Oser Communications Group

1 4 SNACKING NEWS October 2018 Rice Krispies Creates Specialized 'Love Notes' for Blind Children three children, I know that love and sup- port are critical to every child's success. We are delighted to partner with Rice Krispies Treats, which shares our commit- ment to inclusion and Braille literacy, to make sure blind students can get accessi- ble 'Love Notes' in their lunch boxes this back-to-school season." The 'Love Notes' Braille stickers are heart-shaped to match the space on Rice Krispies Treats writable wrappers for writ- ten notes. Each Braille sticker sheet also includes eight uplifting phrases for parents to share with their children, from "You've Got This" to "Love You Lots." For children who are auditory learners or don't read Braille, the re-recordable audio box holds a Rice Krispies Treats crispy marshmallow square inside and when opened, plays a 10-second pre- recorded auditory message. The audio box messages can be re-recorded more than 1,000 times, offering opportu- nities to share love and support throughout the entire school year. The Kellogg company as a whole has a larger connection to this cause because W.K. Kellogg, having lost his sight for the last decade of his life, continued to work at the com- pany full time for a number of years afterwards, said Jessica Waller, Vice President of Sales and co-chair of Kapable Busi- ness/Employee Resource Group at Kellogg. "Inclusion is in our DNA and is now shared through Rice Krispies Treats 'Love Notes.' Every- one is important, and we want each child to be able to feel loved, supported and ac- knowledged." Rice Krispies Treats 'Love Notes' were inspired by Eme Butler-Mitchell, an 11- year-old student who is blind and who spreads love through her musical talents. Kellogg and Rice Krispies Treats were in- troduced to Butler-Mitchell by the Na- tional Federation of the Blind. n National Confectioners Association Promotes Three Senior Leaders National Confectioners Association (NCA) President and CEO John Downs has announced the promotion of three key senior leaders that will unlock operational efficiency and effectiveness, bolster the membership value proposition, and con- tinue to enhance the organization's advo- cacy, communications, industry affairs, and regulatory support for the 620 manu- facturers, suppliers and brokers that are members of NCA. "In less than four years we've made tremendous progress on our transforma- tional change journey, having created a positive brand identity for NCA, built a clear and compelling strategic plan, and executed the plan with laser-like precision. We have established a powerful, favorable narrative for our industry, recruited high- caliber CEOs and senior executives to serve on our board of trustees, modernized our governance process, and achieved our financial growth targets to fuel our advo- cacy and communications initiatives," Downs said. In the past year, NCA has established the industry's big ideal – the Always A Treat Initiative – which proactively posi- tions the confectionery industry as a thought leader with consumers and in the food policy space. Liz Clark, currently Vice President of Government Affairs, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Public Policy. In her new role, Clark will lead NCA's fed- eral, state and local government affairs and PAC strategy, as well as work closely with the scientific/regulatory team to support NCA member companies. Christopher Gindlesperger, currently Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications. In his new capac- ity, Gindlesperger will lead a revamped department that is fully integrated into all functions across the organization and fo- cused on ensuring consistency of mes- saging, as well as recruiting, educating and activating key stakeholder groups. Gindlesperger will also oversee all media relations activity and a new integrated marketing communications operation that is essential to the association's abil- ity to effectively communicate the breadth of tools and resources available to assist members in their business and in the marketplace. Downs also announced that NCA Chief of Staff Elise Fennig has been promoted to Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Operations. Fennig will continue to have oversight of human resources, IT, and op- erations at NCA, and assumes responsibil- ity for the continued integration of the industry affairs, global business develop- ment, meetings and membership opera- tions. n Fans Name Crunchy Mint Their Favorite M&M Flavor Earlier this year, M&M'S launched three brand-new, limited-edition flavors, Crunchy Espresso, Crunchy Raspberry and Crunchy Mint, and a marketing campaign in which the brand asked its fans to choose their favorite flavor. After millions of taste tests nationwide, M&M'S has announced Crunchy Mint as the winning flavor. Crunchy Mint joined the M&M'S line- up in August and will continue to be sold at U.S. stores for an 18-month period (while supplies last). "Our fans have spoken and once again played an influential role in choosing the next flavor of M&M'S," says Allison Mi- azga-Bedrick, Brand Director, M&M'S. "We love providing our fans with oppor- tunities to have their voices heard, and we look forward to finding more ways to do so in the future." M&M'S Crunchy Mint is made with dark chocolate wrapped in the brand's sig- nature colorful crispy shell with a cocoa rice crisp center. M&M'S Crunchy Mint is offered in a 2.83-ounce size intended for sharing and an 8-ounce stand-up pouch. For more information, visit M&M'S at www.mms.com. n Rice Krispies Treats™ developed writable wrappers for parents and family members to send their children encouraging mes- sages in their lunch boxes. However, Rice Krispies Treats realized there are over 62,000 children who are blind and low-vi- sion in schools across the United States unable to experience important handwrit- ten notes of support, so the company has partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to create the first-ever accessible 'Love Notes' in the form of Braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes so parents and family members can share messages of love and encouragement with these children. "The National Federation of the Blind is committed to helping parents raise blind children prepared to be confident, happy and productive members of society," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "As a father of

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