Sales & Marketing

Amazon Marketplace Named Largest Counterfeit Outlet
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.
Reckitt Benckiser Trumps Bayer Bid for Schiff
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.

Avon Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

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 Closes for Good, Liquidates Assets

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.
Kimberly-Clark Sets Digital Marketing Program Record

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.
The Company You Keep

Werner Graf, CPG general manager at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), reflects on leveraging client-vendor relationships for success.
The Big Three

Three big areas are allowing the consumer goods manufacturer to better know their shopper and consumer. Are you on top of these trends?
Kellogg Takes Control of Product Data

Understanding that consumers rely heavily on mobile applications and web sites to get the right information about its products, Kellogg Company ensures that there is a "single version of product truth" internally as well as externally.
GMCR's Path to Disruptive Innovation

The Keurig single cup coffee brewing system was not an overnight success. Little research predicted that it would be a consumer success. But, this disruptive innovation proved to be the exception to the rule. Why? The answer lies in the entrepreneurial, risk-oriented innovation philosophies of the company behind the brand.
Energizer Executes a TPM Re-Fresh

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.