Ask Kim Feil why she left her senior marketing post at Kimberly-Clark in order to join Sara Lee, and†

Brandweek, May 7, 2007 — What executive wouldn't? The catch is, Feil—and the food-industry analysts who've been carefully watching Sara Lee since CEO Brenda Barnes took the helm in 2005—may have to hang out a while longer; that transformation hasn't wholly materialized. According to Barnes—and to Feil, whom she brought aboard as CMO of Sara Lee's Food & Beverage division—things are well underway.

Dunkin' Donuts Whips Up A Recipie for Expansion†

Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2007 — Joe Rando has had no problem selling baked goods to residents of Nashville, Tenn., since he opened the first Dunkin' Donuts in the area in August. On opening day, he even sold out of doughnuts. But getting locals to make Dunkin' their regular stop for coffee — which has a higher profit margin than baked goods — has been more challenging. "Dunkin' is truly entrenched as a ritual for Northeastern customers," says Mr. Rando. In Nashville, he says, "we haven't necessarily changed the behavior — the coffee-buying behavior — yet."

P&G Will Boost Marketing Spending for Fiscal '08†

Emphasis Will Be on 'Nonmeasured Media' but TV Still a Priority Investment

Advertising Age, May 1, 2007 — Procter & Gamble Co. will spend heavily on marketing for its year starting July 1 — possibly at the expense of margin goals — as it makes boosting top-line growth a priority, executives said today. The comments came as P&G issued quarterly results that, while meeting or exceeding its stated goals, failed to impress the market. P&G shares were down 2.2% to $62.95 today. Morgan Stanley analyst Bill Pecoriello said in a research note that P&G's trade-up of consumers to higher-priced items and its margins both were lower than he had expected.

How Moto Can Recapture Its Mojo†

Analysis: Home of Razr Reports $181 Million Loss and 15% Drop in Sales; Ad Age Calls in Experts

Advertising Age, April 30, 2007 — Once-Razr-sharp Motorola not only reported a $181 million loss in the first quarter, but a 15% drop in cellphone sales, which CEO Ed Zander told analysts is "unacceptable." It's up to Mr. Zander and new Chief Marketing Officer Casey Keller, an H.J. Heinz veteran, to turn that around, and a push is expected in spring.

Wal-Mart's Midlife Crisis

Declining growth, increasing competition, and not an easy fix in sight

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2007 — John E. Fleming, Wal-Mart's newly appointed chief merchandising officer, is staring hard at a display of $14 women's T-shirts in a Supercenter a few miles from the retailer's Bentonville (Ark.) headquarters. The bright-hued stretch T's carry Wal-Mart's own George label and are of a quality and stylishness not commonly associated with America's über-discounter. What vexes Fleming is that numerous sizes are out of stock in about half of the 12 colors, including frozen kiwi and black soot.

Wal-Mart's Midlife Crisis

Declining growth, increasing competition, and not an easy fix in sight

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2007 — John E. Fleming, Wal-Mart's newly appointed chief merchandising officer, is staring hard at a display of $14 women's T-shirts in a Supercenter a few miles from the retailer's Bentonville (Ark.) headquarters. The bright-hued stretch T's carry Wal-Mart's own George label and are of a quality and stylishness not commonly associated with America's über-discounter. What vexes Fleming is that numerous sizes are out of stock in about half of the 12 colors, including frozen kiwi and black soot.

How Motorola Fell a Giant Step Behind†

As It Milked Thin Phone, Rivals Sneaked Ahead On The Next Generation

Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2007 — A year ago, Motorola Inc. appeared headed for a third straight year of rich profits under Chief Executive Ed Zander, driven by its hit cellphone the Razr. "A lot of you are always asking what is after the Razr," Mr. Zander said in an April 2006 conference call after another quarter of 30%-plus growth. "I say more Razrs." But behind the scenes, Motorola was working furiously to get a successor phone to market by the second half of 2006, according to people familiar with the matter. When it failed to do so, profit margins on handsets narrowed and the company swung to a loss. Key executives left. And as the stock slid, activist investor Carl Icahn built up a position and began campaigning for a board seat to address what he called Motorola's "operational... continue reading

Big Beauty Brands Aflutter†

Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2007 — Madonna owns a 24-karat gold-plated one. People Magazine quotes actress Jessica Alba calling hers "the best." Vanity Fair magazine has featured the black-nickel and gold versions on a list of holiday presents. The buzz isn't over the latest must-have jewelry, but about a utilitarian gadget marketed by L'Oréal SA, whose sole purpose is to curl eyelashes.

Dowdy Craft Business Gets Martha Stewart Makeover†

Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2007 — On a recent episode of her daytime television show, Martha Stewart set out to make a decorative songbird out of wool and felt. It didn't go smoothly. She struggled to wind the wool into a head and strained to insert wire legs. "This is a tough little bird," she told viewers, frowning. Now Ms. Stewart hopes a high-stakes crafts project for her company will be less exasperating.

Googling Growth†

Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2007 — Facing a slowdown in its core business of selling ads tied to search terms, Google has recently been scouring the landscape for acquisitions. It bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006 (and soon found itself facing a $1 billion copyright infringement suit from Viacom). Now it is said to be bidding more than $2 billion for the online advertising company DoubleClick.