Kellogg chose a name for its new subsidiary companies. They sound a lot like their old name, but with a new spin.
Its snack unit, which includes Cheez-It and Pringles, along with international cereal and plant-based food brands will be called “Kellanova”. And its North American grain business, which includes Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops, will be called “WK Kellogg Co.”, the company announced Wednesday.
Kellogg announced last year that it would split into three different companies to “better position each business to exploit its full potential.” However, last month it revealed that it is not spinning off its plant-based foods division, which includes the MorningStar Farms brand, but moving it into a more profitable junk food business. , “Kellanova”.
Kellogg explains the reasoning behind the more bizarre name, “Kellanova”, saying that the “Kell” part “publicly acknowledges” its name to the old company and that “anova” combines the letter ‘a’ and the word English. Latin means new, “new.” Steve Cahillane, the company’s future CEO, said in a press release that the logo with the recognizable “K” and the sassy ‘v’ facing forward signifies “motivation going forward as we move forward.” Let’s move on to the next chapter.”
As for “WK Kellogg Co.”, well, that’s a bit easier to understand since it’s named after company founder William Keith Kellogg. However, they removed the periods in WK because it signaled “the beginning of a new chapter that hasn’t been written,” according to Gary Pilnick, the company’s new CEO.
The logo design is based on his signature and enhances the “Co.” because it “underlines our ambition as a 117-year-old startup to take Mr. Kellogg’s original company to the next level,” Pilnick said in the press release.
Staff helped decide on the name, Kellogg said. Nearly 1,000 people submitted more than 4,000 names with about 20% of them suggesting a variation of “WK Kellogg” and others including a variation of the word “nova”.
Despite the silly-sounding results, achieving a secondary name is harder than it looks.
Bernd Schmitt, a professor of marketing at Columbia University and department director of the Center for Global Brand Leadership, previously told CNN: “It’s not easy to come up with new names. “Many good names have been used and are protected by law.”
Over time, he says, even a name that may seem unfamiliar to consumers can be accepted and embraced. And, in this case, people may not even notice the name as the Kellogg name and the recognizable “K” will remain on its packaging.
Following the split later this year, both companies will be publicly traded. Kellanova is using the NYSE ticker symbol “K,” while marking and communicating about “WK Kellogg Co.” will be announced in the coming months.
