General Mills

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your General Mills shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the General Mills offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of General Mills at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a General Mills? Wrong! If the General Mills is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about General Mills then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling General Mills? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about General Mills and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your General Mills wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your General Mills then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the General Mills site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about General Mills, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your General Mills, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox_Company | company_name = General Mills, Inc. | company_logo = ] | company_type = Public company ([New York Stock Exchange: '''[http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=GIS GIS''')| company_slogan = The Company of Champions | foundation = 1866 | location = HQ in [Golden Valley, Minnesota; manufacturing facilities around the world | key_people = [Ken Powell, CEO | industry = [Food processing | products = [Baking mixes, [Breakfast cereals, [yogurt, refrigerated [dough, [soup, [pizza, [snack foods, [ice cream, [soy products, [vegetables, [flour, and [#Breakfast cereals| revenue = {{profit-->$12.442 billion United States dollar ([)| homepage = http://www.generalmills.com/ www.generalmills.com -->General Mills () is a Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company markets such brands as Betty Crocker, Progresso, Yoplait, Old El Paso, and Pillsbury Company, as well as numerous well-known breakfast cereals (see below).

The Company General Mills markets several well-known brands, including Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jenos, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso and Cheerios. Their brand portfolio includes more than 100 leading U.S. brands and numerous category leaders around the world. On average, U.S. shoppers place at least one General Mills product into their shopping cart each time they visit the grocery store.

General Mills markets global brands such as Green Giant vegetables, Old El Paso Mexican food and Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Their U.S. portfolio includes Yoplait yogurt,Colombo yogurt, Totinos pizza, Jenos pizza, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cheerios, Wheaties and other Big G cereals.

History The company can trace its history to the Minneapolis Milling Company, an organization founded in 1866 by Cadwallader C. Washburn which leased power rights to gristmill operating along Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. His brother William D. Washburn also assisted in the company's development. In 1866, the Washburns got into the business themselves, building the Washburn "B" Mill at the falls. At the time, the building was considered to be so large and output so vast that it could not possibly sustain itself. However, the company succeeded and in 1874 he built the even bigger Washburn "A" Mill.

In 1877, the mill entered a partnership with John Crosby to form the Washburn-Crosby Company. A year later, the "A" mill exploded, killing 17 workers and also demolishing several nearby buildings. The mill was rebuilt and continued to operate for almost 90 years.

In the 1920s, the company stepped in to take over a failing Minneapolis-St. Paul radio station, renaming it WCCO (from Washburn Crosby Company). General Mills itself was created in 1928 when Washburn-Crosby President James Ford Bell directed his company to merge with 26 other mills.

In 1970, General Mills acquired a five-unit restaurant company called Red Lobster and expanded it nationwide. Soon, a division of General Mills titled General Mills Restaurants developed to take charge of the Red Lobster chain. In 1982, General Mills Restaurants founded a new Italian themed restaurant chain called Olive Garden. Another themed restaurant, China Coast, was added before the entire group was spun-off to General Mills shareholders in 1995 as Darden Restaurants.

Beginning in 1929, General Mills products contained boxtop coupons, known as Betty Crocker coupons, with varying point values, that were redeemable for discounts on a variety of housewares products featured in the widely distributed Betty Crocker catalog. The coupons and the catalog were discontinued by the company in 2006, and a new web-site based retail concept is scheduled to open in 2007.

From 1976 to 1985 General Mills went to court as the parent company of Parker Brothers, which held the rights on the brand name and gaming idea of the board game Monopoly (game), claiming that the so called Anti-Monopoly game of an economics professor infringed their trademark. The dispute extended up to the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled against them, saying that while they have exclusive rights to the game Monopoly, they can not prevent others from using the word monopoly in the name of a game. During the 1980s, General Mills sold Parker Brothers to Kenner.

In 2001, the company purchased Pillsbury, although it was officially described as a "merger." In late 2004, the company transitioned its entire breakfast cereal line to whole grain due to scientific research showing the positive impact consuming whole grains has on health.

Corporate governance Current members of the board of directors of General Mills are: Paul Danos, William Esrey, Raymond Gilmartin, Judith Hope, Heidi Miller, Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg, Steve Odland, Michael Rose (businessman), Robert Ryan (businessman), Stephen Sanger (chairman), Michael Spence, and Dorothy Terrell.

Marketing On August 2004, Millsberry, an advergame, was created as a marketing tool. It has shops, homes, special events, arcades, and a newspaper called the Millsberry Gazette, which tells you happenings in Millsberry; and new features are frequently added.http://www.demandgenreport.com/demandviews.php?codearti=1014 General Mills often uses product placement on Millsberry. It's a web site targeted at elementary and middle school students,http://www.indianagazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8133&Itemid=55 though it can be played by everyone. Sign up is required to be able to fully access it.

See also

List of General Mills brands
DSV Alvin, deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy. Constructed by General Mills.
Washburn "A" Mill, a former General Mills production facility that now houses the Mill City Museum.

External links

General Mills homepage
Box Tops for Education
General Mills MBA Case Study w/Solution
Cereal Partners Worldwide (A marketing partnership with Nestlé)
Millsberry, General Mills' advergame.

Footnotes

{{Infobox_Company | company_name = General Mills, Inc. | company_logo = ] | company_type = Public company ([New York Stock Exchange: '''[http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=GIS GIS''')| company_slogan = The Company of Champions | foundation = 1866 | location = HQ in [Golden Valley, Minnesota; manufacturing facilities around the world | key_people = [Ken Powell, CEO | industry = [Food processing | products = [Baking mixes, [Breakfast cereals, [yogurt, refrigerated [dough, [soup, [pizza, [snack foods, [ice cream, [soy products, [vegetables, [flour, and [#Breakfast cereals| revenue = {{profit-->$12.442 billion United States dollar ([)| homepage = http://www.generalmills.com/ www.generalmills.com -->General Mills () is a Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company markets such brands as Betty Crocker, Progresso, Yoplait, Old El Paso, and Pillsbury Company, as well as numerous well-known breakfast cereals (see below).

The Company General Mills markets several well-known brands, including Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jenos, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso and Cheerios. Their brand portfolio includes more than 100 leading U.S. brands and numerous category leaders around the world. On average, U.S. shoppers place at least one General Mills product into their shopping cart each time they visit the grocery store.

General Mills markets global brands such as Green Giant vegetables, Old El Paso Mexican food and Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Their U.S. portfolio includes Yoplait yogurt,Colombo yogurt, Totinos pizza, Jenos pizza, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cheerios, Wheaties and other Big G cereals.

History The company can trace its history to the Minneapolis Milling Company, an organization founded in 1866 by Cadwallader C. Washburn which leased power rights to gristmill operating along Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. His brother William D. Washburn also assisted in the company's development. In 1866, the Washburns got into the business themselves, building the Washburn "B" Mill at the falls. At the time, the building was considered to be so large and output so vast that it could not possibly sustain itself. However, the company succeeded and in 1874 he built the even bigger Washburn "A" Mill.

In 1877, the mill entered a partnership with John Crosby to form the Washburn-Crosby Company. A year later, the "A" mill exploded, killing 17 workers and also demolishing several nearby buildings. The mill was rebuilt and continued to operate for almost 90 years.

In the 1920s, the company stepped in to take over a failing Minneapolis-St. Paul radio station, renaming it WCCO (from Washburn Crosby Company). General Mills itself was created in 1928 when Washburn-Crosby President James Ford Bell directed his company to merge with 26 other mills.

In 1970, General Mills acquired a five-unit restaurant company called Red Lobster and expanded it nationwide. Soon, a division of General Mills titled General Mills Restaurants developed to take charge of the Red Lobster chain. In 1982, General Mills Restaurants founded a new Italian themed restaurant chain called Olive Garden. Another themed restaurant, China Coast, was added before the entire group was spun-off to General Mills shareholders in 1995 as Darden Restaurants.

Beginning in 1929, General Mills products contained boxtop coupons, known as Betty Crocker coupons, with varying point values, that were redeemable for discounts on a variety of housewares products featured in the widely distributed Betty Crocker catalog. The coupons and the catalog were discontinued by the company in 2006, and a new web-site based retail concept is scheduled to open in 2007.

From 1976 to 1985 General Mills went to court as the parent company of Parker Brothers, which held the rights on the brand name and gaming idea of the board game Monopoly (game), claiming that the so called Anti-Monopoly game of an economics professor infringed their trademark. The dispute extended up to the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled against them, saying that while they have exclusive rights to the game Monopoly, they can not prevent others from using the word monopoly in the name of a game. During the 1980s, General Mills sold Parker Brothers to Kenner.

In 2001, the company purchased Pillsbury, although it was officially described as a "merger." In late 2004, the company transitioned its entire breakfast cereal line to whole grain due to scientific research showing the positive impact consuming whole grains has on health.

Corporate governance Current members of the board of directors of General Mills are: Paul Danos, William Esrey, Raymond Gilmartin, Judith Hope, Heidi Miller, Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg, Steve Odland, Michael Rose (businessman), Robert Ryan (businessman), Stephen Sanger (chairman), Michael Spence, and Dorothy Terrell.

Marketing On August 2004, Millsberry, an advergame, was created as a marketing tool. It has shops, homes, special events, arcades, and a newspaper called the Millsberry Gazette, which tells you happenings in Millsberry; and new features are frequently added.http://www.demandgenreport.com/demandviews.php?codearti=1014 General Mills often uses product placement on Millsberry. It's a web site targeted at elementary and middle school students,http://www.indianagazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8133&Itemid=55 though it can be played by everyone. Sign up is required to be able to fully access it.

See also

List of General Mills brands
DSV Alvin, deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy. Constructed by General Mills.
Washburn "A" Mill, a former General Mills production facility that now houses the Mill City Museum.

External links

General Mills homepage
Box Tops for Education
General Mills MBA Case Study w/Solution
Cereal Partners Worldwide (A marketing partnership with Nestlé)
Millsberry, General Mills' advergame.

Footnotes

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