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POPAI SmartBrief

November 3, 2009

Top Story

Flu concerns pump up hand-sanitizer sales
Hand-sanitizer sales in dollars jumped 70.5% over sales during the same time frame last year in the 24 weeks ending Oct. 3, to $118.4 million, according to the Nielsen Co. Concerns about H1N1 and other flu viruses also have pushed up unit sales by 63.1% and volume sales by 81.9%. Progressive Grocer/Nielsen Business Media (11/2)

Industry Focus

The war between private labels, major brands
Retailers should keep long-term goals in mind by developing private-label products that have their own identities and are worthy rivals to those sold by major marketers, according to Terri Goldstein, CEO-founder of The Goldstein Group. Retailers also would be wise to keep shelf space available for major brands, because some consumers who have traded down to store labels will resume buying major brands, Goldstein writes. Brandweek (11/2)

Clorox gets a lift from disinfecting products
Clorox reported a 23% profit boost to $157 million, though revenue fell 1% to $1.4 billion. Clorox disinfecting wipes and Hidden Valley salad dressing contributed to volume growth, while sales of Glad trash bags and green introductions such as Clorox Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent were weak. Brandweek (11/2)

Diedrich Coffee to be acquired by Peet's
Peet's Coffee & Tea Co. plans to buy Diedrich Coffee, with brands that include Gloria Jean's, Black Tiger and Flor de Apanas. The $213 million transaction will make Diedrich, founded in 1972, a wholly owned subsidiary of Peet's. American City Business Journals/San Francisco (11/3)

Marketing Spotlight

Sara Lee Deli is tweeting to fight hunger
Today is National Sandwich Day, and Sara Lee Deli will donate $1 per Twitter follower to Share Our Strength, an organization that fights childhood hunger. The brand's Facebook fan page will feature tips on creating sandwiches, as well as information about the charity. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (11/2)

Poll finds business leaders "most persuasive" pitch people
More than one in three consumers ranked business leaders as the "most persuasive" endorsers of products in advertisements, with athletes ranking second, followed by TV/movie stars, according to an AdweekMedia/Harris Poll. Ex-politicians were cited by 39% as the "least persuasive," with TV/movie stars and business leaders placing second and third, respectively, in the least-persuasive category, the survey found. Adweek (11/2)

Naming 2010
Advertisers are split on whether to refer to 2010 as "twenty ten" or "two-thousand ten" in their TV and radio advertising. The issue is taking on urgency as automakers advertise cars for the 2010 model year. The New York Times (11/2)

In-Store Design

Illy looks to fill American coffee cups
Italian coffee marketer IllyCaffè SpA is trying out a new retail plan to reach U.S. coffee drinkers. The company is offering cafes that want to sell Illy coffee a certification program under which the businesses use Italian equipment, recipes, techniques and, naturally, Illy coffee. So far, 28 shops in the U.S. boast the "Artisti del Gusto" certification. The Wall Street Journal (11/3)

POPAI News

POPAI's Outstanding Marketing at Retail Achievement (OMA) Awards online entry site now open
Complete your entry by Nov. 25, 2009, and take advantage of 2009 entry fees.

Plan to get an early start on your entries as the year's top in-store programs vie for the world's most widely recognized symbol of Marketing at Retail excellence -- POPAI's Gold OMA Award. Gold winners go on to compete for the ultimate achievement, POPAI's Display of the Year Award. All entries will be showcased at GlobalShop 2010, March 10 to March 12, Las Vegas

Click here to start your entries or learn more about the contest.

Entry Deadline: Jan. 8, 2010
Late Entry Deadline: Jan. 15, 2010

Questions? Contact Alicia Rutherford at (703) 373-8805 or arutherford@popai.com

The Endcap

Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine."

--William Feather,
publisher and author