Manufacturing

In advance of the biggest online shopping day of the year, the Consumer Fraud Center issued its annual Cyber Monday Shopping Alert to warn consumers of the growing use by cyber criminals of legitimate web sites such as Amazon Marketplace to sell illegal or counterfeit goods.

The move may incite a bidding war with Bayer, which offered approximately $1.2 billion in October to acquire the leading provider of branded vitamins, nutrition supplements and nutrition bars in the United States and elsewhere.

The former P&G executive will be responsible for global management of Avon's brand and marketing, including consumer insights, commercial marketing, digital marketing, and product category strategy and execution. She will also have oversight of Avon research & development, new product development and packaging, and the Liz Earle business.

Hostess Brands, Inc. has been forced by a Bakers Union strike to shut down all operations and sell all company assets. But with high brand recognition, it's expected that other companies may be interested in keeping products, like Twinkies and Ding Dongs, alive.

A recent Huggies marketing program realized a whopping 56 percent click-through and 55 percent e-mail open rate, which drove 630,000 visitors to Huggies' site. Social referrals amplified the campaign reach by about 700 percent, proving that consumers today seek advice from friends and peers for product insights and deals, before making purchase decisions.

When Energizer Personal Care acquired Playtex, it adopted a TPM system to standardize processes. But the task of harmonizing brands while implementing the application came with user adoption issues.

CG companies are striving to grow by penetrating new markets and expanding assortments to existing retailers. To achieve this goal, many sales organizations are focused on improving store execution by transforming existing processes and leveraging new technologies.

Hanesbrands Inc. is getting a much deeper sense of consumer demand. After selecting a demand sensing solution, this everyday apparel maker is helping to transform itself from a push-based to a pull-based consumer brand.