The data: More growth in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is coming from “insurgent” brands, according to Bain & Company.

• Those brands accounted for nearly 36% of growth across all FMCG categories last year, up more than 50% from 2024.
• Volumes for these companies grew roughly 55% YoY, while overall market volumes were flat.

The definition: Bain defines insurgents as brands that generate more than $35 million in annual revenues, have grown at least 10 times faster than the category average, and have recorded positive growth over the past two years. They must also be independent, or have been acquired by a major consumer packaged goods (CPG) company in the past two years.

Examples include popcorn brand LesserEvil (which was acquired by Hershey’s late last year), MrBeast-backed Lunchly, and water brand Liquid Death.

Why it matters: Insurgent brands’ healthy growth during an otherwise challenging period for CPG spending shows that they are doing a better job of keeping up with consumer trends and delivering newness.

• 44% of insurgent food brands featured natural or organic claims, while nearly 40% of this year’s inductees to the list emphasized high protein, according to Bain.
• Nearly all growth in the beauty and personal care category in 2025 came from insurgents, emphasizing how difficult it is for legacy brands to keep up with the fast-moving sector.

Implications for CPGs: WIth more grocery dollars going the way of upstart brands and private labels, it’s become more important than ever for CPGs to invest in innovation and marketing to stay current with consumers.

Acquisitions can also help by easing entry into new categories and reducing some of the competitive pressures.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.