The Bad Air Sponge

By Dan Sewell
Associated Press

AL BEHRMAN/Associated Press

Procter & Gamble Co. is producing Tide with Downy, Crest with Scope, and Puffs with Vicks, combining two familiar names in one product.


PRODUCT BLEND

Companies across a variety of industries have combined promotions and brands for years, from apparel retailer Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. with Ford Motor Co.’s Explorer to Major League Baseball with MasterCard Inc. credit cards.

In a recent product blend, specialty coffee retailer Starbucks Corp. and chocolate maker Hershey Co. have joined forces to develop new confections.

Some consumer products companies are increasingly teaming up brands, combining two familiar names into one new product, such as Tide detergent with Downy fabric softener or Lever soap with Vaseline lotion.

Procter & Gamble Co. this month started Puffs facial tissues with the scent of Vicks, hitting the cold-and-flu season with something meant to play on consumers’ childhood memories of moms treating their colds by rubbing on Vicks ointment.

“It’s really a product we’re uniquely positioned to offer,” said Matt Griffith, a P&G assistant brand manager for Puffs. The combination of Vicks and Puffs adds Vicks’ “iconic scent” to the competitive facial tissue category, he said.

P&G, the world’s largest consumer products company, has been broadening its lineup over the last couple of years with such brand blends as Olay skin care added to CoverGirl makeup and Secret deodorant products, Febreze scent freshener and Downy to Tide laundry detergents, and Scope mouthwash into Crest toothpaste. Other companies also have been doubling up brands to make new products.

“It’s kind of one-plus-one equals three,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York-based customer research marketing firm. “They’re taking two brands to make something that differentiates, that supercharges, the brand.”

Passikoff said brand combos sometimes are based on a “Field of Dreams” theory - “if you combine them, they (consumers) will come.” He said brand synergies, or attributes that complement each other, are needed to attract consumers to such new products.

Unilever found its Lever 2000 soap was helped by last year adding Vaseline ingredients, immediately cueing consumers to think of moisturizing and healthy skin, said Srini Sripada, Unilever director of brand marketing for skin.

“We do a lot of consumer tracking; we’re happy with the results,” Sripada said. “The partnership of these two great brands is something we will look to explore.”

Unilever this year added Snuggle air freshener to All laundry detergent. Dial Corp. last year blended Renuzit air freshener into Purex detergent after consumer testing scores for the detergent jumped when the Renuzit name was added, said Kiem Ho, senior brand manager for Purex.

Intracompany combinations can provide time and cost efficiencies to product development, as formulators work with familiar ingredients and marketers promote jointly.

Suzanne Watson, Tide brand manager, said the six-decade-old brand didn’t have to look far to come up with new versions that met consumer interests in added benefits for their laundry work.

“Tide cleaning plus softness translated easiest to the consumer by leveraging the Downy brand,” she said. “The same thing with Febreze; when we did our consumer testing for the freshness benefit, the one that sparked the most response was Febreze.”

Griffith said Puffs and Vicks will do cross-promotions, including in displays with bottles of Vicks Nyquil cold medicine and with coupons. Both Puffs and longtime industry leader Kleenex of the Kimberly-Clark Corp. have in recent years added lotions and other ingredients meant to soothe cold sufferers; Puffs reached out to Vicks when testing showed its scent triggered feelings of empathy and nostalgia for childhood comforting.

“We found a way to take a classic, the comforting scent of Vicks,” Griffith said. “I think that’s one of the things that we’re most excited about, being able to tap into the equity of the Vicks brand.”

Chem-Dry is the world’s leading carpet and upholstery cleaner. There are more than 4,000 locations worldwide, and we have one right here in Baker County!

Clinton Register - Register’s Chem-Dry
A Cleaner Carpet-A Cleaner Way to Live
Chem-Dry is the world’s leading carpet and upholstery cleaner. There are more than 4,000 locations worldwide, and we have one right here in Baker County!

Clinton Register is the owner of Register’s Chem-Dry here in town.
Chem-Dry uses the industry’s finest, most powerful equipment and proprietary cleaning solutions to ensure the best clean for your family. You can trust Clinton to deliver quality, and value. Clinton told us, “Keeping your carpet clean is healthier for the air in your home too. Your family will have a cleaner surface to walk on, and fewer particles released into the air.” He went on to tell us, “I offer services such as upholstery cleaning, carpet cleaning, carpet stain removal, pet odor removal, area rug cleaning. The carpet dries in 1-2 hours.”
Their system uses the power of effervescent, carbonating cleaning solutions that are so effective that only a small amount of moisture is used to produce his amazing results. Remember the old remedy for stains…‘put some club soda on it’? It works akin to that method. Chem-Dry doesn’t use soaps, detergents, or harsh chemicals to accomplish their great cleaning results, because they use the power of crystal clear carbonating bubbles.
Proper care of your carpet will also extend the life of your carpet. It isn’t the walking on the carpet that wears it out – it’s the dirt in it grinding together with the carpet fibers as you walk on it that tears it up. Did you know that most carpet manufacturers recommend cleaning your carpet at least once a year in order to get the full use and appearance from your carpet.
Call Clinton Register next time you need your carpet cleaned. You will be impressed by his knowledge, reliability, and the results! 904.275.4379

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Wytheville Enterprise Staff
Wytheville Enterprise: News >
04:01 PM
By NATE HUBBARD/Staff

Before there was Spirit, there was Sherry Helsel.
Helsel, an animal pound and shelter inspector with the Virginia Office of Veterinary Services, conducted an unannounced inspection of the Wythe County Animal Shelter on Sept. 27 – just more than a week before Spirit, an owner-surrendered puppy, was found in the pound with a broken leg.
And the results were not good.
The shelter was cited for six violations ranging from poor sanitation to inadequate veterinary care. The vehicle used to transport animals picked up by the county was also cited for one area of non-compliance concerning a lack of appropriate animal enclosures.
Although the inspection occurred before Spirit was found, the letter written to Wythe County Administrator Cellell Dalton documenting the results was dated Oct. 11 – five days after Spirit’s discovery and one day after Dalton and Assistant County Administrator Stephen Bear held a meeting with about 15 people concerned about Spirit’s treatment.
In her report, Helsel demanded a written response from the county documenting that the operational issues had been immediately addressed and that a plan had been initiated to correct the structural deficiencies of the building.
Helsel was not available for additional comment.
Marion Horsley, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees the veterinary office, elaborated on some of the inspection details.
“Any non-compliance is a problem,” she said.
But Horsley said it’s common for shelters to have a few areas of concern. She emphasized that a satisfactory response from the county is the only action the state office is seeking at this time.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Horsley said that Helsel had not yet received a response from the county, but Dalton said in an e-mail message sent early Wednesday morning that a reply had been made.
Helsel’s letter stipulated that the response would be due by Nov. 15.
“The point here is we’ve identified a problem and it needs to be fixed,” Horsley said. “Nobody is looking at punishment here, we just want compliance.”
Horsley added that the contents of the county’s response would determine the state’s next course of action.
If the answer is detailed, with specific steps outlined to correct the problems, the state inspector will not immediately return to the shelter. However, if Helsel finds the county’s reply vague or inadequate the inspector may return to re-check the facility to see if changes actually have been implemented.
Although Horsley said that most shelters don’t receive perfect inspection reports, some of the issues at Wythe County’s building documented on Helsel’s report were disturbing.
“Sanitation efforts are focused mainly on the floor of the dog runs and center walkway,” Helsel wrote in the inspection report. “There is an accumulation of animal waste, hair, and debris behind the runs, further up the walls and gates, and throughout the facility. A fairly strong odor of urine was also present.”
Cleaning efforts also left behind problematic conditions.
“The animals and housing areas were wet, including puddles of water on the floors,” the inspector wrote as another area of non-compliance. “Animals must not be sprayed directly or indirectly with water while cleaning, and the enclosures should be dry before returning the animal.”
Other issues cited included poor lighting and cracks in the floors and walls that hinder disinfection efforts.
Most troubling in light of the discovery of Spirit just shortly after the inspection were issues concerning insufficient veterinary care at the shelter.
“Adequate veterinary care is not provided to stabilize animals that are ill or injured,” Helsel documented. “At the time of inspection, a dog was maintained in the pound with an untreated eye condition, and discussions revealed that funding for veterinary care is not available for these animals.”
In addition, an area of the shelter supposed to be an isolation space for animals with contagious illnesses was found to be used for multiple purposes “including additional housing for the general population as the main area becomes full.”
In concluding paragraphs to her report, Helsel also questioned the understanding that the shelter’s personnel has of the applicable laws.
“My discussions with ACO [Animal Control Officer] Arlan Dunford and the custodian, Holly Vernon, revealed some deficiency in the general area of the laws, regulations, and directives that apply to the pound facility and transport vehicle,” Helsel reported.
Dalton did not return multiple phone messages seeking comment on the inspection or the county’s response, but he did provide some details on the shelter through e-mail.
“I’ve written the State Vet rep a letter responding to each item in her letter and the animal control personnel have been instructed on how to take corrective actions,” one of Dalton’s e-mail messages stated.
In a second message sent later Wednesday morning, Dalton elaborated that the county is in the process of determining specific upgrades to the facility.
“We have begun looking at improvements to [the] shelter, have visited other shelters, etc to see what improvements are best,” he wrote.
The Wythe County building employs three full-time staff members – Dunford, Vernon and code enforcement officer Danny Blanchett – and also accepts animals from Bland County.
According to numbers provided by Dalton, the county’s budget for fiscal year 2008 includes $143,806 for the shelter and compensation given to Dunford and Vernon. Salary, benefits, vehicle and clothing costs associated with Blanchett’s position add another $50,000, bringing the county’s total yearly costs close to $200,000.
In 2006, the shelter processed 939 dogs, of which 148 were reclaimed by owners, 229 adopted, 261 transferred and 266 euthanized.
The remaining 35 were still in the shelter at the end of the year.
The 939 dogs came to the shelter from multiple sources: 418 were strays, 10 seized, 281 surrendered by owners, 103 brought from the town of Wytheville, 118 brought from Bland County and nine already in the shelter that were initially brought in during 2005.
As the county works with the state to address the problems at the shelter, an online petition calling for the “immediate dismissal from their jobs all those responsible for the needless suffering of [Spirit]” continues to swell with signatures.
Spirit had to have his left hind leg amputated a week after he was found untreated at the shelter.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, 533 people had included their name on the petition. Represented in that group were people from 34 states, Washington, D.C., Canada and Jamaica.
Concern about Spirit’s treatment had even skipped across the Atlantic Ocean as four petition signers identified themselves as United Kingdom residents. Also adding an international flair to the petition were signers from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Bilbao, a city in Spain.
Nearly 250 of the petitioners identified themselves as being from Virginia.
John Witt, a Wythe County resident who found Spirit injured at the shelter and started the petition, also said that he has e-mailed all the members of the Board of Supervisors about the incident and the inspection report.
He said that none of the supervisors have replied to his e-mail.
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 228-6611 or nhubbard@wythenews.com.

UNION-TRIBUNE

7:35 a.m. November 15, 2024

Author: Unknown

VISTA: Three children escaped flames and smoke at their Lado de Loma Drive home yesterday after a stack of clothes in the bathroom caught fire.

A plug-in air freshener with a heating element in it ignited the clothes, which were resting against the small device, Vista fire Capt. Randy Pusey said,.The children, whom Pusey said range in age from 10 to about 15, were home unsupervised when they smelled smoke and heard a smoke detector sounding. They opened the bathroom door and saw a pile of clothes burning in one corner.

The children ran to a neighbor’s house, where someone called 911 shortly after 2 p.m. Fire crews arrived in six minutes and found smoke pouring from the back of the house. Flames were doused by 2:20 p.m. The fire, as well as heat and smoke throughout the house, caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

The Red Cross assisted the family with temporary shelter, Pusey said.

–P.R.