Kellogg reveals names for global snacking and North American cereal businesses
Kellogg Company has unveiled the names for its planned global snacking and North American cereal brands: Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co.
The new names will go into effect once Kellogg completes its planned spin-off of the North American cereal business (near the end of this year). The “Kellogg’s” brand will remain on product packaging.
Kellogg, the maker of Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and Eggo, announced plans to split into multiple companies in July last year, with plans to separate into multiple companies separately focused on cereals, snacks and plant-based foods.
The global snacking, international cereal and noodles, plant-based foods, and North American frozen breakfast business will be named Kellanova. The snack company will offer well-known brands such as Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellog’s Rice Krispie Treats, MorningStar Farms, Incogmeato, Nutrigrain and Eggo. Kellanova will also offer international cereal brands, including Kellogg's, Frosties, Zucaritas, Special K, Krave, Miel Pops, Coco Pops, and Crunchy Nut, among others.
"The name Kellanova signals the Company's ambition for the future, building on the strong brand equity and legacy built over the past 117 years as Kellogg Company," said Steve Cahillane, Kellogg Company's Chairman and CEO. "The 'Kell' overtly recognizes our enduring connection to Kellogg Company, while 'anova,' which combines 'a' and the Latin word 'nova,' meaning 'new,' signals our ambition to continuously evolve as an innovative, next generation, global snacking powerhouse. The Kellanova logo retains the iconic Kellogg Company 'K' to intentionally connect to our heritage and the strong foundation that got us to where we are today. The forward curved and extended 'v' embodies our forward momentum as we embark on this next chapter."
Cahillane will become Kellanova’s Chairman and CEO.
The North American cereal business will be named WK Kellogg, operating in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean. Its offering will include brands like Kellogg's, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Mini-Wheats, Special K, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Kashi, and Bear Naked.
"The name WK Kellogg Co honors the legacy of founder W.K. Kellogg, celebrating his spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. At the same time, we are looking forward, focused on propelling the company into the future. We eliminated the use of periods in the name to signal the start of a new, unwritten chapter," said Gary Pilnick, CEO designate of WK Kellogg Co. "The logo itself stems from the iconic signature of Mr. Kellogg. We have taken his instantly recognizable script and then underlined and elevated the 'Co,' emphasizing our ambition as a 117-year-old start-up taking Mr. Kellogg's original company to new heights."
Kellogg invited employees from around the world to submit company name suggestions. The company says that nearly 1,000 employees submitted more than 4,000 name suggestions and that 20% of employees who submitted names suggested a variation of “W.K. Kellogg”.
Cahillane added, "Unveiling the names for the global snacking and North American cereal businesses is an exciting milestone for both companies as we progress towards unleashing their full potential as standalone businesses. Upon spin completion, we believe both businesses will be better positioned to focus on their distinct strategic priorities, execute with increased agility and operational flexibility, realize improved outlooks for profitable growth, and shape distinctive corporate cultures, each rooted in Kellogg Company's strong values."
