GMA to become Consumer Brands Association
New identity reflects changing CPG industry, CEO says
September 27, 2019
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is renaming itself the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), which the consumer packaged goods (CPG) trade group said is part of a “sweeping overhaul” of the organization.
Plans call for the Arlington, Va.-based association to operate as GMA through the end of the year and institute the CBA banner in January.
In announcing the name change yesterday, GMA said it’s adopting a new advocacy agenda that reflects “the broader interests of a modern CPG company.”
“We represent an industry of iconic brands that are innovative, forward-looking and touch the lives of every American,” GMA President and CEO Geoff Freeman (left) said in a statement. “As the new Consumer Brands Association, we are making a game-changing shift to unite the totality of the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry around a focused, proactive agenda that aligns with the values of the brands we represent and the consumers they serve.”
The organization in recent years has seen the exit of key member companies — including Campbell Soup, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Nestlé, Hershey, Unilever, Cargill, Tyson Foods, Dean Foods — amid flux in the CPG sector. Consumer attitudes, especially among younger shoppers, are shifting away from the traditional packaged food brands closely identified with the supermarket center store toward fresh foods and consumables brands embracing better-for-you ingredients, transparency and sustainable practices.
Along with the move from processed foods, consumers have gained the upper hand over brands as digital technology and content have given them more control over what they eat and purchase, namely online shopping and mobile apps.
GMA said its new agenda includes the following priorities: