Best of: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is just weeks away, and while I love holiday programming from How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Christmas Vacation, I enjoy the holiday commercials even more! This week, I'm reviving my post from last year, highlighting the best Christmas commercials the retail and food and beverage industries have to offer.

If you have additional ads you'd like to add to the list, drop me a line with the link so I can check it out! Thanks...and enjoy the holiday season!

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While I love all the holiday specials on TV this time of year, I have to admit, there are some Christmas commercials that I wait all year to see. I get very excited to watch these spots and am sometimes happier to see these ads than hear Charlie-in-the Box sing about the Island of Misfit Toys or watch innocent Cindy Loo Who buy into lies from the Grinch. Here are some of my all time favorite holiday commercials:

Eat'n Park is a Pittsburgh area restaurant that's been around since 1949. In 1982, the company wanted to create a holiday card on video to thank the city for their support. The result was an ad that has become a Christmas classic and a holiday staple. This commercial is not just my favorite Christmas commercial, it's my favorite 30-second spot of all time! I hope you like it as much as I do.


Other Christmas commercials from food and beverage consumer packaged goods companies and retailers also do a phenomenal job of adding to the holiday season. Take a look:














Leave a comment and tell me: What are some of your favorite holiday commercials? I hope you get to see them this season! Happy holidays!

Best of: 10 Questions or Less with Chris Garboski

For the past few weeks, I've been reposting my favorite entries since I started my blog in March 2010. One of the reasons I started my blog was to learn more from the professionals in the food and beverage CPG industry. I've been very fortunate to be able to speak with the best in the field, and today, I am revisiting an inspirational interview from Chris Garboski of Nestle USA. Be on the lookout for more Q&As to come as I continue to learn more about this ever-evolving business from industry pros.

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Every chance I can get, I want to share career profiles of successful professionals in the food and beverage CPG industry. This week, meet Chris Garboski, Head of Retail Corporate Kitchen at Nestle USA. Chris is an industry expert with 18 years of CPG experience. Follow her on Twitter @NestleFoodie and be sure to check out the company's blog and latest recipes at www.meals.com.

1. How did you get started in this industry? I have been passionate about food for as long as I can remember! Landing at Nestle was part luck, part skill. I was able to get my foot in the door due to a family friend who was on the Nestle marketing team. I was introduced to the Test Kitchen manager, and the rest is history. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. (I studied food as well as interior design). I also attended several culinary courses through CIA in Napa. (That was fun but hard work!) People often ask me why I have stayed with one company for so long, and my answer is simple…every day is different. My position allows me the freedom to be very creative, and that is what drives me.

2. Describe your typical workday. I typically get into the office by 6:30 in the morning, head to our in-house gym for a quick workout, and then head to our test kitchen and begin my day. I get most of my assignments through our marketing teams and a few from corporate. On any given day, I could be working on several different assignments. Nearly all work involves creating recipes for online, video, packaging, or for use by the press (food editors). Before any of these recipes get published, they are put through a series of tests to confirm their accuracy. I also do the food styling for most of our recipes (this is where my design background comes in handy). This isn't a daily task, but it is something I do on a frequent basis.

3. What makes your company a great place to work? Nestlé USA is a part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland – the world's largest food company with a focus on Nutrition, Health and Wellness. So, I do have a nice portfolio of products to work with and I like the direction the company is going. Having said that, the people are what make it great. There is so much energy and passion here. And the passion isn’t just coming from the "foodies" in the kitchen – our marketing and sales teams are equally passionate. I also have an extremely supportive boss. Seven years ago, I became a mom to triplets. Nestle (and my boss) offered me the flexibility to telecommute a day or two per week so that I could find a better balance between work and family. This is HUGE for a mom. And let me tell you, Nestle gets far more out of me because of this flexibility and their trust in me. (I am getting choked up as I write this. I am truly fortunate!)

4. How do you keep up with industry trends? I attend several trend presentations each year (online and in person), subscribe to trend reports and pantry studies, follow talent on Twitter, attend culinary conferences (such as the International Association of Culinary Professionals), read a lot of food publications, talk with chefs and culinary professionals, and visit restaurants. I also do most of our prop shopping for photo shoots, so I get a good idea of color and houseware trends.

5. What skills are critical to success in your job? Understanding our consumers and current food trends is essential. If we don’t understand our consumers (their skill set, the ingredients they are comfortable using, or the even the equipment they have in their kitchen), we can’t successfully develop a recipe. Good communication and writing skills are very important, as is a solid understanding of food, nutrition and how to put together a recipe.

6. What keeps you in this industry? Simply put, my passion for food and nutrition keeps me in this industry.

7. What is your favorite snack food? Oh, I can't limit to just one. Fresh tangelos, fresh or dried mangoes and Greek yogurt with honey are at the top of my list. I also have a soft spot for toasted walnuts, dark chocolate and green tea.

Thank you for your time, Chris! Your career is truly amazing and you are an inspiration to aspiring CPG pros!

Best of: Pepsi Refresh Project

Again this week, I'm taking a look back at one of my best entries since I started my blog in March 2010. Today, I'm going back to August 10, 2010 and my first post about the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Now in its second year, Pepsi has made some changes to the grant process. The 2011 edits include fewer nomination categories, more grants awarded, and help for submitters to promote their ideas to garner votes. The application process has also been altered, hopefully making it easier for applicants to apply for funding.

I'm still a huge fan of this innovative idea, and would love to read your thoughts about this program.

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In December 2009, PepsiCo made a rather controversial decision when it decided to skip Super Bowl advertising to focus on cause marketing. Since the start of 2010, the company has "refreshed everything," launching the Pepsi Refresh Project, giving away millions of dollars in grants to build individuals and communities.

Here's how it works:

• People, businesses, and non-profit organizations submit ideas that they believe will have a positive impact on their communities. Anyone can submit an idea, and the company accepts up to 1,000 applications each month.
  
• Consumers are asked to vote for causes they like. They can vote for up to 10 ideas every day.
  
• At the end of the month, the chosen applicants to receive grants are announced. Applicants not chosen are encouraged to apply again, and the whole process starts over again.

Each month, the Pepsi Refresh Project awards numerous grants of different sizes. Up to 10 individual awardees are selected every month to receive $5,000 to unleash their inspired ideas. Another group of up to 10 individuals and small groups receive $25,000 to implement their initiatives within the community. $50,000 is awarded to up to 10 companies and organizations that can make a difference with their proposal. Finally, up to two organizations are granted $250,000 to dedicate a large amount of time and resources to their plan.

For the month of August, the Pepsi Refresh Project committed an additional $1.3 million to its $20 million campaign to "do good" for the Gulf and fund ideas that will support the communities hit hardest by the BP oil spill.

PepsiCo has teamed with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and The Today Show to spread the word and subsidize ideas that make the world a better place.

So far, grant recipients include The American Legion of Indianapolis, Indiana, who are using their $250,000 grant to provide comfort items for U.S. military troops recovering from wounds; The Economic Empowerment Initiative of Atlanta, Georgia, which received a $50,000 grant to provide financial literacy seminars for high school and college students; and Because We Are Sisters of Richmond, Virginia, that will use their $5,000 grant to support seven families in need as they prepare for the arrival of a baby, among others in the past months. Check out these videos featuring inspirational grant recipients:








Along with partners GOOD, DoSomething.org, City Year, and GlobalGiving, the Pepsi Refresh Project is making a difference in communities across the country.

Every Pepsi refreshes the world. Drink your Pepsi and vote for your favorite project at www.refresheverything.com!

Do you love this campaign as much as I do? Leave me a message with your thoughts (good or bad!) and definitely let me know if your community has been "refreshed" by this innovative campaign.

Best of: Twitter

For my 100th blog post, I'm taking a look back at one of my best entries during the past 14 months. Today, I'd like to take a review a post I wrote about Twitter, which originally appeared on March 23, 2010.

In this post, I referred to a Twitter list I created recording all of the brands I knew of at the time – 44 in all. Today, that list has grown to 170 and continues to expand. The column on the right shows the food and beverage CPG brands on this list. Take a look, and be sure to leave a message if there are any additional brands I need to add to my Twitter inventory.

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Are you on Twitter? The latest statistics show that 75 million people possess a Twitter account, but only an estimated 10 to 15 million people are active users.

Twitter is so much more than answering the question "what's happening" in 140 characters or less. The international social media site is a place to learn about news, events, and trends, connect with like-minded individuals, and build your network.

I joined Twitter in February 2009. It took me long time to catch on to what I should be doing and how. Now, however, I find Twitter to be a valuable resource; I learn something new every day.

To aid in my understanding of both social media and how CPG works, I follow quite a few companies, brands, and products on Twitter. I created a list of these accounts, which you can find on my Twitter page. If you have a Twitter account, you can subscribe to my list and follow all 44 (and growing!) members or select specific individuals. You'll find accounts for companies like PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and Campbell Soup Company, as well as products like Mrs. Butterworths and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. For an added bonus, check out Chex Mix, which tweets as the quirky product.

The accounts send tweets that provide updates, ask for feedback, and list contests and events to engage consumers. Why is this important? A recent study found that consumers who interact with companies via social media are more likely to buy and recommend a product based on this connection. Opportunities are abundant for those companies that are active on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels.

If you are not on Twitter, I encourage you to join – you have nothing to lose! If you have an account, but have not sent a tweet in a while, log on and reconnect. The Twitterverse would like to know what's happening.

Is there a company, brand, or product that I should add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know.