Food manufacturing giant Heinz Australia is keeping its lips sealed over a rumour that it plans to introduce a Vegemite-flavoured baked beans product to its Baked Beanz range. Heinz Australia already manufactures its canned baked beans in a variety of flavours including Ham Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, Mild Curry Sauce and Sweet Chilli Sauce. However, Heinz Australia told Australian Food News today that it was unable to either confirm or deny the Vegemite rumour. The company’s Corporate Affairs Manager,... ...Read more »

US food giant Kraft Foods expects the acquisition of UK confectioner Cadbury to raise its revenue by US$1 billion by 2013. Ahead of a meeting with analysts yesterday, Kraft said that the acquisition of Cadbury had made it “the undisputed world leader in snacks”, a category that now accounts for more than half of its revenue. The acquisition of Cadbury is also expected to generate $750 million in cost synergies by 2013, Kraft said. Kraft also spoke of “additional savings” from... ...Read more »

Kraft brings back the iconic ‘Happy Little Vegemites’ ad to the TV screen, using a reworked version of the original tune and visuals, as part of a new campaign to promote the typically Australian breakfast spread Vegemite. The new television commercial, which launched yesterday, combines the original 1956 version of the jingle and 1980s-colour rendition of the ad with a more modern version of the well-recognised and well-loved tune. The advertising agency behind the campaign, JWT, also... ...Read more »

The Vegemite cream cheese spin-off has yet to hit shelves under its new name almost two months after the public voted to name the product Cheesybite, but Kraft has dismissed claims that slow sales are to blame. Kraft initially saw strong sales from their spin-off when it was branded ‘Vegemite Name Me’ as part of a competition to come up with a suitable name. Indeed, almost 3 million jars were sold in its first two and a half months. The competition led to the initial choice of iSnack... ...Read more »

While technology brands are at the top of the tree when it comes to Australia’s favourites, food and beverage brands do not sit too far behind, according to recently released research. George Patterson Y&R’s Brand Asset Valuator study saw Google top the list of the favourite brands of Australian consumers, however Vegemite (3), Coca-Cola (8) and Tim Tam (9) all claimed top ten positions as food and beverage brands continue to command the attention of consumers. The study, conducted... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods is confident that their turnaround strategy will position them for strong growth in coming years, with or without Cadbury. The maker of Oreo and Vegemite began a corporate overhaul soon after the appointment of Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld in 2006. This has seen a renewed focus on key markets and a pruning of underperforming brands. And Ms Rosenfeld is adamant that the strategies put in place are working and will see them make ground on their competitors. “We’re now poised... ...Read more »

As Kraft releases a list of names for the Australian public to choose from for their Vegemite spin-off, the media continues to lash into the food manufacturer, with many happy to hastily label iSnack 2.0 as a “marketing disaster”. The name was certainly misguided and, perhaps, naive, but to brand it a marketing disaster is simply wrong, at this stage, and underestimates the potential boost it could give to sales. You can’t make sales without brand awareness and Kraft has certainly... ...Read more »

Kraft is changing the name of their Vegemite spin-off after facing a backlash from consumers. The company announced the naming of the new product on Saturday, but iSnack 2.0 doesn’t appear to have struck the right chord with consumers. The internet is littered with negative posts about the name and it has already been infused into the famous Hitler outrage scene from the movie Downfall. For those unfamiliar with the Downfall clip, it shows Hitler getting upset in German with English subtitles.... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods revealed the name of the new Vegemite over the weekend following a long nationwide search for the most appropriate name. The company went back to the roots of the product by asking consumers to name the product, and it appeared to strike a chord with over 48,000 names from 35,000 Australians. Dean Robbins, a 27 year-old from WA, was the winner of the competition for his Vegemite iSnack2.0 suggestion. Kraft Foods Australia/New Zealand Head of Corporate Affairs, Simon Talbot, said the unusual... ...Read more »

Melbourne cake makers Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses have claimed the most prestigious environmental award in Australia, while iconic Australian spread Vegemite, manufactured by Kraft Foods Australia/New Zealand, took out the inaugural agriculture and food prize. As Australia’s leading environmental awards, the Banksia Awards recognise outstanding environmental achievements by businesses, government and individuals. The winners were announced on Friday night, with Kraft’s Vegemite taking home... ...Read more »