Nescafé is turning 75 and promising even more gusto going forward. The grandfather of instant coffee, made by Nestlé, (the name is a portmanteau of the words Nestlé and café) it was introduced in Switzerland, April 1, 1938.

Now (as you can find out in Nestle's anniversary slideshow and Facebook celebration, among other festive touchpoints) more than 5,500 cups of Nescafé are consumed every second in variations catering to taste preferences around the world.

The brand is getting a big boost from the Chinese and Japanese markets and the imminent market availability of new Dolce Gusto systems for coffee pods and premium Nespresso machines. "Nescafe is a big brand with different faces," said CEO Paul Bulcke to Reuters. "Nescafe is growing very well in China, but also in Japan, which is an important market. For example in Asia, Nescafe 3-in-1 sticks with milk and sugar that are ready to be used, are very strong."Continue reading...

Amazon sees online retail rivals rise in 4Q and reign as most expensive stock end as company may have smartphone ambitions.

Facebook phone, no longer a rumor, is coming to Android.

Toys 'R' Us pulls planned IPO.

American Express tests geo-targeted ads in London cabs.

American Greetings decides to go private.

Apple apology by CEO Tim Cook seems to satisfy Chinese authorities.Continue reading...

Six months after posting a low-budget, self-made, 12-minute video of himself, the US-born Mike Sui has been tapped by the NFL and Nike, Netease, Puma, Lenovo and, now, Nescafe, to give their respective brands a sense of humor and some attitude in China.

But the rise and popularity of the teacher turned actor and comedian — who's half-Chinese, half-American, and lovingly known as "diaosi Mike 隋" — also says something about a major change in how the nation's youth see themselves. That's right, China's Gen Y has become self aware.Continue reading...

Every brand and their dog has a Facebook page these days. Realizing the competition's stiff to stand out, NESCAFÉ is launching its FB US page debut with a game.

Its “Play With Your Coffee” app is a multi-feature campaign that mirrors the single-serve coffee system’s options which include 15 bar internal pressure, user-controlled coffee strength, temperature and milk content – all for the serious home barista.

“Latte Yourself” riffs on the beverage's distinctive swirly design — creating a caffeinated, foamy portrait that can be tweeted, posted to users' Facebook walls, or downloaded for a “mochafied” portrait. (Don't believe there's an art to coffee? Click here for a coffee artist who's riffing on the Royal Wedding in her latest work — come to think of it, the portrait above does resemble Kate Middleton...)Continue reading...

AIG to sue two firms to recover some losses.

Apple sees Steve Jobs continue to try to smooth out Location-gate.

BP plans to return this year to drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Berkshire Hathaway says former executive David Sokol misled Warren Buffett.

Buffalo Wild Wings prepares for NFL lockout.

Chrysler announces full repayment of US and Canadian government loans this quarter.Continue reading...

In the battle to find more income sources, local newsrooms are turning to product placement.

Kansas City's CBS-affiliate station KCTV is experimenting with a deal in which local eatery Steak n' Shake has paid to place a coffee cup, its logo visible to the camera, on the table during news segments. The placement, which occurs only on the weekend,l appears to tie into a Steak n' Shake-sponsored contest on the KCTV website.

The KCTV deal recalls MSNBC brewhaha over Starbucks' sponsorship of Joe Scarborough's Morning Joe show, and the 2008 story of Las Vegas KVVU FOX 5's deal with McDonald's.Continue reading...

It's got to sting when you go slumming, only to have the slum-dwellers tell you that you don't measure up.

To review: under pressure from Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's, and with its brand value in decline, Starbucks introduced Via instant coffee with an in-store taste-test promotion intended to prove that the new instant can't be told apart from the store brew. Not the best way to maintain a brand that was built upon premium-quality coffee and the idea that Starbucks stores are America's "third place" (after home and work), we thought.

Starbucks demolished Nescafé in the '90s. Why would they now want to copy them?

Nescafé had the exact same idea, it seems. En route to brandchannel HQ this morning, we saw Nescafé workers (happy to pose with their banner) setting up a sampling station for a taste test of their own. Their graphic contrasts an unbranded, but clearly Starbucks-looking paper cup of instant (over a package that uses the Via colors) with a ceramic mug featuring the updated Nescafé logo above a Taster's Choice package. The copy reads: "A lot of hype. OR a lot of flavor."Continue reading...

While initial consumer reaction is warm, does Starbucks' new instant Via warrant a decaf companion?

Reporting that Via has "exceeded expectations" after two weeks on the market, Starbucks today announced a decaffeinated option to their new instant coffee line by mid-November. Hoping to further bolster fourth-quarter sales. Starbucks is offering decaf Via just in time for the holiday season.

The rational behind Via made sense. Busy professionals need a quick, portable and cheap(er) caffeine delivery system. Twenty years in development and Starbucks delivers Via, a product that promises to be all those things and taste just like Starbucks in-store drip coffee.

But does a decaffeinated instant coffee really belong in Starbucks' stable?Continue reading...