Food Network welcomed the New Year with a new look, heralding its two decades of making a 24/7 food TV programmer a powerhouse brand (it turns 20 on Nov. 23rd). An updated logo and graphics package hit the air January 6th as part of a multiplatform roll-out, the first identity update since 1997. 

Working with Hollywood-based agency Troika, the refresh focuses on ‘Characters and Stories’ in promos that take the Scripps-owned cable network's programming beyond the food and around the table, as seen in on-air promos such as the one, above, for "Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell" or Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri's new reality series.

“Food Network has grown and we wanted to freshen-up our look and energy to better reflect our evolution into a broader, multi-platform entertainment brand,” said Susie Fogelson, SVP, Marketing and Brand Strategy, Food Network and Cooking Channel in a press release by parent Scripps Networks Interactive.

The refresh includes a “Smart” bug system to promote shows, activate social media conversations, navigate audiences across platforms, and drive business to Food Network’s other ventures, such as Food Network Magazine.Continue reading...

Food trucks have been fanning out across America, as the graphic above from the National Restaurant Association shows. But they're also starting to span the globe, bringing gustatory delight to Paris and London as artisanal food trucks, such as the Cantine California food truck in Paris, dispense tacos stuffed with organic meat (and brand USA) overseas.Continue reading...

In a twist of irony, girlfriends Paula Deen and Oprah Winfrey (with a hand from Winfrey's BFF, Gayle King) are helping each other regroup.

The three got together for a pajama party at Deen’s Savannah, Georgia home, donned rubber boots to check on the hens in the chicken coop and talk about life and loss, as show in Sunday night’s episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter on Winfrey's OWN channel, in a pitch for forgiveness and rebranding.

While Winfrey's OWN is in need of a ratings boost, Deen's in need of an image makeover following a startling revelation from the Queen of Southern cooking in January that she’s had Type 2 Diabetes for three years, an announcement that came in tandem with the news that she was being paid by Novo Nordisk to promote its diabetes drug.Continue reading...

Facebook appears ready to go public with $10 billion IPO in early February, despite ire at leak.

Exxon Mobil sells Japanese subsidiary for $4 billion in move to cut refining.

News Corp. reportedly woos Bloomberg exec as Twitter-happy Murdoch sees weekend arrests at The Sun tabloid.

ABB buys Thomas & Betts for $4 billion.

Angry Birds boss doesn't fear piracy.

Apple aims to sell 40 million iPhones in China next year.

Altria sees tobacco users embrace discount brands.

Bank of America shakes up investment banking division.

Barnes & Noble takes on Amazon with fifth Nook device.

Beyonce sees university class focus on her.Continue reading...

Scripps Networks owns some of the most powerful brands on cable television with HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel and DIY. All of the cooking shows on these networks have thus far avoided the temptation of dabbling in product placement. After all, in the first half of the year, Food Network pulled in $283.2 million in advertising while HGTV earned $300.2 million in the same time period, according to Kantar Media. 

However, the company’s Cooking Channel, which launched last year, is still trying to figure out how to make dough on the scale of its sister networks. Kantar reports that the channel brought in $12.3 million in the first half of the year. Enter product placement.

Ad Age reports that the network's business side sees a plum opportunity with a series titled From the Kitchens Of, which doesn’t have a set air time and is broadcast sporadically, not only visits the kitchens of corporations including Pillsbury but also features each company’s products within its show and recipes. For that right, the advertiser foots half the costs of producing the episode, Ad Age reports.

"We wanted to be able to offer advertisers something different than" Food Network, stated Jeff Stettin, VP of ad sales for Cooking Channel. "We feel that with a network that was just starting out, we could take a little bit more risk."

Other brands that have been involved the first season’s 10 episodes include Clorox, Sara Lee, Kellogg, and Sears’ Kenmore, Ad Age notes, with all series one sponsors already signing on for a 13-episode second season run.

Food Network's kid brother, the Cooking Channel, will go live on May 31. Hipper and funkier yet a tad more servicey than its parent, the all-cooking, all the time network will feature Food Network stalwarts including Emeril and Paula Deen, plus a new crop of celebrity chef wannabes.

Scripps' latest channel, which will replace the pre-recession-launched Fine Living Network, might be seen as an admission that Food Network has strayed from its initial mission, with cooking how-to shows replaced by lifestyle series and competitions.

But Scripps's "Chef" Executive Officer begs to differ.Continue reading...