Mountain Dew Introduces MDX Energy Soda
Mountain Dew is bridging the gap between energy drinks and soda with the launch of MDX. Pioneering a new category of energy sodas, MDX features the familiar citrus flavor of Mountain Dew, but is fueled by a "power pack" of ingredients including Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine, and D-Ribose. The launch of MDX also marks the debut of a new single-serve 14-oz PET bottle that is convenient, portable, easy to grip and features a re-sealable cap.
"Mountain Dew helped create the energy category and MDX is the next logical step in our evolution," said Katie Lacey, V.P., Marketing, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Pepsi-Cola North America. "Consumers are increasingly looking for energy-witness the explosion of energy drinks-there is great opportunity for an entirely new category. MDX satisfies the consumer who is looking for a boost of energy but refuses to sacrifice taste and refreshment."
First All Environmental Auto Dealership In Nation To Be Built In McKinney, TX.
Pat Lobb Toyota of McKinney, Texas, is going to be "green," upon completion. It is being designed from the ground up to maximize all environmentally sensitive possibilities. The exterior and interior features will conserve energy and water and will incorporate approximately 75% recycled materials such as aluminum, steel, tile, carpet and more.
Pat Lobb Toyota is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council, and it will be the first auto dealership in the nation to seek official LEED (Leadership of Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. The dealership, designed by the Dallas office of Gensler and constructed by Turner Construction's Dallas Business Unit, is sscheduled to be completed in June 2006.
The Nation's First New York Times Bookstore Opens At Blue Grass Airport
The nation's first-ever New York Times Bookstore recently opened at The Paradies Shops in Lexington, Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport.
This new retail store includes unique features such as an online station with access to The New York Times web site, a plasma screen television running excerpts and programming from the Discovery Times Channel, a children's section, New York Times gift and specialty items and of course, books from the New York Times' bestseller list.
Christian Edwards, President of The News Services division of The New York Times, said, "As the nation's leading seven day newspaper, The Times is honored to have its first bookstore open in this critical region, reinforcing our expanded distribution and printing plans as announced last fall."
MODA International Marketing, the licensing agency representing the New York Times, arranged the partnership with Airport officials and The Paradies Shops, an Atlanta, GA-based airport and hotel retailer.
Glenlivet Launches Largest-Ever Pop-Up Retail Exhibit
The Glenlivet, the leading Single Malt Scotch in the U.S., is launching The Glenlivet City Links tour, offering city golf lovers an opportunity to play a traditional Scottish-style, urban-scaled golf course. The 10,000 square-foot, nine-hole course and clubhouse is the largest-ever pop-up retail exhibit.
The Glenlivet City Links will be customized to fit landmark retail and office space in each of the five tour cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas. Legacy Marketing Partners, a Chicago, IL-based experiential marketing agency, developed the program concept and is managing the tour.
"Scotland is not only home to The Glenlivet, the most extraordinary Scotch whisky you can find, but it also is the birthplace of one of the most celebrated games in the world," said Craig Johnson, Senior Brand Manager. "Not everyone has the opportunity to play on the world-famous courses in Scotland, so we decided to bring a traditional Scottish links to the U.S."
According to Amanda Kemmer, Legacy Marketing Partners Account Director, it's all about delivering a relevant brand experience to target consumers. "Immersing consumers in this kind of controlled brand environment makes a powerful impact and that's what's driving the growth of strategic experiential marketing.," she said.
Creative Zen Vision MP3 Player Introduced
Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment solutions for PC users, has introduced the Zen ™ Vision MP3 player, a multimedia player that plays music, digital photos and videos. The Zen Vision holds up to 15,000 songs and supports a la carte music downloads from major Internet music stores, in addition to supporting music subscription services such as Napster To Go and Yahoo! Music Unlimited. The Zen Vision can also carry thousands of digital photos and supports a wide selection of video formats for enjoyment of movies downloaded from the Internet on its 3.7-inch screen.
Memorex Introduces TravelDrive ID
Memorex has expanded its line of USB 2.0 flash drives with the introduction of the TravelDrive ID ™ that takes the guesswork out of remembering what is stored on the drive and how much free space is still available. The first USB flash drive with a built-in, customizable LCD screen, the Memorex TravelDrive ID also features an ergonomic design, metallic color scheme, and blue LED indicator like other TravelDrive products.
Streaming Music Introduced On Zipit Wireless Messenger
Zipit Wireless Messenger is a low-cost portable IM device that connects to wireless networks or free "hotspots." A rechargeable battery provides four to eight hours of non-stop chatting. Zipit is introducing the feature MyTunez, which will let users stream their MP3 and Windows Media music content from their home PCs anywhere in their wireless (Wi-Fi) home network while simultaneously chatting with their friends. "We looked at what else teenagers do when they are online 'IM-ing' with their friends," said Ralph Heredia, Director of Business Development at Zipit. "Listening to music was at the top of the list. Streaming music is a natural addition to Zipit Wireless Messenger."
Jones Soda Co. Launches Flavor Booster Candy
Jones Soda Co. has arranged an exclusive licensing agreement with Big Sky Brands, Inc. to create Jones Soda Flavor Booster candy, giving Jones the opportunity to enter the candy aisle of stores.
Jones Soda Boosters will debut in three Jones Soda flavors: Green Apple, Fufu Berry and Berry lemonade. Jones Soda Flavor Boosters allow the consumer to make any drink a "Jones," by simply adding them to a bottle of water to give it an intense Jones flavor.
Just like Jones Soda, under each lid of its metal tin package, Jones will feature quotes sent in by consumers. Jones Soda Flavor Boosters will be available in select alternative, convenience and grocery locations across the country in early 2006.
Starbucks Cream Liqueur Introduced In Time For Holidays
Starbucks Coffee Company and Jim Beam Brands have introduced Starbucks Cream Liqueur, following the successful launch of Starbucks Coffee Liqueur. "Creating a cream liqueur is a natural extension for the brand and is consistent with our long-term strategy of surprising and delighting our customers by extending the Starbucks Experience outside our retail stores," said Gerry Lopez, President, Starbucks Global Consumer Products.
Sears Holdings Names M. McGuire President & Chief Mktg. Officer
Sears Holdings Corp. has appointed Maureen McGuire to the newly-created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Most recently, McGuire served as IBM's Vice President, Strategy and Marketing, Worldwide Systems and Technology Group. Reporting to McGuire will be the Chief Marketing Officers for Sears, Roebuck and Kmart.
SIRIUS Satellite Radio Names M. Lee Sr. V.P. Mktg.
SIRIUS Satellite Radio has appointed Martin Lee As Senior Vice President of Marketing. Most recently, Lee was Vice President of Marketing at Olympus, where he successfully introduced over 100 products including the Stylus Digital camera.
Schwan's Announces Mktg. Appointments
Schwan's Consumer Brands NA has named Mark Jansen Vice President of Product Strategy. He was formerly Vice President of Product Strategy for Schwan's Foodservice Products. Prior to joining Schwan in 2001, Jansen spent several years in the marketing department of General Mills and Pillsbury. Dan O'Connor has been appointed Director of Marketing for Schwan's Freschetta brand.
He joins Schwan from ConAgra Foods, where he served as Marketing Director for its popcorn brands including Orville Redenbacher's, Act II and Jiffy Pop. Prior to this, he was a Marketing Manager for Pillsbury.
Unilever Appoints Klauberg & Klauser To New Mktg. Posts
Unilever has appointed Laura Klauberg Vice President, Marketing Shared Services and Lisa Klauser, Vice President Brand Building with Customers. Led by Klauberg and Klauser, the two new groups, Marketing Shared Services and Brand Building with Customer Organizations, will play a critical role in driving the growth of the total Unilever portfolio. Klauberg was previously head of Global Marketing for Unilever Cosmetics International and Klauser was Vice President Integrated Marketing Capability, Unilever Foods.
J. Jill Appoints L. Bayne EVP/Chief Mktg. Officer
The J. Jill Group has appointed Lisa Bayne to the position of Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer. Bayne joins J. Jill from The Gymboree Corp., where she served as Senior Vice President, Brand. Prior to this, she held the title of Senior Vice President, Marketing at retailer Smith and Hawken and prior to that, she spent 14 years at Eddie Bauer, where she held a number of positions, most recently as Senior Vice President, Creative Services and Brand Marketing.
BankAtlantic Names M. Begelman EVP & Chief Mktg. Officer
BankAtlantic has named Mark Begelman Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Begelman was formerly President and COO for Office Depot and Founder/CEO of Mars Music.
Southern Wine & Spirits Taps Barghahn To Head New Corp. Mktg. Group
Southern Wine & Spirits has appointed Lisa Barghahn as Vice President, Director of Corporate Marketing for its new Corporate Marketing Group. Barghahn will be responsible for developing brand-building projects on behalf of suppliers, creating customer-focused marketing programs and designing promotions that resonate with multicultural consumers. To assist her in this new role, Leanne Chau and Emily Olson have been promoted to Corporate Marketing Project Managers.
XA Names V. Morel EVP Of Mktg.
XA, Inc., a major national event marketing firm that serves many Fortune 500 companies, has named Valerie Morel Executive Vice President of Marketing and International Development of The Experiential Agency, Inc., a subsidiary of XA.
Morel previously managed the U.S. launch of Vok Dams Gruppe, a leading German event communications firm and served as Vice President of Marketing for Publicis Events Worldwide.
Zoom Media Places Billboards In Family Bowling Center Network
Zoom Media, leader in targeted out of home advertising, has partnered with Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, to offer billboard advertising in 2,200 top bowling venues nationwide.
Zoom will be producing and installing large scale, 4' x 6' backlit billboard signage for every participating bowling center, beginning with the top 30 markets, which represent approximately 1,100 bowling centers.
"This new network is a major enhancement of Zoom's ability to connect advertisers with a highly-desirable, targeted audience," said Dennis Roche, President of Zoom Media. "Bowling is the largest participatory sport in the U.S., with the average visitors spending more than two hours in the bowling center, making it an ideal environment for marketers."
Expand International Introduces Expand P.O.P.
Expand International of America has developed Expand P.O.P. for use in shopping malls, restaurants, stores and showrooms. The variations are endless due to its patented design allowing for graphic holders, magnetic boards and product shelves. The Expand P.O.P. is weather proof and stable thanks to the weighted foot and corrosion free construction. For more information, contact Expand International of America, Inc., 400 Long Beach Blvd., Stratford, CT 06615; (Tel) 800-758-3020, (Fax) 800-958-3020,(Web site) www.expandmedia.com.
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