The change from “macaroni and cheese” to “mac & cheese”, is meant to reflect the way fans organically talk about the brand. The iconic blue box now features just a single-color hue of blue and amplifies the brand's most recognizable asset — the noodle smile.

Founders of the 12 startup brands participating in the Austin and Atlanta cohorts in the SKU (CPG) accelerator celebrated the culmination of the rigorous 12-week program with the premiere of their virtual pitches. The brands span multiple categories, including non-alcoholic cocktails, plant-based burgers, healthy snacks and beauty.

The unpredictability of the pandemic made the work of manufacturers even more difficult than in 2020, as COVID-19 and the resultant behavior of shoppers ebbed and flowed during 2021. Despite this and other challenges, this year’s New Product Pacesetters delivered an impressive $6 billion in aggregate Year 1 sales across food and beverage and nonfood products.

Foxtrot, a modern corner store aiming to redefine the convenience experience through community-driven values and data-backed consumer insights, launched its second annual "Up & Comers" awards, an initiative designed to celebrate small makers and discover the next generation of leading food and beverage brands. 

Janot will manage the company's high performance marketing team, accelerating InsightsNow's rapid growth trajectory through strategic marketing initiatives that communicate the company's mission and value as a provider of behavioral insights.

Innophos, a global leader of specialty ingredient solutions that delivers far-reaching, versatile benefits for the food, health, nutrition, and industrial markets, announced an addition to their marketing team. Chris Antal has recently joined Innophos as strategic marketing manager. 

Natural Alternatives International, Inc. (“NAI”), an international leader in custom contract nutritional supplement manufacturing for over four decades, has added Kevin Martineau as marketing assistant for CarnoSyn® Brands. 

“Despite significant price premiums, sustainability-marketed products grew far faster than conventionally branded players and had lower price sensitivity in two-thirds of categories examined,” said Randi Kronthal-Sacco, senior scholar, marketing and corporate outreach, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business.