Eric Katzman Quotations

When you think of Kraft's portfolio, it's plain vanilla right up the middle.

The fact is that they basically need to convince the consumer that soup is relevant, that soup is a convenient meal as opposed to being a side dish. It's either that failure or that success, to get that idea across that's going to grow the category or shrink the category.

I think we deserve to be the No. 1 team, and if everyone plays their best, we are the No. 1 team. We're much more prepared to handle the hype. It takes awhile to understand what being No. 1 is all about.

I think they are making substantial changes, but the strategy is not risk free, ... One of the central problems with Sara Lee's valuation is this is a company where a number of their brands are relatively small in the scheme of things. Investors are concerned that small brands are more vulnerable over time.

Our recent contact with a sugar refiner indicates the pressure is not over and actually could increase due to poor crop yields.

Long-term, that's a tough fix. Wal-Mart is always going to need to sell Coke. They are always going to need to sell Wrigley's. Will they always need to sell Sara Lee's coffee or tea? I don't know.

In the 2-1/2 months that have elapsed there has not been any divestiture news.

The company, taken in its entirety, is a very large, unfocused conglomerate and they've been trying to pare things down over the last few years. They are going to have to prove to the market that they are focusing on core brands that are going to grow.