Bain & Company Identifies Strength of �Insurgent� Brands

This consulting firm’s analysis of brands whose growth outpaces their industries, challenges traditional leaders, and unlocks new opportunities for disruptive innovation finds a common theme—a focus on people.

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What are the characteristics of successful new brands? A strategic focus on engaging the entire enterprise on the founder’s vision.

“Despite 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 Jake Gorelov

engagement, and superior velocity on the shelf. Their success provides a roadmap for sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive and evolving marketplace.” This is the key finding of a recent study by Boston-based Bain & Co.’s Charlotte Apps, Practice Executive Vice President, Toronto, and Jake Gorelov, Partner, New York.

They “define insurgent brands as those that have generated more than $25 million of annual revenue in tracked channels, have grown more than 10 times their category’s average growth rate over the past five years, and have maintained positive growth over the past two years while remaining independent or having been acquired by a large consumer packaged goods company only within the past two years.”

Insurgent brands, they continue, “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. 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.”
New Insurgents

Insurgents, they profess, “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.”

Regardless of the market dynamics in their respective industries, they say that winning insurgent brands achieve long-term sustainable growth by applying a unique growth playbook focused on a few key levers:

Meeting unmet needs that help enhance the category. “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.”
Enterprise engagement in the mission. “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.”
Product focus. “Keeping complexity out by focusing on hero SKUs (stock-keeping units) and core assortments that deliver the greatest value for consumers and avoiding unnecessary proliferation.”
Customer-focused culture. “Maintaining a Founder’s Mentality® by embedding an insurgent mindset throughout the organization, testing and learning along the way, and remaining ruthlessly consumer-centric.”

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