with meaningful testing, as we do.'Shares of Procter & Gamble rose 22 cents to $61.97 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.LOAD-DATE: August 31, 2006

College Students Rocking with Crest White Strips

2006-10-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
October 4, 2006 Wednesday 9:20 AM GMTLENGTH: 804 wordsHEADLINE: New 'Smile State' Facebook Group Gets College Students Rocking; Students Join Crest Whitestrips 'Smile State' to Win an On-Campus Concert DATELINE: NEW YORK Oct. 4BODY:NEW YORK, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Procter & Gamble's Crest Whitestrips is giving college students something to really smile about this year with Smile State -- its new sponsored group on Facebook.com. The group is giving undergrads at 20 select campuses across the nation VIP access to concerts, other exclusive events, promotions, contests, behind-the-scenes web content and more, all for free. All they have to do to join in on the fun and collect prizes is become a member of Smile State.The benefits of joining are many, culminating with the chance for four campuses to win a stop on the Smile State Tour. At the end of the first semester, the four schools with the largest Smile State membership will score an exclusive concert on their campus featuring the latest acts from Island Def Jam all happening at the close of the fall semester. In addition to the tour, each of the 20 chosen schools is guaranteed to receive two free VIP pre-release movie screenings right at their school and Smile State is also tapping into the latest competitive craze and hosting rock, paper, scissors contests on select campuses, all of which will be open only to Smile State members. Constantly changing online content is another reason students will continue to log on and check back often. Enticing subject matter will include the newest music by Island Def Jam's up-and-coming acts, blogs written by the artists themselves, interviews, artist photos, never-before-seen movie content, tons of photo uploads and contests in addition to the ability to check out what's hot on other campuses. As an added bonus, the schools that win the private concert will have their pearly whites showcased on the Smile State page for the entire network to see.
Participating Universities:
Auburn University University of Oklahoma
Virginia Tech Arizona State University
Purdue University University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
University of Alabama North Carolina State University
University of Florida University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Tennessee University of Pittsburgh
Michigan State University Texas A&M University
Penn State University University of Michigan
University of Cincinnati Ohio State University
University of Washington UC Santa Barbara
Keep a lookout for Smile State squads invading the 20 campuses all year long. They'll be on site to coordinate events and hand out prizes like tickets to local concerts, full size kits of Crest Whitestrips Premium and more information on what is to come from Smile State all semester long! For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/smilestate .About Facebook.comFacebook is a social directory that enables people to share information. Launched in February 2004, Facebook helps people better understand their world by giving them access to the information that is most relevant to them. Facebook's website has grown to over 8 million people and, according to comScore, ranks as the seventh-most trafficked site in the United States. People with a valid email address from a supported college, high school or company can register for Facebook and create a profile to share information, photos, and interests with their friends.About Crest WhitestripsCrest Whitestrips makes it easy and affordable to get a bright, white smile by using the same enamel-safe whitening ingredient dentists use to get out stains on and beneath the surface of teeth. Since 2001, Crest Whitestrips has helped bring brilliant, beautiful, brighter, whiter smiles to more than 20 million people. These people have made Crest Whitestrips their best beauty secret, transforming their smiles into the must-have accessory of the season. For more information, visit http://www.whitestrips.com/ .About Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG)Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of over 135,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands. CONTACT: Taryn Levy, +1-212-891-0404, tlevy@devries-pr.com , or LauraKlang Glienna, +1-212-891-0431, lkglienna@devries-pr.com , both for CrestWhitestripsWeb site: http://www.whitestrips.com/ http://www.facebook.com/ http://www.facebook.com/smilestate http://www.pg.com/ SOURCE Crest WhitestripsURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: October 5, 2006

Dayanara Torres Co-Authors Crest Healthy Smiles

2006-10-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
May 23, 2006 Tuesday 4:00 PM GMTLENGTH: 960 wordsHEADLINE: Dayanara Torres Co-Authors Children's Book Exclusively for Crest Healthy Smiles Program; Bi-lingual Book Delivers Positive Oral Health Message and is Available To Consumers for Free for a Limited Time DATELINE: CINCINNATI May 23BODY:CINCINNATI, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress and former Miss Universe, Dayanara Torres, will release her first children's book exclusively for Crest Healthy Smiles, a national oral health outreach program, that will help educate young children and their families about the importance of proper oral care. The book, written in English and Spanish, chronicles the experiences of a brother and sister as they take their first trip to the dentist. It will be released in limited quantity for free beginning May 23, 2006 through July 29th, just in time for summer reading. Consumers can order their free copy by calling toll-free 1-866-989-9968 or by logging onto http://www.cresthealthysmiles.com/ for details."As a Mom of two young boys, I know it's difficult for parents to get children excited about brushing their teeth and going to the dentist," says Dayanara Torres. "This book, titled Ricky and Andrea's Healthy Beautiful Smiles is a great way for children to prepare for a trip to the dentist and learn how to care for their teeth in a fun and engaging way that really speaks to them. I am really proud of its message and so happy to be partnering with Crest Healthy Smiles again to help spread oral health education to families nationwide." "One of the biggest impediments to combating the oral health epidemic is a lack of awareness and education on how to prevent tooth decay - the single most chronic childhood disease," said Dr. Ivan Lugo, 2005 president of the Hispanic Dental Association. "It is necessary that we continue to introduce educational tools such as this book to help children and parents understand the importance of preventative care."A US Surgeon General report revealed that forty-seven percent of all low- income Hispanics living in the US have untreated tooth decay. An alarming twenty-five percent of low-income children have not visited a dentist before entering kindergarten. Crest Healthy Smiles strives to provide educational materials within these communities to effect real change in the oral health of children and families in need.Torres, who was an aspiring orthodontist, has worked with various charitable organizations that benefit children. She believes that starting children on an oral hygiene regimen when they are young will help ensure that they grow up with healthy teeth and gums. This month, Torres will host a book reading session at the Hank Kline Boys & Girls Club in Miami to help promote oral health awareness among America's youth. As part of the program's continued commitment to helping children achieve and maintain healthy, beautiful smiles, Crest Healthy Smiles will donate copies of the book to Boys & Girls Clubs in Miami, FL and San Juan, Puerto Rico.Crest Healthy Smiles in the CommunitySince its inception in 2000, Crest Healthy Smiles has worked with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to bring Club children low or no-cost dental care, access to dental professionals, oral health education and toothbrushes and toothpaste. Eight fully-operational Crest Smile Shoppes exist in Clubs throughout the country, and Clubs also run a specially designed curriculum, the Cavity-Free Zone, several times each year. Two additional Crest Smile Shoppes are also located at the Fitzsimons Air Force Base in Denver, CO and at the Tri County Community Dental Clinic in Appleton, WI.Crest Healthy Smiles brings oral care to children in underserved communities through partnerships with dental schools, mobile dental vans, and through grassroots and community events. Crest Healthy Smiles also reaches 90 percent of first-graders through its in-school oral health education programs.For more information on Crest Healthy Smiles, log onto http://www.cresthealthysmiles.com/ .About Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG)Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.About Dayanara TorresDiscovered in her hometown of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, at 17, Dayanara Torres has enjoyed a rewarding international career as a model, television, movie and music star, and most importantly, as the mother of two children. As Miss Universe, Dayanara's humanitarian work focused on disadvantaged and poverty-stricken children throughout the world. She became an international ambassador for UNICEF and endowed the Dayanara Torres Foundation which provided aid and scholarships to destitute families in the Philippines. More recently, she was featured in a national breast cancer awareness campaign and a domestic violence prevention campaign. Dayanara has now partnered with Crest to educate children and their parents about oral health through the Crest Healthy Smiles national program.
Media Contacts:
DeVries Public Relations
Cristina Calzadilla
+1-212-891-0421

ccalzadilla@devries-pr.com

Katie Hamlin
+1-646-253-0205

khamlin@devries-pr.com

P&G Media Contact:
Laura Brinker
+1-513-780-7370CONTACT: Media, Cristina Calzadilla, +1-212-891-0421, orccalzadilla@devries-pr.com , or Katie Hamlin, +1-646-253-0205, orkhamlin@devries-pr.com , both of DeVries Public Relations; or Laura Brinker ofP&G, +1-513-780-7370Web site: http://www.pg.com/ http://www.cresthealthysmiles.com/ SOURCE Procter & GambleURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: May 24, 2006

Crest Smile Packs and TSA

2006-10-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
August 16, 2006 Wednesday 3:24 PM GMTLENGTH: 738 wordsHEADLINE: Crest and Avis Partner to Restore Travelers' Smiles; In Wake of New Security Regulations Banning Most Toiletries in Carry-On Luggage, Crest Offers Free Smile Packs of Toothpaste, Rinse and Floss at Major Avis Locations DATELINE: CINCINNATI, Aug. 16 2006BODY:CINCINNATI, Aug. 16, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Airline passengers may not have a lot to smile about lately, but America's leading oral care brand Crest hopes to brighten their day a bit. Starting this week and continuing while supplies last, Crest is offering more than 25,000 free Crest Smile Packs -- each worth more than $10 (retail value). Packs include full-size toothpaste, rinse and dental floss and will be available to travelers exclusively at Avis locations in 25 of the top US airports. The offer is being made to help travelers comply with the new TSA travel regulations prohibiting liquid and gel items in carry-on luggage.(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060816/CLW028 ) "Many people are still trying to understand what they can or can't bring on planes or had to leave carry-on items like toothpaste and rinse with security. We wanted to help these people out," said Diane Dietz, General Manager-North America Oral Care.Crest Smile Packs will include new Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Crest Pro- Health Rinse and Crest Glide Deep Clean dental floss. The packs will be placed on the seats of all Avis Preferred renters' cars. Distribution will continue while supplies last. Now, Avis customers can start their vacations or business trips with healthy, bright smiles and clean, fresh breath courtesy of Crest and Avis.PARTICIPATING AIRPORTS INCLUDEAtlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Detroit, MI, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Miami, FL, Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN, Nashville, TN, Oakland, CA, Orlando, FL, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA, San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, St. Louis, MO, Tampa, FL and Washington, D.C.ABOUT CRESTA trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste. Since first introducing fluoride toothpaste 50 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a billion cavities in the United States. In addition, Crest created Crest Healthy Smiles, a national outreach program designed to help improve the state of oral health in America. Each year, the Crest Healthy Smiles program provides education, tools, and increased access to dental professionals to underserved children and their families nationwide. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Crest is owned and distributed by Procter & Gamble.ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE (NYSE:PG)Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.ABOUT AVISAvis Rent A Car System, LLC and its subsidiaries operate one of the world's leading car rental brands, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 2,000 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin American / Caribbean region. Avis is one of the world's top brands for customer loyalty, ranking as the number one car rental company in the 2005 Brand Keys(R) Customer Loyalty Index. The company is part of Cendant Car Rental Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD). For more information visit http://www.avis.com/ or http://www.cendant.com/ .
Media Contacts:
Tonia Elrod -- P&G Oral Care External Relations
-- +1-513-622-2117
Torri Leeds -- DeVries Public Relations on behalf of Crest
-- +1-212-891-0471
Susan McGowan -- Avis Budget Car Rental
-- +1-973-496-3916CONTACT: Media, Tonia Elrod of P&G Oral Care External Relations,+1-513-622-2117; or Torri Leeds of DeVries Public Relations on behalf ofCrest, +1-212-891-0471; or Susan McGowan of Avis Budget Car Rental,+1-973-496-3916Web site: http://www.pg.com/ http://www.suproxy.su.educrest.com/ http://www.avis.com/ http://www.cendant.com/ SOURCE Procter & GambleURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: August 17, 2006

Crest and Saudis

2006-10-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Comtex News Network, Inc.All Rights ReservedCopyright 2006 Al-Bawaba.com, All rights reserved. Al-Bawaba
This content is provided to LexisNexis by Comtex News Network, Inc.
October 4, 2006 Wednesday 6:57 AM ESTLENGTH: 629 wordsHEADLINE: CREST AND ORAL-B CONTINUE TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR ORAL HEALTH IN SAUDI IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MINISTRIES OF HEALTH & EDUCATIONBYLINE: By Al-Bawaba ReportersBODY:The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education (MOE), and oral care experts Crest and Oral-B met today to launch year three of their National Oral Care Preventive Programme in schools. Over 130 ministry officials participated in a national seminar to kick-start the campaign for in school training and oral care awareness organized by industry specialists, Crest and Oral-B.With the year's goals set to reach over 250,000 first graders of both genders in all 42 education regions in Saudi, Crest and Oral-B shared their plans and training materials with regional programme administrators through interactive workshop sessions. ''Crest and Oral-B are very proud to have pioneered, with the MOH and MOE, a programme of such importance,'' said Turki Binmoammar, Public Affairs & Community Relations Manager, Modern Products Company. ''As we move into year three of this long term campaign, we are committed to providing even greater support to 10,000 teachers we plan to train, with materials that will teach and both guide children to learn and adopt brushing habits.'' Teachers will attend lectures organized by Crest & Oral B on how to coach and direct children in practicing proper and regular tooth brushing habits. The emphasis of the campaign is to educate children and institutionalize the concept of self-care and regular oral hygiene practice.''The government acknowledged over three years ago the prevalence of dental caries in children,' said Dr. Mohammad Alrafie, Director of Dentistry, Ministry of Health. ''By aligning ourselves with our partners, MOE, Crest and Oral-B we successfully launched our caries prevention programme in schools and extended it throughout the Kingdom.'' Dr. Adel Al- Rusayes, programme supervisor from Male School Health Education Directorate, Ministry of Education added: '' The programme has seen immense success as it is centred upon in-school education of oral hygiene. We strongly believe that children are receptive to learn new habits at school and listen to their teachers' advice.'' Dr, Abdullah Alorf, from Female School Health Education Directorate, Ministry of Education, further contributes the success of the programme to Crest and Oral-B's extensive support and experience in school programmes globally. ''This partnership has brought forth a very inspiring initiative whose success thus far is astounding. We are further excited about year three of the programme which promises to be even bigger with additional reach and greater results.'' Details of the KSA National Oral Care Preventive Program and the role of Crest and Oral-B Building on Crest and Oral-B expertise in school programmes and oral care awareness globally, many of the learnings were applied to the Saudi programme with consideration of the local market and culture. Through the brand's expertise in message communication, all of the materials were developed by design experts and with the brand team's involvement, to support the implementation phases and planning process with the central team of MOH & MOE. The Oral Care School Programme has become over the last 2 years a best in class model in Saudi with total reach to date of 300,000 students. The programme this year will kick off activities immediately after Ramadan with teacher training followed by in-school implementation.About MPC Modern Products Company & its sister Modern Industries Company are leading Saudi companies in the consumer products sector. With huge investments in their plants in Jeddah & Dammam to manufacture Tide, Pampers, Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Always. Through their social program BUNYAN, both companies contributions last year exceeded SR 11 Millions in the areas of Health, Education, and volunteering activities.(C) 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)LOAD-DATE: October 5, 2006

Crest White Strips and Desperate Housewives

2006-10-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
September 11, 2006 Monday 2:35 PM GMTLENGTH: 506 wordsHEADLINE: Crest Whitestrips Premium Gives 'Desperate Housewives' Fans More Than One Reason to Smile; Win an All-Expenses Paid Trip to Walk Down Wisteria Lane and Go Behind The Scenes on the Set of 'Desperate Housewives' DATELINE: NEW YORK Sept. 11BODY:NEW YORK, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you the biggest "Desperate Housewives" fan in America? Can you name all of the ladies who live on Wisteria Lane? Do you study Gabrielle's style secrets? Have you judged Lynette's parenting skills? If the answer is "yes," now's your chance to walk down Wisteria Lane by entering the "Reason to Smile" sweepstakes sponsored by Crest Whitestrips Premium in honor of the show's complete second-season DVD release.One lucky consumer and three friends "desperate" for a whiter smile will win the luxurious grand prize, an all expense paid trip to Hollywood to visit the set of "Desperate Housewives" to take a stroll down Wisteria Lane. The prize also includes airfare, hotel accommodations and spa treatments along with two new digital cameras, a glamorous lunch at a famed Los Angeles restaurant, dinner for four at a celebrity hot-spot, a white limo for the ride to the set, and $1,500 in spending money for a shopping spree. Additionally, the grand prize includes the "Desperate Housewives" complete "Extra Juicy Edition" second-season DVD boxed set and four kits of Crest Whitestrips Premium to make sure your smile sparkles for the trip to Wisteria Lane. First and second prize winners will also receive a "Desperate Housewives" complete "Extra Juicy Edition" second season DVD boxed set and kits of Crest Whitestrips Premium.Throughout the months of September and October, fans can enter UPC code from any package of Crest Whitestrips Premium at http://www.whitestrips.com/ and they will automatically be entered in the "Reason to Smile" sweepstakes. There's no purchase necessary.About Crest WhitestripsCrest Whitestrips makes it easy and affordable to get a bright, white smile by using the enamel-safe whitening ingredient dentists use to get out stains on and beneath the surface of teeth. Since 2001, Crest Whitestrips has helped bring brilliant, beautiful, brighter, whiter smiles to more than 20 million people. These people have made Crest Whitestrips their best beauty secret, transforming their smiles into the must-have accessory of the season. For full details and a complete set of contest rules, go to http://www.whitestrips.com/ .About P>wo billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Bounty(R), Pringles(R), Dawn(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Actonel(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), and Wella. The P&G community consists of almost 110,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands. CONTACT: Taryn Levy, +1-212-891-0404, tlevy@devries-pr.com , or LauraKlang-Glienna, +1-212-891-0431, lkglienna@devries-pr.com , both of DevriesPublic Relations for P&G Web site: http://www.pg.com/ http://www.whitestrips.com/ SOURCE P&GURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: September 12, 2006

Pro-Health Colgate

2006-10-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Crain CommunicationsAll Rights Reserved Advertising Age
June 26, 2006SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 3LENGTH: 653 wordsHEADLINE: Lucky seven? New Crest aims to unseat Colgate; P&G lays out $100M on Pro-Health, which fights all seven dental problemsBYLINE: JACK NEFFBODY:P&G is unleashing a $100 million blitz to support an oral-care product designed to leapfrog rival Colgate Total's performance and return Crest to toothpaste leadership for the first time in nearly a decade.In an abrupt turnabout for Procter & Gamble Co., whose recent toothpaste marketing has been like ``Seinfeld,'' highly entertaining but about nothing when it comes to therapeutic benefits, the marketer is comparing the rollout of Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste to its groundbreaking launch of Crest with fluoride in the 1960s. The blockbuster proposition behind ProHealth is that it's accepted by the American Dental Association to treat all seven leading oral-care problems at once. It's the first toothpaste to make such broad claims, and P&G's research shows the brand beats Total in its core benefit: combating gingivitis.Although Colgate-Palmolive executives have downplayed the launch so far, it's clear the company is taking Pro-Health seriously. Earlier this year, it began buying up top keyword positions in Google and Yahoo covering most of the oral-care problems Pro- Health will claim to combat. That's still an unusual move for a package-goods marketer. Retail buyers, who tend not to be easily impressed, appear to be taking Pro-Health seriously. ``I took it home and tried it, and I liked it very much,'' said one. ``This is a major launch.''``We're fairly confident this will generate the most retail support we've ever had for a toothpaste initiative,'' said Matt Barresi, marketing director for Crest, calling it the biggest brand introduction since Crest with fluoride in 1960.That launch-and the original American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance-propelled Crest past Colgate, a place it had held until just before Colgate launched Total in 1998. Total has cemented Colgate's lead since.Mr. Barresi wasn't making any predictions about a leadership change, but he's clearly optimistic. P&G is suggesting retailers price tubes of Pro-Health 50¢ above other Crest toothpastes, which would price it above Total, ``because of the magnitude of the performance.''Colgate President-Global Oral Care Nigel Burton in an investor conference earlier this month compared Pro-Health to other Crest multi-benefit efforts globally that haven't put a dent in Total. Mr. Burton said he believes there's room for the multi-benefit segment to grow from the 15% it occupies in the roughly $2 billion U.S. toothpaste market closer to the 20%-25% it commands elsewhere.Seven problemsPro-Health hits stores Aug. 7, with a marketing campaign led by Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi and Starcom MediaVest Group, both New York. But it's not clear yet that the ads will attack Colgate by claiming superior gingivitis prevention. Marketing aimed at dentists so far plays up Pro-Health's ability to fight seven dental woes: cavities, gingivitis, tartar, sensitivity, stains, plaque and bad breath.The dentist marketing compares Pro-Health to a ``negative control'' revealed in P&G research to be Colgate's base cavity-protection product. But P&G researchers also published a study late last year showing Pro-Health beat Total in preventing gum bleeding and inflammation.``You're going to see us focus on what's really most relevant to the consumer, which is that they can get everything at the same time,'' Mr. Barresi said. ``It's not just a litany of minor things. They're the things dentists and the American Dental Association care about.''The product uses two ingredients previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration, stannous fluoride and sodium hexametaphosphate, so P&G didn't need new FDA approval, said Mr. Barresi. But that doesn't mean the science isn't rigorous, he said, noting that 10 years of research went into the formulation. ``The feedback we heard from the American Dental Association was that it was by far the most complex and comprehensive submission for the ADA Seal of Acceptance ever.''GRAPHIC: Art Caption: Getting closer: Even before Pro-Health, Crest was gaining on Colgate, having closed the gap by 2.1 share points in the 52 weeks ended May 21, according to Information Resources Inc. figures that exclude likely more than half the market, including Wal-Mart Stores, club, dollar and small neighborhood shops.Art Credit: Information Resources Inc.; 52 weeks ended May 21LOAD-DATE: June 28, 2006

More on ADA

2006-10-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Crain CommunicationsAll Rights Reserved Advertising Age
July 3, 2006SECTION: VIEWPOINT; Pg. 12LENGTH: 336 wordsHEADLINE: P&G back to basics with CrestBODY:Procter & Gamble Co., by our count, sells 39 variations of Crest toothpaste. Does it really need another? Yes, because it finally has a product that can outperform Colgate Total. Crest sales leapfrogged Colgate in the early '60s after P&G won acceptance from the American Dental Association for Crest's ability to help prevent cavities. Crest stayed on top till right before Colgate-Palmolive Co. introduced gingivitis-fighting Total in 1998. Colgate's been No. 1 ever since.P&G in the intervening years rolled out dozens of Crest variants, from Rejuvenating Effects Gel to Vivid White Night Moonlight Mint, but none lived up to Crest's original brand promise: a scientifically proven solution to a real dental problem.Now, P&G finally has a toothpaste worthy of the family Crest. In August, it will introduce Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, which will carry the ADA seal and have the ability to treat seven common oral-care problems (gingivitis, plaque, tooth decay, stains, sensitivity, tartar formation and bad breath).P&G is the nation's biggest advertiser, but it's also by far the biggest R&D spender in package goods, pumping 33¢ into R&D for every dollar spent on ads. P&G invests whatever it takes to create top-performing products that can command a premium price. Pro-Health will sell for 50¢ above other Crest toothpastes.It took a long time for Crest to one-up Colgate Total. But consumers will benefit, for P&G has built a better mousetrap. Competition is a good thing.Colgate-Palmolive, of course, will fight back with marketing and promotion, and its labs presumably also are working on product improvements. Colgate-Palmolive, which gets 38% of sales from oral-care products, last year spent $246 million on R&D (21¢ per ad dollar).P&G does have one marketing challenge of its own making: It has spent the past decade trotting out Crest variations with plenty of hype but no real therapeutic advancements. P&G now will spend $100 million on ads to prove that the latest Crest really is new and improved.LOAD-DATE: July 5, 2006

ADA Accepted Pro-Health Toothpaste

2006-10-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
August 11, 2006 Friday Correction Appended 11:00 AM GMTLENGTH: 1187 wordsHEADLINE: Crest Changes the Future of Oral Care With Launch of ADA-Accepted Pro- Health(TM) Toothpaste; The First And Only Toothpaste to Protect Against the Seen Areas Dentists Check Most DATELINE: CINCINNATI, Aug. 11 2006BODY:CINCINNATI, Aug. 11, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- From Crest, the brand that changed America's oral care with the introduction of the first clinically- proven fluoride toothpaste in 1955 and Whitestrips in 2000, comes new Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste. This breakthrough dentifrice marks a significant advance in at-home oral care by providing a number of therapeutic oral health and whitening benefits combined in one product. Its exclusive, proprietary Crest technology, the Polyfluorite System(TM), makes it the first and only toothpaste with the ADA seal and that protects against all these areas dentists routinely check: gingivitis, plaque, cavities, tartar, sensitivity, stains and freshens breath.(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060811/CLF008 )"Crest immeasurably changed oral care when we introduced the first clinically-proven fluoride toothpaste in 1955," says Diane Dietz, North American General Manager for Crest. "Now with the introduction of Crest Pro- Health Toothpaste, we are launching the next generation in toothpaste technology that allows consumers to get advanced oral health and whitening benefits from one dentifrice." "The technology in Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste is supported by years of research and development," says Dr. Robert C. Fazio, Associate Professor, Yale University Medical School and Crest Pro-Health Advisory Board Member. "It provides the much-needed benefits for oral health conditions and diseases that millions of Americans suffer from everyday."CREST PRO-HEALTH'S EXCLUSIVE POLYFLUORITE SYSTEMCrest Pro-Health Toothpaste's exclusive Polyfluorite System is a combination of stabilized Stannous Fluoride (0.454%) and Sodium Hexametaphosphate (an advanced anti-tartar/whitening agent). Together, the ingredients work to provide unique all-in-one protection. Stannous Fluoride - - a clinically-proven fluoride agent -- aids in the remineralization process and helps kill and inhibit bacteria, providing the toothpaste's health benefits. Sodium Hexametaphosphate, along with other advanced whitening ingredients, gently polishes away extrinsic surface stains and protects against new stains."Crest Pro-Health's Polyfluorite System is the result of more than 10 years of testing and development to create a dentifrice that successfully merges the gold standard in health technology with whitening benefits," says Robert Gerlach, DDS, MPH. "The product has the ADA seal of acceptance(1) and protects against cavities, gingivitis, plaque sensitivity, tartar, stains and freshens breath. The technology is supported by 15 patent applications and more than 70 published pieces of literature on the ingredients. And, Crest Pro-Health toothpaste delivers three FDA-recognized oral health care benefits: anticaries, antigingivitis and protects against sensitivity."AREAS DENTISTS ROUTINELY CHECKAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 percent of Americans currently suffer from some degree of gingivitis, an early form of periodontal disease generally indicated by bleeding gums, which can lead to bone loss the eventual loss of teeth. Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste provides protection against gingivitis, as well as other areas that dentists routinely check:
- GINGIVITIS: Clinically proven to help control gingivitis by reducing
gum inflammation and bleeding
- In a 6-month clinical versus a negative control, Crest Pro-Health's
Polyfluorite System reduced gingivitis by up to 21 percent and
reduced bleeding by up to 57 percent.
- TARTAR: Formulated to fight tartar and protect against visible build-up
- Crest Pro-Health's Polyfluorite System reduced tartar up to 56
percent better than a leading anticalculus toothpaste.
- PLAQUE: Clinically proven to provide long lasting protection against
plaque
- Crest Pro-Health's Polyfluorite System has been shown to reduce
plaque by up to 23 percent versus baseline and up to 8 percent
versus an ordinary toothpaste
- SENSITIVITY: Long-lasting protection against teeth sensitivity to cold,
heat, acids, sweets or contact
- Crest Pro-Health Polyfluorite System has been clinically proven to
reduce and protect against dentinal hypersensitivity
- STAINS: Formulated with two whitening ingredients that remove and help
prevent surface stain so teeth stay whiter
- CAVITIES: Provides long-lasting protection against cavities
- BREATH: Long-lasting antibacterial action that kills over 98 percent of
bacteria(2) and freshens breath
AVAILABLE IN AUGUST 2006New Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste will be available nationwide at drug, grocery and mass stores in August 2006. It will be offered in two flavors -- Clean Mint and Cinnamon -- in a 4.2 oz tube for $2.99, 6.0 oz tube for $3.49 and 7.8 oz tube for $3.99. It is part of the Crest Pro-Health line of oral care products, which includes Crest Pro-Health Rinse. For more information, please log on to Crest.com.ABOUT CRESTA trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste. Since first introducing fluoride toothpaste 50 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a billion cavities in the United States. In addition, Crest created Crest Healthy Smiles, a national outreach program designed to help improve the state of oral health in America. Each year, the Crest Healthy Smiles program provides education, tools, and increased access to dental professionals to underserved children and their families nationwide. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Crest is owned and distributed by Procter & Gamble.ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE (NYSE:PG)Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R). Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
(1) The ADA Council on Scientific Affairs' Acceptance of Crest Pro-Health
toothpaste is based on its finding that the product is effective in
helping to prevent and reduce tooth decay, gingivitis, and plaque
above the gumline, to relieve sensitivity in otherwise normal teeth
and to whiten teeth by removing surface stains, when used as directed.
(2) Based on laboratory testing.
P&G Media Contacts:
Corporate Media Center +1-866-PROCTER
Tonia Elrod - External Relations - +1-513-622-2117CONTACT: P&G Media Contacts, Corporate Media Center, +1-866-PROCTER, orTonia Elrod - External Relations, +1-513-622-2117Web site: http://www.pg.com/ http://crest.com/ SOURCE The Procter & Gamble CompanyURL: http://www.prnewswire.comCORRECTION-DATE: August 11, 2006 FridayCORRECTION:In the news release, Crest Changes the Future of Oral Care With Launch of ADA-Accepted Pro-Health(TM) Toothpaste, issued earlier today by The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the sub headline should read "The First And Only Toothpaste to Protect Against the Seven Areas Dentists Check Most" rather than "...the Seen Areas Dentists Check Most" as originally issued inadvertently. Web site: http://www.pg.com/ http://crest.com/ SOURCE The Procter & Gamble CompanyLOAD-DATE: August 12, 2006

Buckeye Burger

2006-10-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 The Columbus Dispatch The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service
July 8, 2006 SaturdaySECTION: SPORTSACC-NO: 20060708-OH-0708-Wendy-s-planning-Buckeye-burgerLENGTH: 601 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's planning Buckeye burger: Sandwich with OSU theme to appear on menus next monthBYLINE: Barnet D . Wolf, The Columbus Dispatch, OhioBODY:Jul. 8--New Orleans is known for its jambalaya, Buffalo made a name for itself with wings, and Memphis is a barbecue haven. And Columbus?That was a problem for Wendy's when the fast-food chain began developing its new Brutus Buckeye Burger to link the company with its sponsorship of Ohio State University athletics.For most Americans, Columbus grub is probably tied more closely with restaurant chains, such as Wendy's, White Castle or Bob Evans, than any specific food. Faced with that reality, Wendy's decided to focus on the Ohio State football experience for its sandwich idea, and it came up with four burger concepts that were considered for the new offering.The runaway winner, selected yesterday by a dozen OSU staff members, band members and cheerleaders, was a burger designed to echo the stadium-food experience.The Brutus Buckeye Burger features a quarter pound of beef, sweet relish, mustard relish, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, American cheese and an abundance of onion slices on a roll.The ingredients aren't that much different from those used to make a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic single, except it has two types of relish rather than pickles and mayonnaise."That's the one I like best, and it seems most of the others did, too," said David Brown, OSU's associate athletic director for marketing, who participated in the blind taste test.The winner beat out more eclectic offerings: a burger that added a sausage patty and Swiss cheese; an entry with Tabasco and blue-cheese sauce; and a sandwich with scarlet and "gray" in the form of a red jalapeno ranch sauce.The Buckeye will be offered only at Wendy's 125 central Ohio restaurants. It is scheduled to join the menu Aug. 28, just be- fore the Buckeyes' home opener, and will remain through the football season.To enhance the Buckeyes theme, Wendy's also will add to its local menu a Fix n' Mix Frosty that has mini Buckeye peanut butter-and-chocolate candy.Wendy's is a long-time OSU sports partner and a scoreboard sponsor at Ohio Stadium and the Schottenstein Center.The Brutus Buckeye Burger is just the third regional signature burger created by Wendy's and the first in more than a decade. It joins the Carolina Classic and Texas Double Cheeseburger.The Carolina Classic is a quarter-pound burger topped with coleslaw, Southeasternstyle chili, mustard and onions, and made available in the Carolinas and parts of Virginia and Georgia.Wendy's Texas Double Cheeseburger, sold in several Southwestern markets, features two 2-ounce hamburgers, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes.The idea of adding regional sandwiches is something the company is considering as a way to help boost sales, which had struggled for nearly two years before a series of new menu items introduced in recent months helped turn that around."We're exploring a whole range of items," Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini said. Among them are foods that feature "more taste experiences with a local flair."In October, the company's restaurants in the Cincinnati area are expected to introduce a Who-Dey Burger to tie in with the city's National Football League team, the Bengals. That burger, named for a chant popularized by Bengals fans, will include chili, shredded cheese and onions that are standard for Cincinnatistyle chili hot dogs.bwolf@dispatch.comCopyright (c) 2006, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.LOAD-DATE: July 8, 2006

Wendy's Spices it Up -- Chicago Tribune

2006-10-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune (Illinois)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service
July 13, 2006 ThursdaySECTION: BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWSACC-NO: 20060713-TB-0713-Wendy-S-Spices-Up-Chicken-SandwichLENGTH: 516 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's spices up chicken sandwich: Move goes against McDonald's decisionBYLINE: John Schmeltzer, Chicago TribuneBODY:Jul. 13--Some really do like it hot.And there are those who like it even hotter, says Wendy's International Inc., which said it is going to test-market a red-hot chicken sandwich in the wake of news from McDonald's Corp. that it is pulling its spicy chicken sandwich from its menu. "The truth of it all is that consumers are a little more adventuresome than in prior decades about foods," said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food-service strategies for Columbus-based WD Partners, a company that helps develop food-service ideas."Part of it is due to the Food Channel. People are more aware of other foods than mashed potatoes, french fries, hamburgers and steak," he said, noting that it is a slow-moving trend.Wendy's announcement to test the superhot sandwich in three markets, which came a day after archrival McDonald's chickened out on its 6-month-old Hot 'n' Spicy McChicken sandwich, was a significant departure for the tight-lipped quick-service industry, which normally doesn't even acknowledge marketing tests.Wendy's new sandwich will complement the Spicy Chicken Sandwich it has marketed for a decade at its nearly 6,700 restaurants. That's about half the 13,700 stores operated by McDonald's in the United States. Burger King markets a similar spicy chicken sandwich."We have defended our Spicy Chicken successfully against competitive intrusion--most recently by McDonald's," said Ian Rowden, Wendy's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Now we see an opportunity to build on this effort and the strong equity of our product by giving our customers additional options that turn up the heat."Lombardi said McDonald's spicy chicken flop probably had more to do with its own missteps than an action by Wendy's."What is the McDonald's customer base used to?" he asked, suggesting that the burger giant's customers are more familiar with its milder offerings."Remember, Wendy's has been pushing spicy something for a long time, just as Popeyes chicken is known for its spicy offerings," he said. "Customers self-select where they will eat by deciding spicy or not spicy, veggie or not veggie."Some customers, however, said they had a better explanation for McDonald's flop."I know many individuals, myself included, plainly thought the sandwich was terrible," said Tony Vargas of Bartlett, citing dry chicken, hard breading and limited spiciness. "When you stack it up against Wendy's spicy chicken or even Burger King's Spicy Tender Crisp, McDonald's had the worst offering.""We're serving more than 26 million satisfied customers in our restaurants every day," said Bill Whitman, spokesman for McDonald's. "We're doing this by providing choice and variety. We will continue to listen to our customers to provide them with what they want."jschmeltzer@tribune.comCopyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.LOAD-DATE: July 13, 2006

Frescata Sells Pass 20 Million Mark

2006-10-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
May 25, 2006 Thursday 1:47 PM GMTLENGTH: 694 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's Building Momentum; Frescata Sales Pass 20 Million Mark; Company Posts First Monthly Sales Gain in 14 Months DATELINE: DUBLIN, Ohio May 25BODY:DUBLIN, Ohio, May 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- One of the world's largest hamburger restaurant chains is using premium deli meats and fresh-baked artisan bread to heat up sales and build momentum.Wendy's announced today that more than 20 million sandwiches have been served since the April launch of its Frescata(TM) deli sandwich line."We're excited about the enthusiastic customer reaction to our Frescata deli sandwiches. It is one of the strongest initial responses we've had for a new menu offering in recent years," said Kerrii Anderson, interim chief executive officer and president of the Company. The launch of Frescata and the cumulative impact of other marketing and operations initiatives enabled Wendy's to post the first positive same-store sales month since January 2005.U.S. system same-store sales increased 0.4% for the April 2006 reporting period, with company restaurants up 0.2% and franchise restaurants up 0.5%. Same-store sales declined 5.5% in April 2005, with company restaurants decreasing 5.8% and franchise restaurants declining 5.5%.Wendy's posted a five-point positive swing in same-store sales during the April 2006 reporting period compared to the first quarter of 2006. During the first quarter, same-store sales at company restaurants decreased 4.8% and 5.2% at franchise restaurants."These results are encouraging, but we fully understand that we're just getting started. We are focused on building momentum, and we're optimistic about the other initiatives in place to increase sales and customer traffic throughout the remainder of the year," Anderson said. "We also continue to execute elements of Wendy's Combo Plan, designed to reduce costs and return the Company to a position of long-term, sustained growth."Prior to 2005, Wendy's had enjoyed 18 consecutive years of same-store sales growth. Full results for the second quarter will be announced on July 27.The Frescata line includes Black Forest Ham & Swiss Cheese, Roasted Turkey with Basil Pesto, Roasted Turkey & Swiss Cheese and the Frescata Club. High- quality deli meats, fresh toppings and artisan bread -- baked at the restaurant -- separate the sandwich line from competitive offerings.The Company is continuing to execute a 25-market sampling campaign across the U.S. to promote Frescata and prompt consumer trial. This effort will culminate in early June.Frosty Showcased on National TVIn addition, the company is actively promoting Frostys on national television this month for the first time in many years. Wendy's Fix n' Mix Frostys, with the customer's choice of M&M(R)s, Butterfinger(R) or Oreo(R) toppings, are being highlighted. Research shows that the Frosty is one of the top four destination drivers on Wendy's menu.During the second quarter, the Company also plans to re-energize its Late Night business with national media support, and promote its Wendy's Kids' Meal Choices program, featuring two nutritious new Kids' Meal sandwiches -- Turkey & Cheese and Ham & Cheese -- and a low-fat yogurt and granola side option.Safe Harbor statementCertain information in this news release, particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances, and plans, expectations and objectives of management, is forward looking. Factors set forth in our Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, in addition to other possible factors not listed, could affect the Company's actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Please review the Company's Safe Harbor statement at http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys-invest.com/safeharbor .Wendy's International, Inc. overviewWendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and five quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers(R), Tim Hortons(R), Baja Fresh(R) and Pasta Pomodoro(R). CONTACT: Denny Lynch of Wendy's International, Inc., +1-614-764-3413, ordenny_lynch@wendys.com Web site: http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys.com/ http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys-invest.com/safeharbor SOURCE Wendy's International, Inc.URL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: May 26, 2006

Wendy's and My Space

2006-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Gannett Company, Inc.All Rights Reserved USA TODAY
August 30, 2006 Wednesday FINAL EDITIONSECTION: MONEY; Pg. 3BLENGTH: 898 wordsHEADLINE: Marketers get their mascots in on action at MySpace; Faux profiles try to get social networkers to take a lookBYLINE: Laura PetreccaBODY:Who knew being square was cool?On MySpace.com, Wendy's cartoon marketing mascot Smart has more than 81,000 "friends" who've linked to his page and posted notes such as, "i luv u."In his profile, the Wendy's burger-patty-shaped icon lists metal music, Angelina Jolie and TV show 24 as interests. Favorite nosh: Wendy's bacon mushroom melt. Hero: Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, of course. Smart is an example of how marketers are riding the online community craze: seeding social-networking sites with faux profiles to connect with consumers.Sites such as MySpace let users build free profile pages typically filled with their photos and personal information. They can network their profile to another member's by asking to become a "friend." Once linked, friends can post comments on each other's pages.MySpace, bought last summer by media giant News Corp. for $580 million, is the best known networking site. It drew 46 million unique visitors in July, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Such numbers are drawing increasing marketer interest.Among others with profiles for ad characters:*Wendy's rival Burger King has a MySpace page for its "king."*Columbia Pictures posted a profile for Ricky Bobby, the fictional NASCAR racer played by Will Ferrell in the studio's Talladega Nights.*News Corp. sibling FX, the cable channel, even has a MySpace profile for The Carver, a serial killer from its Nip/Tuck TV show. Joan Crawford and George Steinbrenner are among The Carver's heroes.Many of the faux profiles, including the FX listing, are paid deals with Fox Interactive Media, the News Corp. unit that sells advertising on MySpace. Buyers get fancy features for the page, and the profile is promoted on the site to other users with banner ads and text links. The cost ranges from $100,000 to more than $1 million, depending on the page's technical complexity and the level of MySpace promotion, says Michael Barrett, chief revenue officer at Fox Interactive.Paid profiles aren't the only corporate fiction on MySpace, however. Other companies post profiles for free, the way any other user can. Volkswagen put up a profile for Helga, the sexy engineer from its commercials. Among her likes: "the smell of gasoline."MySpace says it monitors unpaid commercial profiles and has taken down some down. A firm no-no: directly selling products from the page. (Also banned sitewide are offensive content, profanity and nudity.)Barrett says he doesn't know how many unpaid ad pages are among MySpace's 100 million profiles. He says the total, paid and back-door, is "a very small piece" of the network, but also says the ad sales team is "deluged" with requests for more.There are risksLimiting the number of commercial messages is "critical" for social-networking sites, says Max Kalehoff, vice president of marketing at Nielsen BuzzMetrics, which tracks consumer-generated content on the Web."There's a ton of advertising dollars that are waiting to throw themselves into these platforms," he says. "But, ultimately, the value comes from the members. What draws members into these gathering places is the realness and authenticity. ... The bombardment of commercialism could destroy what makes it great in the first place."Advertisers also take a risk: The goal of most marketing profiles is to draw in those coveted "friends" and build buzz, but marketers have to accept that not all the buzz will be positive."There's a fine line for most marketers when they venture into the social media space," Barrett says. "You're going to hear all sorts of feedback. ... Sometimes it's not going to be all that flattering, but that's what makes it even more genuine."MySpace offers more-intense monitoring for ad clients and removes negative postings on request.Wendy's lets consumer comments stand, though Smart has drawn both praise for Wendy's burgers and some sharp comments. One links to an online dialogue about the benefits of being a vegetarian. Another connects to a forum about poor quality of Wendy's food."We monitor it, but we don't control it," says Ian Rowden, Wendy's chief marketing officer. "It's a social dialogue. If we took the posts down, it would send a message that's not consistent with the character."Ads OK if you make them funWendy's has no choice if it wants buzz with the increasingly cynical teens and young adults who congregate on MySpace, says youth marketing expert Samantha Skey of Alloy Media & Marketing. She says many social-network users don't hesitate to link to a corporate site -- the same way they'd wear a T-shirt with a hip brand logo -- so long as they feel the site is entertaining, engaging and not just a corporate shill.Eliza Madison, a 20-year-old student at Fordham University in New York, hasn't connected her MySpace profile to any corporate sites yet but says she doesn't mind that marketers mix business with pleasure."It's a good way of using the network if they make (the profiles) funny and people enjoy it," she says. "But they have to do it in a way that it doesn't make you feel like you're being attacked by the company to go out and buy their stuff."MySpace by the numbers for JulyUnique audience (total number of people who visited) 46 millionTotal page views (includes repeat visitors)25 billionTotal Web pages the average person viewed for the month 551Avg. total time per person in July2 hours, 5 minutesSource: Nielsen/NetRatings, JulyGRAPHIC: PHOTO, B/W, Suzanne Hanover, Sony PicturesPHOTO, B/W, VolkswagenPHOTO, B/W, Wendy'sLOAD-DATE: August 30, 2006

Wendy's New Marketing Team

2006-10-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 CNW Group Canada NewsWire
July 26, 2006 Wednesday 1:01 PM Eastern TimeDISTRIBUTION: Attention Business Editors, Food WritersLENGTH: 683 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's Creates Marketing Group to Drive Strategy and InnovationDATELINE: DUBLIN, OHIO July 26BODY:Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) is creating a new area of marketing to lead innovation efforts for the Wendy's(R) brand.Ian Rowden, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, today announced the expanded role of Wendy's marketing department with the establishment of an Innovation and Strategy group comprised of the following functions:-- Research and Development -- Strategic Insights & Innovation-- Operations Innovation"We know that innovation at all levels - from the menu to packaging to the customer experience in our restaurants - is critical to our success. Everything is now strategically linked and will work tightly together," Rowden said."Over the last year, we have completely retooled and reinvigorated our menu-development process, and our product pipeline is filled with a wide array of exciting options. Now, we're broadening this effort by creating a single team responsible for driving and enhancing innovation at all levels."Kerrii Anderson, Wendy's interim chief executive officer and president, said, "We have made great strides in our marketing efforts under Ian's leadership. The creation of the new group is an important next step as we work to strengthen our business performance and regain our position as a leader in innovation in our industry."A senior strategist, yet to be named, will head the Innovation and Strategy group and will report to Rowden. Reporting to the group's leader will be three Wendy's veterans:-- Lori Estrada, senior vice president -- research and development. Estrada oversees the development and execution of Wendy's menu strategy. She spearheads product and process innovation including new products, packaging and enhancements to current menu items.-- Casey Minton, vice president -- strategic insights and innovation. Minton will be responsible for innovation of Wendy's current business model, identifying potential new revenue streams and consumer research and analysis.-- Mike Watson, senior vice president -- operations innovation. A 26-year veteran and Wendy's Hall of Fame member, Watson has been serving as senior vice president of operations administration and strategic planning. In his new role, he will guide operational process improvements in Wendy's restaurants."Mike's vast operational experience will help ensure that our innovations are fully compatible with restaurant operations and strongly resonate with our customers," Rowden said. "Folding operations components into the Innovations and Strategy group is an important step. It's the first time we've had someone with Mike's operations background as an integral part of the marketing team."In addition to the Innovation and Strategy group, other units reporting to Rowden include Brand Management, Field Marketing, Emerging Consumer Markets and Marketing Operations and Administration.Effective immediately, Wendy's Media Services and Diversity Marketing teams will report to Bob Holtcamp, vice president -- brand management. In addition, Advertising Production will continue to report to Holtcamp.The incorporation of Media Services and Diversity Marketing into the Brand Management team will facilitate greater alignment between media, message and creative as the Company executes marketing initiatives.In addition, Wendy's Director of Communications Bob Bertini will focus on marketing support and will report directly to Rowden. Bertini's new title is director -- consumer communications. In order to strengthen the local impact of national sports and promotional events, Wendy's Special Events team now will report to Desmond Edwards, vice president - field marketing.Wendy's International, Inc. overviewWendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers(R) and Baja Fresh(R) Mexican Grill. The Company also has investments in three additional quality brands - Tim Hortons,(R) Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro(R). CONTACT:Wendy's International, Inc. Bob Bertini, 614-764-3327LOAD-DATE: July 27, 2006

More On Trans Fat--Business Week

2006-10-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. http://www.mcgrawhill.comAll Rights Reserved Business Week
July 31, 2006SECTION: Up Front: FOODSTUFF; Pg. 12 Vol. 3995LENGTH: 241 wordsHEADLINE: Out, Damned Trans Fats!BYLINE: By Michael Arndt Edited by Deborah SteadBODY:How do you want those fries fried? Under fire for cooking with trans fats (linked to heart disease and obesity), some big restaurant chains -- including Chili's Grill & Bar, Ruby Tuesday, and Panera Bread -- are dropping the offending fats. The latest to do so: Wendy's International, which in August will start using a corn- and soybean-oil blend at its 6,400 U.S. and Canadian outlets. The switch will eliminate trans fats from its fried chicken and cut trans fat levels in a serving of fries to 0.5 grams. Finding a substitute has been tough. Trans-fatty shortenings are stable, so they can be used in high-temp fryers for days. Wendy's began its oil hunt in 2004, testing six formulas and then secretly trying out two of them at hundreds of outlets before finding a winner. The blend is a bit tricky to use, says Lori Estrada, Wendy's senior vice-president for R&D. (It must be filtered on schedule.) But customers can't detect the substitution.Taste is the big issue. Four years ago, McDonald's said it would halve the trans fats in its fried food within five months and eliminate them soon after. But its vats still bubble with the same oils. Alternatives, says James Skinner, who became CEO in 2004, altered the taste of fries and Chicken McNuggets. Yum! Brands, too, has yet to find the right oil substitute for its KFC chicken or Taco Bell fare. But if Wendy's scores with consumers, the heat will be on its rivals to try harder.LOAD-DATE: July 27, 2006

More On Breakfast

2006-10-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Crain CommunicationsAll Rights Reserved Advertising Age
July 31, 2006SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 3LENGTH: 570 wordsHEADLINE: Rise and shine: Wendy's wakes up to breakfast; Fast feeder finally follows crowd, hoping morning menu means big bucksBYLINE: KATE MACARTHURBODY:McDonald's rings up 25% of its sales and half of its profits at breakfast; Subway Restaurants draws 5% of sales during the daypart without a national menu; and Burger King gets 15% of sales from the morning meal. Industrywide, breakfast traffic is up a brisk 4%.So why, then, is Wendy's only reluctantly waking up to a market test of breakfast that its management and analysts predicts could reap $160,000, or 11% more of sales per store annually within three years? One answer lies in the spectacular failure Wendy's suffered two decades ago after an exhaustive five-year test, followed by a $10 million glitzy ad push to launch a menu for the eggs-and-coffee crowd. TV spots crooned ``Only Wendy's has breakfast like we do'' to the 1950s Platters' classic ``Only You.''Back then, Wendy's biggest-ever launch effort touted a quality-positioned menu including made-to-order omelets and pancakes served on platters. But it was the wrong proposition for the daypart, as the culture was increasingly becoming grab-and-go. In February 1986, Wendy's was getting only 8% of sales from breakfast, compared to 11% for Burger King and 18% for McDonald's. By March that year, Wendy's made breakfast optional for its then 3,300 restaurants. Management blamed operational complexity, the softness of the restaurant industry and competitors using assembly-line items put under heat lamps.a pricey mealIt's understandable, then, why franchisees have been reticent to jump back in. Some franchisees have expressed concern over equipment costs (a coffee machine alone is estimated to cost $7,000) and other costs, and they fear cannibalizing other dayparts. Others have questioned the operational challenges amid Wendy's most aggressive new-product campaign in years.Nor does breakfast come cheap. The month McDonald's launched McGriddles, it spent $69 million in measured media-with more than $30 million of that estimated to have gone into promoting the product. Burger King, which relied mainly on PR to flog its Enormous Omelet in March 2005, still laid out some $21 million in media that month.So Wendy's is going ahead, cautiously. It's been testing the effects of morning menus since April on operations at three units in Raleigh, N.C., and in a store near its Dublin, Ohio, headquarters. Now, the No. 3 burger chain plans to be up and running in Kansas City by Labor Day.``We are gearing up for a full-market test,'' a Wendy's spokesman said. Once the food and equipment are in place, the chain will begin in-store merchandising, later adding TV and radio support via Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann Erickson, New York. He said the menu would feature some different items than those in the earlier tests, but he wouldn't identify what changes would be made.This time, Wendy's breakfast is portable. Menu items in the Dublin and Raleigh tests included breakfast sandwiches on pan breads, rolls and biscuits ranging from $1.99 to $2.49.At least one rival is watching closely. One legend holds that when Wendy's launched its Dublin test, a parade of Town Cars pulled up and out piled a crew of McDonald's executives. Without attempting to conceal their identity, they ordered multiple menu items and took notes in notebooks branded with the Golden Arches. (A McDonald's spokesman could not confirm or deny the report.)``It was so blatant,'' said an executive relaying the story. ``When McDonald's people play, they play with rocks.''GRAPHIC: Art Caption: Making money in the morning: Most important meal of the day?LOAD-DATE: August 4, 2006

Wendy's Scores Big

2006-10-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. and its licensorsAll Rights Reserved The Globe and Mail (Canada)
October 12, 2006 ThursdaySECTION: REPORT ON BUSINESS: CANADIAN SPECIAL REPORT; REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF MEDIA: MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGNS; Pg. E8LENGTH: 750 wordsHEADLINE: How Wendy's scored a marketing touchdown; Halftime stunt nets the kind of publicity that advertisers need in today's cluttered landscape, writes KAREN VAN KAMPENBYLINE: KAREN VAN KAMPEN, Special to The Globe and MailBODY:In July, 2005, a mechanical engineer from Northern Ontario appeared before 41,000 screaming fans in an attempt to win $1-million. During halftime of the CFL game, Brian Diesbourg walked to the middle of the field at Toronto's Rogers Centre. He had four chances to win. The 25-year-old kicked the football and it just missed the goal. He tried two more times; both missed.Then came his last chance. The avid soccer player gave it all he had, spinning the ball through the air, into the goal. He'd won Wendy's Kick for a Million. The Toronto Argonauts rushed the field, congratulating the new millionaire. "It couldn't have been any more perfect if we'd scripted it," says Hugh Dow, president of M2 Universal, who helped develop the campaign. It's one example of an ad campaign that delivers its message to consumers in an innovative way. There is strong evidence that today's consumers avoid advertising, says Bob Reaume, vice-president of policy and research for the Association of Canadian Advertisers. They change the channel during commercials or use digital video recorders that allow ads to be skipped.Rather than blowing their budgets on traditional print and broadcast spots, advertisers are spending money on sponsorships, event marketing, product placement and branded entertainment, Mr. Reaume says. The goal, he says, is to create a campaign that consumers can't turn away from. About 20,000 people entered the Wendy's contest on-line. The restaurant chain used the power of the Internet to get its message across and increase traffic to its website. It added an interactive game in which people could kick virtually for a winning field goal, encouraging visitors to spend time on the website. At the end of 2006, the Internet will have attracted $600-million in advertising spending this year, Mr. Reaume says. This is more than what is spent annually on outdoor advertising. It's also more than what's spent on magazine advertising across Canada. "For advertisers, what matters is attention. Attention equals money. If attention is moving to the Internet, that's where advertisers are going to move," he says.In advertising, the buzzwords are engagement and activation. The Wendy's campaign engaged people, creating a dialogue between the advertiser and consumer, Mr. Dow says. It also got people to actively do something - register on-line. Such interaction with consumers produces a more meaningful and valuable result than the one-way communication of traditional advertising, Mr. Dow says. The total public relations value of the campaign was estimated at $30-million by TSN. Attendance for the game was 41,000, compared with the usual 20,000. At halftime, the television audience was 27 per cent higher than during the actual game. The media picked up Mr. Diesbourg's practice with the Argonaut's kicker. The next day the event was picked up by local and national media. Mr. Diesbourg was headline news in the papers and the story ran on ESPN and CNN.During the weeks following the event, Wendy's sales increased significantly, Mr. Dow says. Another innovative campaign is Nike Canada's "Ready for Your :45?" The company targeted what it calls "hockey crazy kids" who idolize pro players as larger-than-life heroes, says Cathy Collier, SVP media director for Cossette Media, which helped develop the campaign. The athletes are too larger-than-life to train in a gym, the creative team thought, so they decided to create a campaign that showed hockey players training outdoors, celebrating their superhero status. Nike created a media canvas of the Vancouver Canucks' Markus Naslund doing resistance exercises on a barge that was floating past Vancouver beaches. A 25-metre crane was erected so that a canvas of the Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla doing crunches could hang over Toronto's Don Valley Parkway. In hockey arenas, there were life-size vinyl stickers of athletes training with Nike gear, integrating the ad campaign into the headquarters of hockey-crazy kids. It was impossible for consumers to miss the larger-than-life canvases. People began talking about the campaign. Print and broadcast media picked up the story. The campaign earned gold at the Canadian Media Innovation Awards. Wendy's Kick for a Million campaign was such a success that it's back again this year. A whopping 1.5 million people have registered on-line already.On Oct. 20, someone could be walking away with a big cheque while Wendy's cashes in on another multi-million-dollar campaign. GRAPHIC: IllustrationLOAD-DATE: October 12, 2006

McDonald's views Wendy's as a threat

2006-10-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Associated PressAll Rights Reserved Associated Press Online
April 27, 2006 Thursday 5:18 AM GMTSECTION: BUSINESS NEWSLENGTH: 681 wordsHEADLINE: McDonald's Focuses on Next Rival: Wendy'sDATELINE: DES MOINES IowaBODY:McDonald's has identified its next big worry: Wendy's."This is the face of the enemy over the next 18 months," correspondence recently distributed to McDonald's Corp.'s franchisees asserts, in highlighting a series of potential problems.The reasons behind that conclusion, as laid out in a document that Dow Jones Newswires reviewed, range from Wendy's International Inc.'s forthcoming entry into the breakfast business McDonald's most profitable area to a battle over chicken sandwiches and to the belief that Wendy's intends to vigorously pursue young customers. Looking at the numbers, one might wonder why McDonald's is worried about Wendy's. It has six times the market capitalization of Wendy's $42.7 billion compared with $7.1 billion, and more than three times the number of restaurants.Still, recent speculation about value creation at Wendy's has propelled its stock, and Wendy's trailing price/earnings ratio is nearly twice that of McDonald's, 31.9 times compared with 17.4 times.Last week's sudden resignation of Wendy's Chairman and Chief Executive Jack Schuessler might well alter the agenda at the nation's No. 3 hamburger chain.But with an activist board and increased investor pressure to perform, the person who takes over at Wendy's has little choice but to find ways to re-ignite sales and regain market share and that means taking on McDonald's."While there is no quick fix, we intend to regain positive momentum by improving our restaurant operations, driving sales by launching new, innovative products our customers want, and focusing on more effective marketing," incoming Wendy's Chairman James V. Pickett said last week.At McDonald's, that translates primarily into concern about breakfast.Mornings have brought throngs of customers to McDonald's since the invention of the Egg McMuffin in 1973.A limited test Wendy's has underway in Ohio and North Carolina features various meat sandwiches on pan breads, buttermilk biscuits and Kaiser rolls, as well as warm blueberry muffins, cinnamon twists, and several strengths of coffee.Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini insisted that "any national rollout would not take place until 2007. We have a very disciplined process in place, and we're taking our time to ensure that we get the menu right."Whenever that might be, McDonald's is preparing for war."We have to get aggressive on advertising, products and operations at breakfast," management has told franchisees. That mirrors this vow at a media briefing last week by McDonald's Chief Executive Jim Skinner: "We are going to communicate very strongly around our high-quality breakfast."Boosted by sales of its popular McGriddles pancake sandwich, and in recent days by premium coffee, breakfast has been booming. Sales are up more than 25 percent in the past three years, while overall sales at McDonald's rose about 20 percent, according to the franchisee correspondence.After breakfast, Wendy's is a serious threat on the chicken sandwich front. Chicken is an increasingly important business for McDonald's, which sees the meat as potentially representing $1 billion in sales growth over the next three years, franchisees learned.McDonald's thought it scored a direct hit on Wendy's with its recent introduction of a spicy chicken sandwich, the correspondence indicated. It noted that Wendy's retaliated by advertising its sandwich as "the original," even as it rolled out a 99-cent crispy chicken sandwich to compete with McDonald's in offering a value-priced product.For its part, McDonald's has been testing a Southern-style chicken biscuit item, and it plans to introduce a chicken strip wrapped in a tortilla.Fast food's ability to travel and be eaten in a car is an important consideration; about two-thirds of McDonald's business is now done in its drive-thru lanes.Franchisees learned that both Wendy's and Burger King outsell McDonald's premium chicken sandwiches. Perceived differences in quality apparently account for some of the disparity, so McDonald's told franchisees it plans to become "best in class in chicken," according to the correspondence.LOAD-DATE: April 28, 2006

New Cooking Oil

2006-10-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
June 8, 2006 Thursday 5:30 AM GMTLENGTH: 764 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's Significantly Cuts Trans Fats -- Switch to New Cooking Oil Under Way; All Breaded Chicken Products Will Have Zero Grams of Trans Fats; French Fries to Range from Zero to 0.5 Grams DATELINE: DUBLIN, Ohio June 8BODY:DUBLIN, Ohio, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that significantly reduces trans fatty acids (TFAs) on its menu, Wendy's(R) is making the switch to non- hydrogenated cooking oil for its French fries and breaded chicken items. The oil has zero grams of trans fat per serving.Wendy's announced today that its 6,300 U.S. and Canadian restaurants are scheduled to switch to the new blend of corn and soy oil beginning in August. Wendy's breaded chicken sandwiches, nuggets and strips will have zero grams of trans fat. Depending on the serving size, trans fats in French fry offerings will range from zero to 0.5 grams. Kids' Meal nuggets and fries will have zero grams of trans fat.
Nutrition Information -- Wendy's U.S.
FRENCH FRIES Previous TFAs New TFAs
Kids' Size 3.5 grams 0 grams
Small 5 grams 0.5 grams
Medium 6 grams 0.5 grams
Large 7 grams 0.5 grams
CHICKEN
Homestyle Chicken Sandwich 1.5 grams 0 grams
Spicy Chicken Sandwich 1.5 grams 0 grams
Chicken Nuggets - 5 pc. 1.5 grams 0 grams
Chicken Strips 3 grams 0 grams
Beyond these efforts, the Company is working directly with its French fry suppliers to further reduce trans fats that occur as part of the par frying process at their facilities, with a goal of zero grams.As part of an extensive year-long process, more than 370 Wendy's restaurants in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada have been testing the new cooking oil."We've been diligently working to reduce the trans fat levels in our food without jeopardizing the great taste our customers expect," said Kerrii Anderson, Wendy's interim chief executive officer. "Getting to this point has involved hard work by our suppliers along with rigorous consumer and operations testing."This is the right thing to do. We're proud of our legacy of innovation in the restaurant industry, and these latest steps that enhance the nutritional profile of our food. We're the first national hamburger chain cooking with non-hydrogenated oil in the U.S."New Oil Reduces Saturated FatsWendy's use of the non-hydrogenated oil also means on average a 20 percent reduction in saturated fats in the breaded chicken items and French fries.The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that individuals substitute mono and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats, and consume as little trans fat as possible as part of a healthful diet.The changes to Wendy's cooking oil and chicken items will reduce TFAs for Wendy's breaded chicken and fries by an average of 95 percent.In a move completed earlier this year, all salad dressings offered in Wendy's Garden Sensations(R) salad line now have zero grams of trans fat per serving. In 2005, Wendy's restaurants began offering margarine with zero grams of trans fat per serving with its baked potatoes.*Wendy's provides consumers with comprehensive nutrition information, including trans fat totals, for all menu items via wendys.com and in-store nutrition brochures. The Company began providing TFA information in 2003, three years before mandated federal labeling requirements for packaged goods took effect.The Company is now in the process of activating a system-wide training program to ensure a smooth transition to the new oil.
*TFAs naturally occur in beef and dairy products.
Safe Harbor StatementCertain information in this news release, particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances, and plans, expectations and objectives of management, is forward looking. Factors set forth in our Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, in addition to other possible factors not listed, could affect the Company's actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Please review the Company's Safe Harbor statement at http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys-invest.com/safeharbor .Wendy's International, Inc. OverviewWendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and five quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers(R), Tim Hortons(R), Baja Fresh(R) Mexican Grill, Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro(R). CONTACT: Bob Bertini, +1-614-764-3327, or Denny Lynch, +1-614-764-3553,both of Wendy'sWeb site: http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys.com/ SOURCE Wendy'sURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: June 9, 2006

Cutting Cost and Marketing Quality

2006-10-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
October 12, 2006 Thursday 11:11 PM GMTSECTION: BUSINESS NEWSLENGTH: 777 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's strategy includes cutting costs, marketing qualityBYLINE: By RICK ARMON, Associated Press WriterDATELINE: COLUMBUS OhioBODY:Wendy's International Inc. introduced a strategy Thursday to revive its brand by introducing new menu items and emphasizing product quality when marketing the company that has pared down to focus on its hamburger chain.Part of the plan by the nation's third-largest hamburger chain includes an agreement announced Thursday to sell its underperforming Baja Fresh Mexican Grill chain to a consortium of investment groups.Wendy's, which spun off its coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons last month, has been under pressure from some shareholders to shed its extra businesses and return to its hamburger roots. The company, known for its square, made-to-order burgers, is trying to keep recent positive results going after a tough 2005 in which sales at stores open more than a year fell for the first time in 18 years amid a false report of a customer who claimed she found part of a finger in her chili."Over time, we have kind of not focused on what business we're in and we're in the core hamburger business," interim Chief Executive Officer and President Kerrii Anderson told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.Wendy's will focus on promoting quality and freshness, a successful trademark for the brand, she said.Stock has regularly reached record levels recently and sales are rebounding. The company said it expects same-store sales, one of the best indicators of a company's strength, to continue to increase by 3 percent to 4 percent, but it warned that third-quarter profits due out Oct. 26 would be affected by several factors, including charges related to plans to close 30 to 40 restaurants and writing down the value of its Cafe Express chain.The company also is on target to meet previously announced plans to cut costs by $100 million, Anderson said. Those cuts include reducing corporate jobs.Analysts say that one of Wendy's strengths is the quality of its products, which was a focus of founder Dave Thomas, who was a big part of Wendy's marketing before he died in 2002."It's struggled for brand image," said Sherri Daye Scott, editor of QSR magazine, which covers the fast food industry. "Most people will tell you that after the passing of Dave Thomas, the company didn't have an anchor."Wendy's, based in suburban Columbus, is selling the Baja Fresh fast food chain for $31 million after buying it in 2002 for $275 million. Second-quarter losses of $29.1 million, or 25 cents per share, were blamed partially on the chain of 300 restaurants in 25 states."They sold it for a song," Daye Scott said.The Baja Fresh chain was hurt by several leadership changes over the last few years, Anderson said. It's best for Baja Fresh's to have a new owner and for Wendy's to concentrate on Wendy's, she said.The West Coast group buying the chain is led by investor David Kim and owns brands including Sweet Factory, Cinnabon and Denny's.As another part of its strategy, Wendy's will introduce a new double-melt hamburger later this year. It is testing other products and it thinks that customers want what it calls indulgent sandwiches that are large with multiple flavors. Its Frescata line of deli sandwiches has been a success, the company has said.Early results of a test of selling breakfast are promising, and the test will be doubled in the next three months, Wendy's said. Breakfast could add $75 million to $95 million to the company's annual income, minus advertising campaign expenses, the company estimates.Wendy's also expects to buy back up to $800 million worth of common stock, or 35.4 million shares, over the next two years in an effort to return $1 billion to shareholders.About $85 million will be spent over the next five years on renovations at company-owned stores and incentives for franchise owners to invest in their restaurants.And the company will spend $100 million to buy back franchises and then sell them to proven operators. Wendy's plans to sell 400 to 500 of its company-owned restaurants to franchisees over the next three years, with the goal of operating 1,000 restaurants.Wendy's historically has not received the same return on its investment in company-owned stores as its competitors, Anderson said.Wendy's franchises will be attractive because of the brand name, said Arturs Kalnins, associate professor of strategic management at Cornell University."I don't think they will have any problem selling them to very qualified people," he said. "If I were a franchisee, I would see this as an opportunity."Wendy's, which has about 6,600 hamburger stores, shares were up $1.39 at $35.11 in trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.On the Net:Wendy's: http://wendys.comBaja Fresh: http://www.bajafresh.comLOAD-DATE: October 13, 2006

Wendy's rolls out the Vanilla Option

2006-10-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 PR Newswire Association LLC.All Rights Reserved. PR Newswire US
July 5, 2006 Wednesday 10:30 AM GMTLENGTH: 593 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's Frosty Gives Up the Single Life; New Vanilla Option Coming Soon DATELINE: DUBLIN, Ohio July 5BODY:DUBLIN, Ohio, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- After 36 years of single life, Wendy's venerable Frosty(TM) has a new companion.(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060705/SFW044 )Wendy's(R) announced today that it will be rolling out a Vanilla Frosty for the first time, beginning in August. The dairy dessert will be available at most Wendy's locations throughout the U.S. Created by Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas, the original Frosty was one of five products on Wendy's menu in 1969. The Frosty is a cross between a milk shake and soft-serve ice cream."Dave wanted a dessert on the menu that was so thick you had to eat it with a spoon," said Ian Rowden, Wendy's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "There is nothing quite like the taste and texture of the Frosty. It's a real treat -- one of the best known, most popular and enduring items on our menu."Wendy's restaurants annually serve about 300 million Frostys."Over the years, many of our customers have asked for a Vanilla Frosty to compliment our chocolate version," Rowden said. "By adding another flavor and stepping up our marketing efforts, we will make a strong brand even stronger."Wendy's has been testing the Vanilla Frosty in Pittsburgh and Erie, Pa.; San Antonio, Texas; Portland, Ore.; and Youngstown, Ohio, where the customer response and sales results have been positive.Wendy's International, Inc. overviewWendy's International, Inc. is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers(R) and Baja Fresh(R) Mexican Grill. The Company also has investments in three additional quality brands - Tim Hortons(R), Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro(R).Facts About Wendy's Frosty* Most Wendy's U.S. locations will begin serving a Vanilla Frosty for the first time in August.* The original Frosty was one of the five products on Wendy's menu in 1969. The others were hamburgers, chili, French fries and beverages. The original price of a Frosty was 35-cents.* Dave Thomas came up with the idea for the Frosty dairy dessert. He loved thick milkshakes growing up and wanted a dessert on the menu that was so thick you had to eat it with a spoon.* When choosing the flavor, Dave wanted something that didn't overwhelm the taste of a hamburger, and the light chocolate flavor was just what he wanted.* The Frosty is a cross between a milkshake and soft-serve ice cream. The original flavor is actually a combination of chocolate and vanilla.* In the early days, Dave had one Frosty machine, and he would combine the chocolate and vanilla mix himself.* Today, fresh milk, cream, sugar, cocoa and other ingredients are combined at nine different dairy facilities throughout the U.S., following Wendy's strict specifications.* The Frosty mix is then shipped to our stores, where it is kept refrigerated until used.* The Frosty is served at a temperature of between 19 and 21 degrees. (It has to be served at the right temperature to keep it thick and maintain the right texture.)* Fix 'N Mix Frostys were rolled out nationally in June 2005. Customers can top either Frosty flavor with Oreos(R), Butterfinger(R) pieces or M&Ms(R) toppings served in pre-packaged portions.* Wendy's restaurants annually serve about 300 million Frostys. The 12- ounce, 99-cent serving on Wendy's Super Value Menu is the most popular size. CONTACT: Kitty Munger, +1-614-764-3241, for Wendy's InternationalWeb site: http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys.com/ SOURCE Wendy's InternationalURL: http://www.prnewswire.comLOAD-DATE: July 6, 2006

Wendy's Reorganizes Field Management

2006-10-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Business Wire, Inc. Business Wire
July 19, 2006 Wednesday 12:00 PM GMTDISTRIBUTION: Business EditorsLENGTH: 1402 wordsHEADLINE: Wendy's International, Inc. Completes Reorganization of Restaurant Operations Leadership Team; Near and Choe Will Lead Operations for 6,750 Restaurants Around the World DATELINE: DUBLIN, Ohio July 19, 2006BODY:Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) announced today that it has completed the reorganization of its North America restaurant operations leadership team."Superior operations has been a hallmark of Wendy's(R) for three decades and we've taken steps to ensure that we have an exceptionally strong leadership team for our entire system of company and franchised restaurants," said interim CEO and President Kerrii Anderson.The first step in the reorganization was the appointment of Dave Near as Wendy's chief operations officer on May 1. Near is responsible for Wendy's U.S., Canadian and International restaurant operations - both franchise and company."Dave and I are focused on driving initiatives to improve operations, sales and profits in every Wendy's restaurant," said Anderson. "Dave has made an immediate impact, demonstrating dynamic leadership over the past two months with our employees and franchisees. I'm thrilled with his passionate approach to the business." Since the appointment of Near, the Company completed additional management appointments and realigned its U.S. field structure from five to three regions. The management appointments include:-- Ed Choe has been appointed executive vice president of restaurant services. Choe, 46, is responsible for leading several key corporate and field departments that support and directly impact restaurant operations. Choe was senior vice president of the Northeast Division and is a 25-year Wendy's veteran.-- Replacing Choe as senior vice president of the Northern Region is Tom Spero. Spero, 48, joined the Company as a franchise area director in 1995 and was promoted to a Company director of area operations in the New York area the next year. He was promoted to division vice president in 2000. Spero is a proven operator and is a former award winner as the top Company operator in the Northeast.-- Continuing as senior vice president leading the Southern Region is Ed Austin. Austin, 48, is an excellent leader with deep experience in the Wendy's system for more than 25 years. He is in Wendy's Hall of Fame.-- John Peters is being promoted to senior vice president of the Western Region. Peters, 50, was a division vice president in Dallas, and is part of a region that has tested many new products as well as new operational procedures. He joined Wendy's in 1983 as an assistant manager. He's served as both a franchise area director and director of area operations, and other leadership positions. Peters also has received an award for his operational excellence.-- Neil Lester, 52, will continue as senior vice president for Wendy's in Canada, where there are 380 restaurants.-- Jim Hartenstein, 54, will continue as senior vice president for Wendy's International business, which includes approximately 350 restaurants outside of North America."I am extremely confident with the team we have assembled to lead Wendy's operations - for our company restaurants and with our franchisees," said Anderson. "This is a dynamic team with deep experience. We are motivated to improve Wendy's operations and differentiate our brand with customers at the restaurant level. Dave Thomas always said we should exceed customer expectations every day. That's our goal."Wendy's Division Vice Presidents in place under Senior VPsThe Company also realigned its divisional structure, and the following division vice presidents will lead the 10 divisions:-- The Northern Region includes veteran operators Ed Rafter, John Bowie, Ron Johnson and Don Hurrell. All four were previously division vice presidents.-- The Southern Region includes Matt Kennedy, Jose Ribas and Mickey Moore. All three were previously division vice presidents.-- The Western Region includes Mike Gist, Chris Hutchinson and Diane Weed. Weed was previously a division vice president while Gist and Hutchison were promoted from director of area operations positions.-- Continuing as division vice presidents are Hanif Adatia and Peter Moses in Canada.-- Ben Mansoor and Bill Valentine continue as regional vice presidents in the International division.As part of the current reorganization under way at Wendy's and its "Next Chapter" program to reduce costs by $100 million, certain managers are leaving the Company.Two senior vice presidents have elected to take early retirement - Steve Farrar and Joyce Eufemi. Both are members of Wendy's Hall of Fame.Senior Vice President Dennis Farrow has decided to leave Wendy's and has accepted a position with another company, effective September 5.Two division vice presidents have also elected to take voluntary early retirement - Eric Colah and Bill Radebaugh."Everyone in the Wendy's system thanks Steve, Joyce, Dennis, Eric and Bill. We wish each of them all of the best as they retire or move onto new opportunities. Our paths may cross again as we consider opportunities in our franchise system," said Near. "One of their legacies is the role they had in building a deep bench and mentoring the individuals who are stepping into broader leadership roles. We are fortunate to have so much talent in the Wendy's family."Dave Near BackgroundNear, 37, was president of Wendy's Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) in 2005 and was re-elected to the position by fellow franchisees in 2006. A majority of FAC members are elected by franchisees and the group works closely with management to continually improve restaurant operations and business results.Near and his brother, Jason, have operated Wendy's restaurants as franchisees in the Austin, Texas market since 1995. They now have 29 restaurants generating approximately $42 million in sales with average unit volumes of nearly $1.5 million, which is higher than the company's system average of $1.3 million. Dave was president of the franchise business called Pisces Foods.Near graduated from Duke University with a B.A. degree and has an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke. He also worked for Coca-Cola Fountain/USA.Dave Near's father, Jim Near, was formerly chairman, CEO and president of Wendy's.Ed Choe BackgroundChoe was senior vice president of Wendy's Northeast Region, which has 1,100 Company and franchise restaurants.He now leads the Restaurant Services Department which includes Operations Training, Quality Assurance and Operations Administration as well as other units to be created as a result of the Company's reorganization.Choe is a proven operator whose restaurants have some of the highest average unit volumes in the system. Choe joined the Wendy's family 25 years ago, starting as a manager trainee with Wenco, a franchisee in the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area. Choe became chief operating officer, overseeing 45 restaurants, before he joined the Company as divisional vice president when the franchise was acquired in 1997. Choe simultaneously oversaw the conversion of more than 40 Roy Rogers restaurants into the Wendy's brand. In 2000, he was promoted to senior vice president for the Northeast Region. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, including "Top 50 Entrepreneur of Long Island," multiple "Designated Marketing Area (DMA) of the Year" selections, and the prestigious Wendy's "Golden Eagle" award as the top regional operator.Safe Harbor statementCertain information in this news release, particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances, and plans, expectations and objectives of management, is forward looking. Factors set forth in our Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, in addition to other possible factors not listed, could affect the Company's actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Please review the Company's Safe Harbor statement at http://www.suproxy.su.eduwendys-invest.com/safeharbor.Wendy's International, Inc. overviewWendy's International, Inc. is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers(R) and Baja Fresh(R)Mexican Grill. The Company also has investments in three additional quality brands - Tim Hortons(R), Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro(R). More information about the Company is available at www.wendys-invest.com. CONTACT: Wendy's International, Inc. John Barker, 614-764-3044 john_barker@wendys.com or David Poplar, 614-764-3547 david_poplar@wendys.comURL: http://www.businesswire.comGRAPHIC: Dave Near is Chief Operations Officer for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)Ed Choe is Executive Vice President of Restaurant Services for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)Tom Spero is Senior Vice President of Operations, Northern Region for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)Ed Austin is Senior Vice President of Operations, Southern Region for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)John Peters is Senior Vice President of Operations, Western Region for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)Neil Lester is Senior Vice President of Operations, Canada for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)Jim Hartenstein is Senior Vice President, International for Wendy's. (Photo: Business Wire)LOAD-DATE: July 20, 2006

Life at Wendy's after Dave hasn't been easy

2006-10-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

USA TODAY
May 25, 2006 Thursday FINAL EDITIONSECTION: MONEY; Pg. 1BLENGTH: 1878 wordsHEADLINE: Life at Wendy's after Dave hasn't been easy; Turnaround seems in works as menu undergoes changeBYLINE: Bruce HorovitzBODY:DUBLIN, Ohio -- Wendy's is on the cusp of digging out of fast-food hell. Or falling in deeper.The No. 3 fast-food chain has been battered over the past 18 months in a near-perfect storm of fast-food foibles -- from new product flops to a marketing meltdown to the finger-in-the-chili hoax that made Wendy's a late-night TV punch line.But there are signs of life. Wendy's will announce today that thanks to the rollout of its Frescata deli sandwiches, April was the first month in the past 14 with sales growth from the year-earlier month. While sales grew just 0.4% at stores open at least a year (known as same-store sales), the psychological boost for Wendy's was huge. "Wendy's is bruised but not broken," says Peter Oakes, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.Wendy's isn't trying to be something new. It's trying to go back to its old self. For years, Wendy's was the burger chain to beat, with freshness and product innovation that often caught the competition flat-footed. More recently, it's been the fast-foodie smoked by the competition.Before 2005, Wendy's racked up 18 consecutive years of same-store sales growth. Then, the roof fell in. Market share fell from 14.5% in 2003 to 13.6% in 2005, says researcher Technomic. Each 0.1% of share translates into $56.3 million in sales, it estimates.A razor-sharp focus on the Wendy's brand -- products, operations, marketing -- will re-energize growth, says interim CEO Kerrii Anderson, the most powerful woman in fast food, in her first extensive interview since taking the helm last month. Wendy's also owns the Tim Hortons and Baja Fresh chains.For example, the Wendy's new-products lab's pipeline is no longer empty: 70 potential products are under development, including items for a hefty breakfast menu to back Wendy's tentative decision to jump back into that competitive market.Among the most notable, beyond breakfast, is that the chain's signature, milkshake-like Frosty -- only chocolate since the first Wendy's opened in 1969 -- has a vanilla sibling in limited testing.But with $100 million in corporate cutbacks and painful layoffs coming -- and with a costly breakfast rollout in the offing -- things may get worse before they turn around."We have to work hard to regain the momentum we lost," says Anderson, 48, an overachiever who thought nothing of driving a tractor on her father's North Carolina tobacco farm at age 5 and a school bus at 16.Beyond the new-products dearth, much else at the 6,745-store chain is in need of a fix.Unhappy franchisees have organized and are speaking out. A shareholder uprising brought the early retirement last month of CEO Jack Schuessler. The Baja Fresh stores purchased in 2002 continue to disappoint. A planned spinoff of Tim Hortons, seen as positive, took management's eye off Wendy's. And the finger-in-the-chili hoax hurt Wendy's image and sales.The big question: Does Anderson, who hopes to erase the "interim" in her title, have enough ketchup in her veins to put the sizzle back into Wendy's? A little-known numbers cruncher when she joined Wendy's as CFO in 2000, she's never run a store."I'm not an operator. I didn't grow up in the business," she says. "But leadership is about passion. And I love the Wendy's brand."But will her passion -- along with her bean-counting skills -- be enough?The man who might know isn't talking. Wendy's Chairman James Pickett, who's overseeing the CEO search, declined comment. When Anderson was tapped last month, he said she had the "respect and support" of Wendy's management, but other undisclosed candidates are being reviewed.Missing DaveOne restaurant expert says the real problem at Wendy's is that it hasn't recovered from the 2002 death of founder Dave Thomas. He wasn't just Wendy's image in commercials, he was its soul."They've lost their Dave-ness," says Chris Mueller, director of the Center for Multi-Unit Restaurant Management at the University of Central Florida. "The emotion went out of the company after Dave died. I think the company is still grieving."Perhaps no one knows -- and feels -- that more than Dave's daughter, Wendy Thomas, for whom her dad named the chain. She owns 32 Ohio stores in partnership with her four siblings."There was such a void when my dad passed away that it was hard to keep the vision focused," she says. Innovation stopped and the company lost its leadership mantle, but now things are improving, she says. "He's up there telling us: 'C'mon, you guys.' When I hear him in my mind, I respond back, 'We're trying.'"That goes for Anderson, too. "We live with Dave every day," says Anderson. "He is part of our legacy."When visitors enter Wendy's headquarters, they're greeted by five giant pendants with Thomas' familiar image and favorite sayings, such as: "Quality is our recipe." Across the lobby is a giant oil painting of Thomas with his famous, regular-guy smile.Before making important decisions, Anderson says, she asks herself: "Would Dave be pleased?"Dave the businessman, known to point out that there are no cash registers at the headquarters, certainly wouldn't be pleased with management of the chain in the past couple years."When all is said and done," says Anderson, "we need to make more money."It will be a battle. McDonald's poached some of Wendy's market share in the past few years by becoming the industry innovator. "As opposed to leading the pack, Wendy's has to play catch-up," says Oakes.But consultant Dennis Lombardi says he sees Wendy's on the mend. "A couple of years from now, there won't be a lot of articles written about hard times at Wendy's."Wendy's plan to get its fast-food mojo back includes:*Get up early again. Wendy's is testing breakfast items in a store in Dublin, Ohio, and three in North Carolina. If they are a hit, breakfast would be rolled out nationwide by mid-2007.Wendy's tried selling breakfast food nearly 20 years ago and bombed.Problem: That menu was full of made-to-order items such as omelets and pancakes that took too long to cook. Drivers won't wait -- and nearly 80% of breakfast sales at fast-food stores are takeout."Now we know what consumers want," says Ian Rowden, the marketing chief who oversees R&D.The items being tested, all designed for speed and eat-on-the-go portability, include nugget-sized Western Omelet Bites for $1.99. There's also a $1.99 Breakfast Sandwich on pan bread or biscuit and a $2.49 Big Breakfast Sandwich on a Kaiser roll.Executives say a successful breakfast menu could boost individual store sales up to $160,000 a year.*Get creative in the kitchen. Wendy's used to be the fast-food innovator. It was the first major chain to serve quality entree salads and chicken sandwiches. McDonald's and Burger King copied both moves.When Rowden came on board about a year ago, the cupboard was nearly bare of new products. And an entree fruit salad, introduced with great fanfare just before he arrived, failed miserably.Now, Rowden says, "We have more products than we have testing capacity for."Since the April rollout, Wendy's has sold 20 million of its new Frescata deli sandwiches -- made on artisan bread. "It is one of the strongest initial responses we've had for a new menu offering in recent years," says Anderson. Now, hot Frescata sandwiches are in review.A 99-cent Crispy Chicken Sandwich -- aimed to lure teens -- is on tap for July.Next month, combo-meal customers will be able to choose Baked Lay's or a yogurt-and-granola cup as sides.A $2.79 Double Melt -- two burgers with gooey cheese and bacon in the middle -- has been a hit in a trial run.Garden Salads with warm toppings are being considered.Fix 'n Mix Frostys -- in a sundae cup with crumbled M&M, Oreo and Butterfinger toppings -- are just out.Then there's the Vanilla Frosty. Executives crunched the numbers and found that Frosty is the chain's fourth-biggest traffic generator (as in: "Hey, Mom, can we stop at Wendy's for a Frosty?"). If vanilla is a winner, look for more flavors.*Fix the message. It's hard to replace the best. Appearing in more than 800 commercials, Dave Thomas was the near-perfect image for a company that wanted to be known for quality, integrity and folksiness.The short-lived "Mr. Wendy" campaign that followed his death -- featuring a silly spokescharacter -- was a flop.More recently, the company adopted the slogan: "Do what tastes right." Also, it will target younger consumers, particularly with its upcoming chicken sandwich.*Reach out to franchisees. The new management team is talking directly with franchisees, says Dave Norman, chief financial officer of The Old Fashioned Franchise Association.The group, which represents 47 franchisees with 875 stores, is scheduled to meet Friday with senior executives in Dublin.*Get operations on track. One of Anderson's first actions as interim CEO was to name Dave Near, 37, to the newly created post of chief operations officer.His father, Jim Near, was Wendy's highly regarded CEO before dying from a heart attack in 1996. Dave was 16 when he started cleaning tables at Wendy's and more recently operated 28 Austin stores."Change is never easy," says Near. "We've had to change everything."His boss, Anderson, is driving it.She has a sign over her desk that reads: The restaurant business is simple. Simple is hard.She turns and reads that sign out loud to a reporter. Then she ad-libs: "We're in the happy business. Customers just want to leave happy."It all sounds so simple. Dave Thomas knew better than just about anyone that simple is hard.Perhaps that's all Wendy's really needs to do. Get simple. Again.---About Kerrii AndersonKerrii Anderson, interim CEO at Wendy's, hasn't risen through the fast-food ranks in a conventional fashion. Some details:*Her name. Kerrii is her real name. Her mother wanted a "different" spelling, she says. "Something people would remember." They do. The Other Paper, a Columbus-area alternative weekly, jokingly reported: "Kerrii put her stamp on the company quickly, changing its name to Wenddyy's. "*Her resume. She had been Wendy's CFO since 2000, has never owned or operated a Wendy's restaurant. Before that, she was CFO at M/I Schottenstein Homes, a builder.*Her background. She was raised in Elon, N.C., on a 40-acre tobacco farm. She has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a BA in business from Elon University.*Her family. Her husband of 18 years, Doug, is president of a family-owned concrete products company. They have two children, Alexa, 12, and Taff, 10. "They're our biggest critics," she says.*Her pets. Two soft-coated Wheaten Terriers (Brandon and Miss Lizzie).*Her favorite vacation spot. Hilton Head, S.C.*Her favorite Wendy's food. Single cheeseburger with mayo and extra pickles.*Her advice to executives. "Don't forget where you've been."---Four of Wendy's new productsFrescata ClubStatus: Now available.Strategy: Take market share from Subway with a quality deli sandwich.Double MeltsStatus: In testing.Strategy: Boost core burger sales with bacon-cheese and jalapeoo doubles.99-cent Crispy Chicken SandwichStatus: Due nationwide in July.Strategy: Lure teens who've made KFC's 99-cent Snacker a huge hit.Fix n Mix FrostyStatus: Now available.Strategy: Extend Frosty line with sundaes topped with cookie or candy bits.GRAPHIC: GRAPHIC, Color, Adrienne Lewis, USA TODAY, Source: Technomic (PIE CHART)PHOTO, Color, Jay LaPrete for USA TODAYPHOTO, B/W, Jay LaPrete for USA TODAYPHOTOS, B/w, Wendy's (4)LOAD-DATE: May 25, 2006

Ask Willie.

2006-10-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Wendy's and Crest

2006-10-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Pam and I were talking and I decided to throw this up to get a few ideas together on Week 4 and 5. Wendy's, who wants to do what and the Marketing of Crest. I say we knock this out of the park!

Still Yet To Get

2006-10-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

push marketing, marketing concept, internal marketing, loss leader pricing, custom target marketing, IMC, distribution strategy, slotting fees, NAFTA, PLC, embargo, CBD, line extensions
Push vs. Pull Marketing
Registered trademark vs. patent vs. copyright
Brands
Private label branding
Family (umbrella) branding
Master brand
Line extension

5 major marketing laws
Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)
Clayton Act (1914)
FTC Act (1914)
Robinson-Patman Act (1936)
NAFTA (1993)
Personal Selling steps

3 restraints of global trade

European Union (EU)
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
Global vs. Domestic marketing issues
Forms of global trade
Advertising Mix

Pros & Cons of Advertising Mix options

Slotting Fees A fee paid by a vendor for space in a retail store.

Middleman

Middleman Services

Captive Product Pricing

Marketing
Market vs. Target Market
Marketing Concept
Relationship marketing
Marketing Mix, Controllable Variable, Internal Variables, 4 Ps (these 4 terms mean the same thing)
80/20 Rule
External Variable, Non-Controllable Variables (these 2 terms mean the same thing)
Consumers grouped by birth date
Primary vs. Secondary Research
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data
Desirable factors in research subjects (Representative & Random )
Consumer Purchase Decision Process
Cognitive Dissonance
B2B selling (how it differs from B2C selling)
4 levels of market segmenting (target marketing)—Undifferentiated, Segmented (Differentiated)
Concentrated (Niche), & Custom
Product vs. Services differences
3 major groups of consumer goods
Line Extensions vs. Brand Extensions

Quantity Discounting

5 Retailer locations

6 means of product distribution

Communications Mix

Competition-Based Pricing

Terms So Far

2006-10-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

USP—Unique Selling Propostion

Internal Marketing Marketing to employees of an organization to ensure that they are effectively carrying out desired programs and policies.

Product Life Cycle (PLC) The four stages that a new product is thought to go through from birth to death: introductory, growth, maturity, and decline. Controversy surrounds whether products do indeed go through such cycles in any systematic, predictable way. The product life cycle concept is primarily applicable to product forms, less to product classes, and very poorly to individual brands.

Cost-Plus Pricing A method of determining the price of a product or service that uses direct costs, indirect costs, and fixed costs whether related to the production and sale of the product or service or not. These costs are converted to per unit costs for the product and then a predetermined percentage of these costs is added to provide a profit margin. The resulting price is cost per unit plus the percentage markup.

Price Skimming A method of pricing that attempts to first reach those willing to buy at a high price before marketing to more price-sensitive customers.

Penetration Pricing A pricing policy that sets a low initial price in an attempt to increase market share rapidly. This policy is effective if demand is perceived to be fairly elastic.

Price Lining The offering of merchandise at a number of specific but predetermined prices. Once set, the prices may be held constant over a period of time, and changes in market conditions are adapted to by changing the quality of the merchandise. 2. (retailing definition) A limited number of predetermined price points at which merchandise will be offered for sale-e.g., $7.95, $10.95, $14.95.

Bundle Pricing Offering several complementary products together or offering additional services in a single "package deal." The price of the bundle is typically lower than the sum of the prices of the individual products or services included in it. Groups of services or products may be bundled in different combinations appealing differently to different segments in order to price discriminate among these segments and to avoid cherry picking

Variable Pricing A policy of adjusting prices to different customers, depending on their relative purchasing power or bargaining ability.

Loss Leader Pricing The featuring of items priced below cost or at relatively low prices to attract customers to the seller's place of business.

Allowances (Trade) amounts deducted from an invoice in return for prompt payment, large quantity purchase, special promotions etc of goods and services supplied. See Discount.

3 Different Consumer Goods Channels of Distribution
the path or route taken by goods and services as they move from producer to final consumer; in addition to the goods and services themselves, title, information, promotion and payment also move along the marketing channels carry. Also called Channels of Distribution. See Channel Flows; Marketing Intermediaries.

3 major distribution strategies (Intensive, Selective, Exclusive)
Selective A form of market coverage in which a product is distributed through a limited number of wholesalers or retailers in a given market area.

Wholesaling All transactions in which the purchaser is actuated by a profit or business motive in making the purchase, except for transactions that involve a small quantity of goods purchased from a retail establishment for business use, which is considered a retail purchase.

Retailing A set of business activities carried on to accomplishing the exchange of goods and services for purposes of personal, family, or household use, whether performed in a store or by some form of nonstore selling.

Franchising
A contractual system of distributing goods and services whereby one party (the franchisor) grants to another party (the franchisee) the right to distribute or sell certain goods or services; the franchisee agrees to operate the business according to a marketing plan substantially prescribed by the franchisor; and the franchisee operates the business substantially under a trademark or trade name owned by the franchisor.

Advertising The placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) A planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.

Public Relations (PR) That form of communication management that seeks to make use of publicity and other nonpaid forms of promotion and information to influence the feelings, opinions, or beliefs about the company, its products or services, or about the value of the product or service or the activities of the organization to buyers, prospects, or other stakeholders.

Green Marketing (retailing definition) The marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. 2. (social marketing definition) The development and marketing of products designed to minimize negative effects on the physical environment or to improve its quality. 3. (environments definition) The efforts by organizations to produce, promote, package, and reclaim products in a manner that is sensitive or responsive to ecological concerns.

Cannibalization The loss of sales in established products experienced by a firm resulting from its own introduction of new products that are partial or complete substitutes. That is, the new product "steals" some of the sales of the established product.

Point-of-Purchase Promotional materials placed at the contact sales point designed to attract consumer interest or call attention to a special offer.

Stock keeping units (SKUs)
(physical distribution definition) A specific unit of inventory that is carried as a separate identifiable unit. A pint bottle and a quart bottle of the same product would be separate SKUs for inventory purposes 2. (retailing definition) The lowest level of identification of merchandise.

Cost per thousand (CPM) A simple and widely used method of comparing the cost effectiveness of two or more alternative media vehicles. It is the cost of using the media vehicle to reach 1,000 people or households. The CPM of any vehicle is computed by dividing the cost of placing a specific ad or commercial in the media vehicle by the vehicle's audience size and multiplying the result by 1,000.

Group Assignments

2006-10-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Intro to Sky Pilots

2006-10-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Guys I will also send this to your email account but here is our info

Pamela Walton
pamela.walton@allstate.com
walton746@aol.com
540.989.2633 work
540.989.4982 home
540.798.7737 cell

Gailen Miles
milestoneperformance@cox.net
540.772.8151 work
540.774.6172 home

Ray McGinley
raymcmailto:raymcgnly@cox.net
rmmailto:rmcginley@carilion.com
540.563.0368 home
540.853.0726 work

Ryan Turman
ryan@turmanloghomes.com
276.733.4930 cell