Acquisition Aces. Valentine's Day Pineapple. Made In America.
Plus, time for a little Q&A.
From London (Mia)
It’s a familiar story in beauty: an independent brand gets acquired by a multinational conglomerate and, suddenly, the formulas change—often for the worse. Devoted customers start noticing their holy grail products just aren’t the same anymore. The texture’s off. The performance dips. And what was once a cult favourite becomes a cautionary tale (see Urban Decay after being bought by L'Oréal, or Estée Lauder’s takeover of the now shuttered Becca Cosmetics). So I took notice when Guardian beauty journalist Sali Hughes—who doesn’t hand out praise lightly—called out Dermalogica’s post-acquisition glow-up. Since being bought by Unilever in 2015, the brand has noticeably improved the quality of its offerings across its entire portfolio. In Hughes’ words: “every product is an absolute banger.” It’s a rare example of a corporate takeover that levelled up a brand’s integrity along with its R&D and distribution capabilities. It left me asking: Why is this the exception, not the rule?
Speaking of successful acquisitions, Italian-inspired brand Crosta & Mollica (‘crust & crumb’) has been on the rise—literally. Since being bought by private equity firm Perwyn in 2024, the company has expanded beyond its signature line of snacks and sauces into Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas fired on Mount Etna lava stone. By staying true to its commitment to quality, championing traditional techniques and premium ingredients, the brand has steadily turned growth into lasting loyalty. Its Tesco range alone has seen over 50% year-on-year growth in value and volume. A prime example of how smart expansion, paired with premium positioning, can turn an acquisition into real momentum.
Rising to the occasion. Image courtesy of Crosta & Mollica. We had fun holding our first On Brand Office Hours via Chat last month. A big thanks to those of you who e-mailed, texted and participated live with questions. I loved this inquiry into how Ellen and I recognise when something is a fleeting trend vs. actually meaningful and worth paying attention to. El and I have been doing this for years, so we had a lot to say.
Ellen’s response:
For me, I think it's about being able to recognize and understand the consumer or contextual rationale. Often, the first questions I ask about a new product or trend are "Would I or someone I know actually buy/use/do that?" and "When/how often?" If I can’t answer these questions with a high degree of confidence… or the answers don’t substantiate a reasonable business model, then I usually assume they product or trend is fleeting. I have this post-it stuck to my computer that says, "What problem are you solving?" It keeps me honest when thinking about brands (my clients) and how to grow them. If something is not solving a legitimate problem for people (doesn’t need to be huge, just needs to be meaningful), it's probably not going to last.
My response:
Trends come and go, but meaningful shifts leave a trail. So, it's really about looking for patterns over time vs. knowing if something is simply enjoying a moment of virality. We’ve been doing this type of analysis for well over a decade. I think there's a lot of value in that, because we've seen these patterns play out over time and are able to understand how they shape-shift and evolve alongside macro forces playing out in our wider world (the evolution of Health & Wellness is a great example of this). A fleeting trend gets buzz, while meaningful shifts actually integrate into behaviours. To Ellen's point above, the real question is “Do I see people building habits around this?" Things that 'stick' often answer a fundamental human or cultural need shift rather than just catching a wave.
Our Office Hours are held monthly for paid subscribers– join us next on February 28th! It’s a Q&A-style conversation about all things brand, from trends that have your attention to challenges that have you stuck. What are you seeing and thinking about in the world of brand? What’s keeping you up at night about your own? Bring your questions, ideas and curiosities. We’d love to help you make sense of them.
From Chicago (Ellen)
Speaking of questions, I’ve got a couple for you below. Please help me out by participating in the two very brief, multiple-choice surveys below. They’re fodder for a future article. Thank you!
Did you, or did you “absolutely not” scarf down a Pinkglow® Pineapple this Valentine’s Day? Del Monte’s bioengineered pink pineapples have been on the market since 2020, often in limited supply except for the days and weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Then, they’re everywhere! They’re a novelty buy for sure— priced at a premium, fashionably packaged, and dazzling in color. Perfect for V-Day unless you wholly reject GMOs. Fresh Del Monte, producer of Pinkglow® Pineapples, doesn’t exactly celebrate the product’s FDA-required “bioengineered” label, but also doesn’t shy away from boasting the fruit is a “sixteen-years-in-the-making creation” (doesn’t take a genius to realize several of those years were spent in a lab obtaining GMO regulatory approvals). Now the company has a global waitlist for its next bioengineered innovation, the $400 Rubyglow® Pineapple, which already ships to China and the U.S. and will be available in Europe any day. So, are we not worried about GMOs anymore? What’s your take?
I “watch” the Super Bowl with both eyes on my phone— playing Wordle, catching up on my favorite Substack reads, and making to-do lists. It’s pretty obvious I’m there for the snacks and that’s about it. But two things caught my attention during this year’s game: 1) a very America-themed half-time show that— well— let’s just say had a lot of layers, and 2) a couple of unexpected mentions and omissions of “Made In America” in some of the ads. I purposefully won’t elaborate on these points so as not to sway your thoughts, but you tell me. How does “Made in America” make you feel?
BI predicts Bink will overtake Stanley. It might. Bink will most definitely take share because the brand has the three T’s of temporary hype behind it right now— Tik Tok, Target and Teens (the same T’s that once gave Stanley an edge). But unless this water bottle solves a problem that no other water bottle can solve (practically or emotionally), it will ultimately just be another slice of the pie. The water bottle market is down to mere slivers at this point, so gobble fast, Bink!
My Gen Z daughter thinks Dr. Pepper is the biggest soda brand in the world. What’s happening? Well actually, she’s not far off. In the last year, Dr. Pepper has surpassed Pepsi as the #2 soda in the U.S. which, given our country’s gross share of soda consumption, might as well be a bellwether for the world. Even still, her perception came as a shock to me (doesn’t everyone know Coke dominates by, like, a lot?!?). But I suppose if I step inside her teen bubble, Dr. Pepper is the “it” beverage right now. It’s all over social media and the 13th birthday party beverage of choice. Company and industry reports will have you thinking the brand’s popularity is driven by new flavors, but no chance. The original DP flavor is where it’s at, having finally entered an era when low-and-no-alc mixology is a solid “thing” spanning occasions and generations. Dr. Pepper is a concoction in itself, composed of 23 flavors including vanilla, anise, and amaretto. It’s versatile and tasty— a staple at the growing number of alcohol-free bars, not to mention the key ingredient in a favorite off-menu order at Chick-fil-A, American teens' favorite fast food chain. Although Coke and Pepsi may “own” most restaurant fountains (including those at Chick-fil-A), today both will often keep a slot open for the friendly OG mixer. In 2024, original Dr. Pepper was up double-digits, proving it pays to be patient… and nice.
In case you’re wondering, our links are never sponsored.