Check out Kraft’s new international strategy.
 
Sanjay Khosla, the president of Kraft International, gave Reuters a sneak preview of the strategy, which is being unveiled today at an analyst conference.
 
The focus is on 10 countries or regions: Brazil, China, Russia, southeast Asia, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany.
 
The focus is also on 10 brands, including some expected ones, like Oreos, and some that could be surprising to U.S. consumers: Tang and Philadelphia. The breakfast drink and the cream cheese are big brands overseas.
 
Khosla, a former Unilever executive, was hired by Kraft in 2007 to boost a flagging international business. Month later, the company acquired Danone’s cookie and cracker business.
 
Khosla stressed that Kraft is not forcing its practices on the Danone business, but taking the best of both companies.
 
“We don’t Kraftize Danone and we don’t Danonize Kraft.”
 
Kraft is also allowing its local managers more freedom to make decisions based on local tastes, at least within reason, Khosla said.
 
“What you can’t do is come up with a pink Oreo,” he said.
 
Also in the basket:
 
Coca-Cola buys Chinese juice maker for $2.5 billion
 
Wal-Mart upbeat on Asia drive amid U.S. woes

J.C.  Penney, Kohl’s August same-store sales fall

(Reuters phtoto)