The first weeks of 2025 are showing significant movement in the CPG space, with major players making strategic moves across beverages, plant-based foods, and portfolio optimization. From brand refreshes to strategic partnerships, let's dive into this week's key developments.
Plant-based beverage maker MALK has launched a refreshed packaging design for their shelf-stable almond and oat milk products, signaling a strategic move to enhance shelf presence and consumer appeal in the competitive alternative milk category. The brand refresh aims to better connect with consumers walking store aisles, where packaging serves as critical "creative" in purchase decisions.
The North American group is eliminating over 300 SKUs from its beverage business as part of a broader initiative to generate $25 million in synergies, showcasing a significant portfolio optimization effort. [Source: Just Drinks]
The St. Louis-based collaboration brings together Anheuser-Busch's beverage expertise with 1st Phorm's sports nutrition experience, with plans to launch new energy products by summer 2025. The partnership also includes sports and entertainment mogul Dana White, leveraging multiple channels for brand growth. [Source: Business Wire]
The plant-based foods company's acquisition leverages Fresh Del Monte's logistics network and brings in former Chipotle executive Tim Wildin as CMO, strengthening their position in the dairy-free cheese segment. The deal will utilize Fresh Del Monte's production capabilities and infrastructure expertise to expand into new regions. [Source: PR Newswire]
The zero-sugar beverage company reports strong results from their holiday marketing campaign, with strategic investments in NCAA football playoff and NFL holiday game advertising. Their "Break from Artificial" campaign generated over 292 million impressions, positioning the brand as an anti-artificial alternative to mainstream soda. [Source: Business Wire]
The plant-based protein bar brand has reformulated its entire product line to meet Seed Oil Free Alliance standards, responding to growing consumer demand for cleaner ingredients. Available in over 15,000 distribution points across North America, TRUBAR continues to expand its presence in major retailers. [Source: Business Wire]
Continuing its portfolio optimization strategy, Unilever divests its German pasta sauce retail range as part of broader efforts to focus on core segments. This move aligns with CEO Hein Schumacher's plans to divest £1bn worth of brands. [Source: Just Food]
The first weeks of 2025 are painting a clear picture of an industry in strategic transformation. The simultaneous moves by Tilray and Unilever to streamline their portfolios signal more than just cost-cutting - they represent a fundamental shift in how CPG companies are approaching product strategy. Gone are the days of expansive portfolios trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, we're seeing a laser focus on core competencies and high-performing SKUs.
This optimization trend comes at a crucial time. With rising input costs and increasingly complex supply chains, companies can't afford to maintain bloated portfolios. Expect to see more CPG players following suit, particularly in mature categories where SKU proliferation has created unnecessary complexity without driving proportional growth.
The beverage category is emerging as a particular hotbed of innovation and strategic repositioning. Anheuser-Busch's partnership with 1st Phorm isn't just about entering the energy drink space, it's reimagining how traditional CPG companies can leverage expertise from adjacent categories. This move, coupled with Zevia's successful holiday campaign positioning against artificial ingredients, suggests a broader shift in how beverage brands will compete in 2025 and beyond.
The plant-based sector is entering a new phase of maturity. Misha's acquisition of Vertage, leveraging Fresh Del Monte's logistics network, indicates that success in this space will increasingly depend on operational excellence rather than just product innovation. The days of simply launching a plant-based alternative and expecting success are over. Winners in this category will need sophisticated supply chain capabilities and strategic partnerships to scale effectively.
Perhaps most telling is the emerging focus on clean label credentials, as evidenced by TRUBAR's seed oil free certification. This moves beyond simple "natural" claims into specific, verifiable attributes that resonate with increasingly educated consumers. We're likely to see more brands investing in similar certifications and reformulations, particularly as social media continues to drive consumer awareness of specific ingredients.
These early moves in 2025 suggest we're entering a period where operational excellence and strategic clarity will separate winners from losers in the CPG space. Companies that can successfully balance portfolio optimization with targeted innovation, while building the right strategic partnerships, will be best positioned for success in this evolving landscape. The key will be maintaining the agility to respond to consumer trends while having the discipline to stay focused on core competencies.
For industry professionals, these developments underscore the importance of developing expertise in both operational efficiency and consumer-led innovation. The successful CPG leaders of tomorrow will need to be as comfortable analyzing supply chain metrics as they are spotting emerging consumer trends.