Membership in the Consumer Brands Association soars by over 30%
Three of the eighteen companies that have joined the Consumer Brands Association since it rebranded from the Grocery Manufacturers Association last year are Campbell Soup Co., the Hain Celestial Group, Inc., and Hostess Brands, Inc. With the additions, the growth was over 30%. Today, the association represents 73 manufacturers of consumer packaged goods, including almost 2,000 brands in categories like cleaning, personal care, and food and drink.
“Our goal when we started Consumer Brands was to bring the whole CPG sector together around a pro-growth, pro-consumer platform,” stated president and CEO Geoff Freeman. “We made remarkable progress in just one year during a pandemic, welcoming nearly 20 well-known companies that represent over 300 brands that Americans have trusted to stay at home and stay safe. The Consumer Brands Association is rapidly becoming the dominant voice for the united CPG sector.
When members like Campbell Soup Co., Nestle SA, and Mars, Inc. left the Grocery Manufacturers Association in 2017, the organization started to experience issues. Concerns like the voluntary reduction of sodium and the required labeling of GMOs and added sugars were points of contention between the companies and the GMA. Then-CEO and president Denise M. Morrison stated that Campbell Soup Co. aimed to lead the industry in transparency.
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At the start of 2020, the Grocery Manufacturers Association was formally superseded by the Consumer Brands Association. Its goals shifted to promoting product innovation, accessibility, and affordability; removing consumer confusion; and resolving significant market issues.
During COVID-19, the Consumer Brands Association has been active in efforts such as protecting the CPG workforce, removing barriers to ensure stocked shelves for consumers and leading change on packaging sustainability.
“Consumer Brands’ strategy was built on the simple premise that a united industry is a strong industry,” said Jeffrey Harmening, CEO of General Mills, Inc. and chair of the Consumer Brands Association. “We’ve seen that play out in real time throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Consumer Brands is doing for our industry what no individual company could accomplish on its own.”
ACH Food Cos. Inc., ButcherBox, Campbell Soup Co., Church & Dwight, Co., Inc., Ferrara, Hain Celestial Group, The Honest Co., Hostess Brands, Inc., Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., Milo’s Tea Company, Inc., Molson Coors Beverage Co., Nissin Foods, Recess, Ripple Foods, Sargento Foods, Inc., Schwan’s Co., Tillamook County Creamery Association, and Utz Brands, Inc. are among the businesses that have joined the association since February 2020.