Kellogg’s unveils new business names ahead of spin-off

Kellogg Company has unveiled the names for the future companies it will create through its planned separation into two public companies focused on global snacking and North American cereal.

The global snacking, international cereal and noodles, plant-based foods, and North American frozen breakfast business will be named Kellanova, while the North American cereal business will be named WK Kellogg Co.

The names will go into effect in connection with the spin-off of the North American cereal business, which Kellogg Company intends to complete by the end of 2023.

While the company names will change upon spin completion, the Kellogg's brand will remain on product packaging of both companies around the world, the company clarified.

Kellanova will be a global snacking powerhouse with a portfolio of iconic, world-class brands, including Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts and Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, among others. It will also steward a suite of beloved 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 chief executive, and future chairman and chief executive of Kellanova.

“The 'Kell' overtly recognises 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.”

WK Kellogg Co will cater to the US, Canada, and Caribbean markets, with a heritage of innovation and more than a century of operational success driven by its portfolio of world-class brands.

“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, chief executive-designate of WK Kellogg Co.

“The logo itself stems from the iconic signature of Mr. Kellogg. We have taken his instantly recognisable 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.”

The company's origins date to 1894 when WK Kellogg created Corn Flakes breakfast cereal, launching the Kellogg company 12 years later in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Subsequent products included Rice Krispies, released in 1928, and Frosted Flakes, which was unveiled in 1952 with the Tony the Tiger character on the box, which became famous for his "They're gr-r-reat!" tagline.

But the bulk of the company's revenues now come from global snacks, where about 50 percent of sales come from emerging markets and developed international markets.