Kellogg Is Changing Its Name

Kellogg Company announced the names of the two successor companies spinning out of the food giant. One-half of the company that focuses on snacks will be called Kellanova, while the other half that focuses on cereals in North America will be named WK Kellog Co. Kellog announced plans to split its businesses three ways last year but then decided to only go with a two-way split.

Kellogg plans to have the split completed by the end of the year. It might not be noticeable at all to most consumers, since the familiar Kellogg's brand logos will still be featured on packaging around the world. The Kellanova logo will even include the familiar "K," while the WK Kellogg Co. logo will be in the familiar cursive font. The cereal business' name is a tribute to the company's founder, Will Keith Kellogg.

Kellanova will include global snacks, noodles, plant-based foods, and North American frozen breakfast items. These brand names include Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, MorningStar Farms, Incogmeato, Gardenburger, Nutri-Grain, RXBAR, and Eggo. Kellanova will also keep Kellogg's international cereal business, which includes Kellogg's, Frosties, Zucaritas, Special K, Krave, Miel Pops, Coco Pops, and Crunchy Nut cereals. Kellogg Company Chairman and CEO Steve Cahillane will serve as Kellanova's CEO.

"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," Cahillane said in a statement. "The 'Kell' overtly recognizes 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's portfolio will include cereals sold in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. These popular brands include Kellogg's, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Mini-Wheats, Special K, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Kashi, and Bear Naked. "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," Gary Pilnick, CEO Designate of WK Kellogg Co., said.

Last summer, Kellogg announced plans to split into three companies, with the third focusing only on the plant-based meat business, which includes the MorningStar Farms brand, reports Reuters. The company scrapped that plan, and MorningStar Farms will not be under the Kellanova umbrella. Kellanova's New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol will simply be "K," while the symbol for WK Kellog Co. will be announced in the future.