NEW YORK (AP) -- Kraft Foods Inc. says shareholders approved the name "Mondelez" for its new global snack food business, which may put to rest the snickering that initially greeted the name. The Northfield, Ill.-based company said Wednesday the name was approved by more than 90 percent of shareholders who cast a vote. The name — pronounced "mon-dah-LEEZ" — will take effect when the company officially splits into two publicly traded companies later this year. Mondelez International Inc. will be home to global brands including Oreo, Cadbury and Nabisco. The North American grocery business will continue to carry the name Kraft and include Velveeta, Miracle Whip and Oscar Mayer. Kraft on Wednesday also unveiled the logo for Mondelez, which is the name in a custom-made ... Continue reading →
Freebie alert: To promote 7-Eleven’s summer lineup of sugar-free Slurpees, the convenience store chain is offering a free Slurpee Lite May 23. Participating 7-Eleven stores will hand out free Slurpee Lites (mango flavor) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Size: 7.11 ounce drink. Other Fanta Slurpee Lite flavors coming this summer: Watermelon Lime (June); Strawberry Banana & Lemon Crème (July) and Cherry Limeade & Orange Xplosion (August). All Slurpee flavors are made by Fanta. The sugar-free Slurpees have been available at 7-Eleven stores since May 1. More food news: Follow Nancy Luna on Facebook I Fast Food Maven blog I Twitter Restaurant guides: You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a ... Continue reading →
Got innovation? Just about every company says it does. Businesses throw around the term to show they're on the cutting edge of everything from technology and medicine to snacks and cosmetics. Companies are touting chief innovation officers, innovation teams, innovation strategies and even innovation days. But that doesn't mean the companies are actually doing any innovating. Instead they are using the word to convey monumental change when the progress they're describing is quite ordinary. Like the once ubiquitous buzzwords "synergy" and "optimization," innovation is in danger of becoming a cliché—if it isn't one already. "Most companies say they're innovative in the hope they can somehow con investors into thinking there is growth when there isn't," says Clayton Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School and ... Continue reading →
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you're flying this summer, be prepared to kiss your family goodbye at the gate. Even if they're on the same plane. Airlines are reserving a growing number of window and aisle seats for passengers willing to pay extra. That's helping to boost revenue but also making it harder for friends and family members who don't pay this fee to sit next to each other. At the peak of the summer travel season, it might be nearly impossible. Buying tickets two or more months in advance makes things a little easier. But passengers are increasingly finding that the only way to sit next to a spouse, child or friend is to shell out $25 or more, each way. With base fares ... Continue reading →