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Each year, Bain & Company identifies a new wave of insurgent brands that are redefining growth in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector (definition below). This year, we identified 120 insurgent brands that are outpacing their categories, challenging incumbents, and unlocking new opportunities for disruptive innovation. While the sector faces stagnating volumes, limited pricing power, and consumer headwinds from heightened awareness of ultra-processed foods and GLP-1s, insurgents are thriving. These brands continue to showcase the power of consumer-centric value propositions, strong brand engagement, and superior velocity on the shelf. Their success provides a roadmap for sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive and evolving marketplace.
Small brands, big impact
Insurgent brands accelerated their impact in 2024 by capturing an outsized (and increasing) share of incremental growth. While accounting for less than 2% of market share in the categories in which they exist, they accounted for nearly 39% of incremental category growth in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.
Expo West 2025: Winning Brands Ride on the Strongest Consumer Trends
Innovation is concentrated in a few high-potential areas of consumer demand.
Insurgent brand disruption occurred across all categories. In food, these brands were responsible for more than 27% of the growth despite accounting for less than 1% of market share. In nonalcoholic beverages, insurgents took more than 32% of category growth while accounting for less than 3% of market share. And in personal care, insurgents held 3% of market share while taking 45% of category growth.
Insurgents achieved this outsized share of growth almost entirely through volume expansion. While price increases remained low, insurgent volumes grew close to 60% year over year in a market where overall volumes were flat.
A proven playbook
Regardless of category dynamics, winning insurgent brands achieve long-term sustainable growth by applying a unique growth playbook focused on a few key levers:
- Unlocking incremental growth by addressing unmet consumer needs in a new, authentic, and often founder-led way, thereby bringing new consumers into the category or increasing category attractiveness through premium offerings.
- Sustaining velocity growth while expanding distribution by engaging deeply with core audiences and partnering closely with the trade to create awareness and conversion while also ensuring that distribution does not get ahead of velocity.
- Keeping complexity out by focusing on hero SKUs and core assortments that deliver the greatest value for consumers and avoiding unnecessary proliferation.
- Maintaining a Founder’s Mentality® by embedding an insurgent mindset throughout the organization, testing and learning along the way, and remaining ruthlessly consumer centric.
Insurgents that have diligently followed this playbook have demonstrated their ability to scale. Of this year’s cohort, three brands—namely, Rao’s, Celsius, and Chobani—are now “scale insurgents,” achieving more than $1 billion in sales while continuing to meet the insurgent criteria in at least one of their categories. Whether innovating into adjacent categories or further expanding their core, these brands have reapplied the insurgent playbook to ensure the long-term viability of their growth. These brands join the nine former insurgents—including Monster, CeraVe, Blue Buffalo, and e.l.f. Cosmetics—that have reached more than $1 billion in sales, rivaling the scale of legacy brands.
Who is next? The up and comers
We identified an additional 103 emerging insurgents (definition below). These brands offer a glimpse of future insurgent winners. Of last year’s emerging insurgent brands, 18 graduated to become insurgents in 2025, including Goodles, cocojune, and Mike’s Hot Honey. This year’s promising emerging insurgents include brands such as Cleveland Kitchen, Solely, and Belgian Boys.
In addition to analyzing performance in tracked channels, we also monitor brand performance on Amazon and other key online channels using Bain’s proprietary Pyxis capabilities. Brands such as Hims, Rael, and Open Farm that benefit from strong online growth increase their likelihood of qualifying as insurgent brands as they expand their presence in conventional retail.
Insurgent brands are no longer a sideshow in FMCG; they are increasingly taking center stage, shaping the future of the industry, and leading the way for legacy brands. As large consumer packaged goods companies look to return to volume-led growth, the insurgent model serves as a blueprint for velocity-led, consumer-centric growth. As incumbents look to reposition their portfolios for future growth and as the availability of capital at more favorable rates increases, we expect to see a surge of M&A and investment activity within the insurgent brand space. Understanding how to manage and scale these brands once acquired will be paramount to their longer-term success.
Explore the 2025 Insurgent Brands List
First published in 3월 2025