Is Your Coffee Cup Half Full or Half Empty?

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 1, 2011) -

Editors Note: There is one photo and two videos associated with this press release.

Is your cup of coffee half full or half empty? Do you feel good about life and share your positive attitude with others? Are you an optimist? Maxwell House coffee – Canada's favourite at-home coffee – believes that the world would be a better place if more people saw their cup as half full, rather than half empty. 

To gauge just how optimistic Canadians are, the brand commissioned the Maxwell House Survey on Optimism, Coffee and Canadians*, conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion. Survey results show that Canadians are revelling in a positive state of mind and believe their positive spirit can make a difference. Eighty-five percent of us consider ourselves optimistic; 86 percent of us feel that optimism is contagious; and 79 percent of us try to encourage pessimists to be more optimistic. However, with only 66 percent of us describing ourselves as a "cup-half-full" kind of person, Maxwell House is on a mission to perk up this perception. 

Help Brew a Nation Without Bitterness

"Maxwell House is opening up a bottomless can of optimism for Canadians," says Rena Nickerson, Senior Brand Manager, Maxwell House. "It's been a tough winter, but now that Spring's here, we're on a mission to boost the mood of the nation and we want all Canadians to join the movement. Take a well-deserved 'Optimism Break' on our website and then share that great feeling with someone else. After all, optimism is contagious!" 

Whether your cup is half empty or half full, Maxwell House is providing many ways that Canadians can take an "Optimism Break" and brew some positive energy: 

• Escape from the daily grind at www.BrewSomeGood.ca and check out the "daily dose of optimism" – real life stories to give spirits a lift. 

• Register your mood – half empty or half full – at www.BrewSomeGood.ca and you can make an impact on the real-time Optimism Meter. 

• The Maxwell House television commercials for "Optimism Breaks" are already creating buzz around their innovative approach to offering a quick hit of positive energy. The first one features Jessica, an outgoing toddler who obviously LOVES her life; and the second highlights the inspiring father and son team of Rick and Dick Hoyt. Watch them again on the website and forward them to someone who needs a pick-me-up. 

• Join the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/brewsomegood – for positive messaging and details on a limited number of free, special "Optimism Breaks" events hosted by Maxwell House.

• Watch for the Maxwell House Optimism Walls on downtown streets in Toronto and Montreal. The Walls project positive quotations, results from the Optimism Meter, and tweets from Canadians fed by the Maxwell House Twitterstream @brewsomegood  

• Visit the Maxwell House Optimism Café in Montreal at 3523 St. Laurent. Throughout the month of April, there will be free Maxwell House coffee for everyone, along with a schedule of fun, in-café events. Check out details at www.facebook.com/brewsomegood.

Tips for Brewing Your Own Optimism

To garner ideas and advice on how we can all brew up our own optimistic outlook, Maxwell House is working with Albert Nerenberg – Laughologist, Optimist, Filmmaker and Journalist. Here are Mr. Nerenberg's top five tips for culturing positivity: 

1) Smile: Smile even when you don't feel like it. Simply smiling will cause the hormonal changes that produce positive emotion.

2) Enjoy Rituals: Practicing rituals – something as simple as brewing and enjoying your morning cup of coffee – can help increase optimism as it gives your psyche something to look forward to. 

3) Laugh Big. Laugh Often: They say laughter is the best medicine but most of us don't laugh well. Don't hold back to enjoy the stress-relieving benefits. 

4) Get Face-to-Face with Friends: We enjoy each other's company and this interaction is believed to boost both our immunity levels and our mood.

5) Look Up: So far, there is no science to explain this, but simply looking up seems to improve your mood. Look towards the ceiling and you will notice a positive lift.

"Optimism has been linked with everything from good health and less stress to a long life and personal success," concludes Ms. Nickerson. "Whether your cup is half full or half empty, every new morning is a chance to brew some good. Do yourself a favour and join the Maxwell House movement!" 

About Kraft Foods

Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion, more than half of which was earned outside North America. Eleven of the company's iconic brands -- including Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia and Trident -- generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually, and 40 have been loved for more than a century. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodscompany.com and www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate. In Canada, company brands include Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, Christie cookies and crackers, Kool-Aid and Del Monte beverages, Caramilk chocolate, Maynards candy, and Stride and Dentyne gum.

* About the Survey

The Angus Reid Public Opinion Poll was conducted over two sessions:

From February 23 to February 25, 2011, and from March 2 to March 3, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,005 and 1,018 (respectively) randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error - which measures sampling variability - is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

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