NEW PRODUCT DVLPMT - Democratizing product development

Last year, Mountain Dew's "Dewmocracy" brought the conversation to the social space. Today, Vitaminwater is turning to Facebook fans to come up with its next flavor. "This isn't the most creative initiative" says Richie Cruz from Digital Strategist Agency, "but bringing the conversation to the social space has proven it's effectiveness. Especially because of the dialogue's transparency: Facebook users who aren't engaged will be able to see their colleagues and friends taking part in the conversation". Another reaction could be "Does the world need another MangoBerry-CranMint-Guarana Fusion?" Anyway, The "Flavorcreator" Facebook app, which launched this week and runs through Oct. 20, is designed to crowdsource the company's next product.

• Eric Berniker, vp-marketing for Vitaminwater, said that in the first phase, the company will "eavesdrop" on conversations on Facebook and Twitter about which the hot flavors are.
• After that, the company will diagnose which vitamins and minerals consumers want via a Facebook quiz. Finally, fans will be called in to develop a name, design and copy for the bottle. The winner will then be selected by 50 Cent and Carrie Underwood. The product will hit shelves in March.
• Vitaminwater started its fan page on Facebook in March and now has about 450,000 fans, thanks in part to TV ads that ran that month to promote the page.
• Berniker said that traditional media is still important to Vitaminwater, but the brand is tapping social media to "keep an ongoing dialogue with fans and drinkers." Added Berniker: "It's not just a fun program, it's about handing control over to our fans."

KFC Grilled Chicken Launch - An AMAZING SUCCESS

Despite, or perhaps because of a well-publicized stunt that involved promoting coupons for free chicken on Oprah for which it couldn't deliver, KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken launch appears to be a major success, judging by the company's financials.

• Parent company Yum's second quarter earnings, announced today, showed KFC sales went from a negative 7 percent in the first quarter to a positive 3 percent in the second quarter. Yum CEO David Novak called the launch the most successful in KFC's history and added that the item now accounts for 40 percent of KFC's chicken-on-the-bone sales. "Kentucky Grilled Chicken was a must-have for the brand to turn this business, and there's no question that it gives us a great platform going forward for growth," Novak told analysts in a conference call. "Consumers absolutely love this product.
• "KFC introduced Kentucky Grilled Chicken with great fanfare in April. In addition to a large ad campaign from Draftfcb, the brand also ran a promotion via The Oprah Winfrey Show that dangled a coupon for a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal. The chain faced some negative buzz, however, after many locations were unable to honor those coupons because of huge demand. Darren Tristano, evp of researcher Technomic, said the promo brought KFC priceless publicity. "It wasn't necessarily a misfire as demand exceeded expectations of the company," he said. "It created a demand, a buzz and a lot of free press. It gave a lot of people a reason to try it."
• Tristano said the launch is likely KFC's most successful ever, though the chain doesn't do as many new introductions as other fast feeders.

Written by: Todd Wasserman - Brandweek.com

NESPRESSO - unveils five new Grands Crus

Striving to create the ultimate coffee experience, Nespresso coffee experts travel the world in search of the highest quality coffee. Following two years of exploration and development, five new creations have recently been unveiled: three Pure Origin coffees and two Lungo blends. While the “original” Nespresso espresso varieties are blends from several origins whose characteristics complement one another in a complex taste profile, Pure Origin coffees reveal a soul and character typical of a single origin. The intention is to source the three Pure Origin coffees through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program which is co-managed with the Rainforest Alliance (currently, one Pure Origin coffee is 100% sourced through the AAA Program while the other two originate from plantations where the initiative has only been launched recently). The Sustainable Quality Program aims to protect the environment and improve the lives of coffee farmers and their communities while assuring supplies of top-grade green coffee and improving product quality. New Pure Origin coffees:

• Rosabaya de Colombia: a blend of hand-picked Columbian Arabicas grown on small plantations at altitudes above 2,000m in the south and south-west of the country. Has a delicate acidity interspersed with notes of wine and balanced by hints of red fruit. Separate roasting accentuates the fruity notes and acidity whilst bringing body to the coffee.
• Dulsão do Brasil: a combination of red and yellow Brazilian Bourbon coffees grown on a limited number of plantations in the hilly Pocos de Caldas region. Separately roasted and treated with the semi-dry method so that mucilage sugars infuse sweetness to the beans. Sweet notes of cereal, malt, honey and maple syrup.
• Indriya from India: a blend of Arabica (85%) and Robusta (15%) beans cultivated in the shady cedar forests of the major coffee states in the south. An intense, full-bodied espresso with a whisper of cocoa and a spicy bouquet reminiscent of cloves, pepper and nutmeg.

New Lungo blends:

• Fortissio Lungo: a blend of Central and South American Arabicas with a hint of Robusta. Intense, full-bodied and bitter with notes of dark roasted beans.
• Finezzo Lungo: a delicate marriage of lightly roasted East African and South and Central American Arabicas. Highly aromatic with mild notes of fragrant jasmine.

Specially-designed sampling and tasting packs are enabling consumers in every Nespresso market to enjoy these latest additions to the unique Nespresso range of 16 premium coffees.