Communication and Media Project Management Intern - Marketing

Nestle reigns as leading brand. Sep 28, 2026 LONDON - Leading brands are seeking to stand out with health-focused innovations and by cultivating consumer trust, according to Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy. The findings come from its annual Food and Drink report, which ranks international food, non-alcoholic beverage and dairy brands by value. The report's results ranked Nestle as the world's most valuable food brand, a position the brand has held for over a decade, according to the consultancy group. The brand's value increased 23% from last year, worth $24.58 billion. "Growth does not come from one lever alone," said Philipp Navratil, chief executive officer of Nestle, in a conference call earlier this year. "It comes from better products, stronger brands, the right value proposition, increased visibility in store and online and clear communications with consumers." PepsiCo, Inc.-owned Lay's trails Nestle as the world's second most valuable food brand. The brand's value increased by approximately 18%, to $15.10 billion, up from $12.72 billion. Lay's honed its focus by promoting the brand's clean label formulation. The report ranked Yili, a China-based dairy company, as the world's third most valuable food brand and the world's most valuable dairy brand. The brand's value sits at $14.50 billion, up from $11.22 billion in 2025. Danone secured the fourth slot on the rankings list, holding a value of $8.24 billion. Although the brand's value decreased from 2025, down from $8.27 billion, Danone has climbed up from its 2025 ranking as the fifth strongest brand in the world. In the United States, the brand expanded its innovation focus on its functional brands, such as its Silk Protein. Pushed down by Danone, the report listed Tyson as the fifth food brand with the highest value. At a value of $7.5 billion, the brand faced a significant drop from $9.9 billion in 2025, driven by rising cattle costs and supply shortages, according to the consultancy group. Kellogg's, the Ferrero Group-owned cereal brand, maintained its position as the sixth most valuable food brand in the world. The brand holds a value of $6.86 billion, an increase from $6.03 billion in 2025. In 2026, Kellogg announced it would remove artificial colors from its cereal by the end of the year and announced its intention to shift the perception of breakfast cereals as health-focused options. Photo: Brand Finance "More and more consumers are looking for foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients, and we are proud to meet those expectations, even sooner than planned," said Doug VanDeVelde, chief growth officer at WK Kellogg in August. PepsiCo's Doritos brand maintained its position from the previous year's ranking. The brand ranked seventh with a value of $6.62 billion, an increase from $5.39 billion in 2025. The increase in value coincides with the brand's commitment to formulating high-protein foods, including Doritos Protein and Doritos-flavored beef jerky. Mengniu, a dairy brand based in in China, generated the largest jump in the brand ranking list, leveling up three spots to the eighth most valuable brand. The brand garnered a value of $5.97 billion, up from $4.74 billion in 2025. Lindt, a chocolate brand, ranked ninth on the rankings list, up from tenth in 2025. The brand was valued at $5.46 billion, an increase from $4.92 billion. The report's top 10 most valuable list concluded with The Barilla Group's Barilla brand. Although the brand increased in value from the previous year, the brand dropped down from the ninth slot. The brand's value increased to $5.38 billion from $4.99 billion. "The global food and beverage sector is changing rapidly," said Herny Farr, global sector head of food and drink, Brand Finance. "After two years in which price increases led to revenue growth without meaningful increase in profitability, brands now need to show where long-term value will come from. "Those pulling ahead are using broad, flexible portfolios to capture growth and defend market share across categories against upstart challenger brands, rather than relying only on historically strong positions. Diversification will become even more important as trends such as GLP-1 weight-loss drugs begin to reshape consumer demand. Brands that build flexibility into their portfolios now will be better placed as these shifts accelerate." Get better food industry search results. Adding us tells Google to prioritize Food Business News stories. Will Newton is a digital media associate editor for Food Business News. He joined the magazine in 2024 and covers new products and food business profiles. Newton graduated from John Brown University with a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in pre-law. Connect with Will Newton on LinkedIn or via email.

Climate Week NYC: building resilient food supply chains. September 25, 2026 As ongoing climate events start impacting the food supply chain, leaders from Nestlé, Fair Trade and more convened at the Food Forum at Climate Week NYC Food is an incredibly important resource, but it is also facing growing risk. Despite its critical nature, it can be overlooked when discussing climate action and the impact of climate change. At Climate Week New York, senior leaders took to The Food Forum to explore the food supply chain and where businesses can improve traceability. Speakers took part in a meaningful discussion, looking at where collaboration can make a difference. A critical period. In recent years, external shocks have made their impact on food supply chains around the world. An increase in extreme weather events has put pressure on food production in various ways. Floods and unseasonable rainfall have resulted in food rot, crops have been ruined due to fires and drought and early harvests have been a result of higher temperatures. The UK Government has declared food security as a national security issue, and other governments around the world are beginning to explore their own strategies. The food supply chain covers agriculture, manufacturing, storage, distribution, wholesale and retail. As a highly interconnected system, it is incredibly complex, relying on time-sensitive deliveries, temperature-controlled storage, managing supply and demand and picking crops at the exact right time. Agriculture timelines need to be planned years in advance, but recent weather disturbances have meant crops are ready to harvest earlier than expected, or yields are at a much lower intake. This has led to the growing disruption to food supply chains, with no signs of return to normal production. As a result, business leaders around the world are looking to strengthen resilience and do their part to minimise environmental impact. Through improving traceability and reducing waste, leaders are working to make a food supply chain that lasts. Key numbers * The agri-food sector supported 4.1 million jobs across Great Britain in 2025 (National Audit Office) * 17% of GHG emissions come from agriculture * UK farmers are preparing for price increases of up to 70% * Nestle now sources 30% of its raw materials from farmers using regenerative agriculture practices * Nestle is committed to sourcing 50% of raw materials from regenerative agriculture practises by 2030 * Fair Trade has mobilised more than US$1.4bn directly in fair trade premiums to community development funds in the past 30 years * 75% of nitrous oxide emissions comes from agriculture Responsible farming. The Food Forum at Climate Week NYC hosted leaders from a range of organisations over a series of panels. The recurring topics were traceability, expense and governmental policy. Suzanne Sengelmann, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms, explained that moving to organic or regenerative organic farming is a risk for the farmer, as large-scale transitions can take more than three years before they are fully in place. At this time, there is a lack of profitability, as there is no official seal demonstrating these farmers are using these practises. As a result, they are enduring the added costs without seeing the benefit. "For any farmer trying to start making the transition, it's expensive and a huge risk. So they need capital and they need secured demand," Suzanne says. However, conversation on regenerative farming and other sustainable changes continues, exploring the long-term benefits of making this change. Though the initial cost is significantly higher, it is both better for the environment and for establishing long term resilience. Yann Wyass, Global Head of Public Affairs at Nestlé looks at developing resilience from a global organisation's perspective. Nestlé sells one billion products a day, around the world, showing the immense scale of the company. "We are working very hard on regenerative agriculture and there are two main reasons for that," he explains. "The first reason is for climate resilience, but the second is for business resilience. Fertiliser price hikes, for example, have impacted a lot of farmers recently. "We are very mindful that the transition from conventional or traditional farming to regenerative agriculture farming is and can be a risk to farmers. So we also combine what we do on Regen Ag with income, living income activities." By doing this, Nestlé has seen a 4% improvement in productivity among Cocoa farmers in West Africa. Alongside this, they have seen a 14% increase to their income. This demonstrates that regenerative agriculture, when properly supported, can have positive economic results. Traceability is key to any claim. If you don't know where your food has come from, any claim you make about it is nonsense. Chris Ninnes, CEO, Aquaculture Stewardship Council Policy concerns. Despite this, many consumers and businesses around the world are limited. There are so many external factors which go into determining how people shop, or what they prioritise in their farming. "You can't just say it's an individual consumer choice because people's choices are shaped by policy. They're shaped by how poor they are or the markets they have exposure to, the products that are marketed at them," explains Paloma Lopez, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, North America Bel Group. "There's no room to blame or shame individuals into making better choices for the planet. Our job is to figure out how we enable those consumer choices that are going to reshape our food production systems." The world is currently facing a super El Niño, meaning food security is going to get worse in the approaching years. As a food supply chain is years in the making, the impact is a long-term issue. This year, vulnerabilities in the food chain have been exposed, unveiling where organisations have dependencies on certain products or processes, or where they have crucial data points missing. The global food supply chain is at a crucial stage, with opportunities to become more domestic and more sustainable. Traceability is crucial in this step. A leader can only make a positive impact with their supply chain, if they can track their supply chain. Every part needs to be visible, allowing leaders to fully understand their product and its impact. The forum points to data visibility and technology as a core driver to change, but small organisations are limited without thoughtful policy and large-scale backing. Climate change impacts every part of the food system, from the growth of the product, to how it is delivered or the way the consumer receives the product. Resilience in this industry is not just about ensuring quantity, but also nutritional value and diversity of food sources. Key companies. * CEO: Philipp Navratil * HQ: Vevey, Switzerland Global food and beverage leader with one billion products sold daily worldwide. The company sources 30% of raw materials from regenerative agriculture practices and aims for 50% by 2030, investing in farmer income programs and climate resilience initiatives across global supply chains. Lundberg Family Farms * CEO: Suzanne Sengelmann * HQ: California, US Organic rice producer pioneering regenerative agriculture transitions. The family-owned company focuses on supporting farmers through the costly three-year transition period to organic certification, providing both capital and secured demand commitments to reduce financial risk. Fair Trade * CEO: Felipe Arango * HQ: California, US Global certification organization mobilizing US$1.4bn in community development funds over 30 years. The organization connects farmers with premium pricing structures and ensures ethical sourcing standards while supporting sustainable agricultural practices and farmer livelihoods. Aquaculture Stewardship Council * CEO: Chris Ninnes * HQ: Utrecht, Netherlands Leading certification body for responsible aquaculture. The organization establishes traceability standards across seafood supply chains, ensuring environmental sustainability and social responsibility while enabling transparent claims verification for consumers and businesses. Executives. * Chris Ninnes CEO * Paloma Lopez Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, North America * Suzanne Sengelmann Chief Executive Officer * Yann Wyss Global Head, Public Affairs Company Portals

Smart manufacturing: Mars opens Pringles hub in Thailand. September 25, 2026 Gabriel Fernandez, President at Mars Snacking AMEA, says the new digital Pringles plant in Thailand will protect its supply network against delays Mars has officially unveiled its first Pringles manufacturing facility in Thailand following a THB 7bn (US$209.8m) investment. The company has also opened the plant's second production line, creating more than 170 direct jobs. Through the investment, Mars aims to expand production capacity to meet growing demand across the region. "Thailand's strong infrastructure, skilled talent and connectivity to regional markets make it a critical part of how we are building the Pringles business across AMEA and serving consumers across the region," says Gabriel Fernandez, President of AMEA at Mars Snacking. Mars' Thailand Expansion * Mars has officially opened its first Pringles manufacturing facility in Thailand * The investment exceeds THB 7bn (US$209.8m) and has created more than 170 direct jobs * Close to 50% of the plant's procurement spend goes to local suppliers * Women hold approximately 50% of leadership positions at the site * A third production line is planned for the facility by the end of 2027 Mars' expansion in Thailand. Located within Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor, the 73,800-square-metre Chonburi facility aims to boost export capacity to major markets including India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The fully digitalised smart plant will use real time monitoring dashboards and continuous equipment tracking to maximise uptime and operational efficiency. According to Mars, the facility directs nearly 50% of procurement spend to local suppliers, and achieves strong gender balance with women holding roughly 50% of site leadership roles. Continued expansion is expected to continue past 2026, as a third production line is scheduled for late 2027. "By establishing localised smart production hubs, we protect our supply network against external delays while accelerating our responsiveness to regional consumer demand," Gabriel says. Regionalisation and digitalisation strategy. Mars' heavy investment in localised smart manufacturing follows an increasing trend across global supply networks, with the company describing it as a "fully digitalised smart manufacturing facility". Procter & Gamble is expanding automation across its global plants as part of its Supply Chain 3.0 initiative. The company leverages AI vision systems, industrial internet-of-things sensors and smart robotics to run continuous manufacturing shifts without manual intervention. By establishing localised smart production hubs, Manufacturing Digital protect its supply network against external delays Gabriel Fernandez, President of AMEA at Mars Snacking Gartner predicts that by 2028, 70% of companies will adopt regionally diversified supply chain models to improve network resiliency in the face of ongoing global disruptions. Nestlé secured approval for a US$688 million investment to build an AI-driven, automated regional coffee manufacturing hub in Samut Prakan, Thailand in July 2026. It is scheduled to open in 2028 and combine local raw material sourcing with advanced logistics to serve as Nestlé's production and export hub for Southeast Asia. Key companies. Headquarters: Virginia, US CEO: Poul Weihrauch Mars, Incorporated is a global family-owned leader in snacking, food, and pet care brands. Operating across over 80 countries, the business drives sustainable supply chain innovation and advanced digital manufacturing to serve millions of consumers daily. CEO: Shailesh Jejurikar Headquarters: Ohio, US Procter & Gamble is one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, with brands including Tide, Pampers, Gillette and Always sold in approximately 70 countries. The company has 110 manufacturing plants and 200 distribution centres worldwide. Headquarters: Vevey, Switzerland CEO: Laurent Freixe Nestlé is the world's largest food and beverage company, offering a wide portfolio of nutrition, coffee and health brands. The corporation actively reshapes its global operations through high-tech regional production investments, automated processing and localised raw material sourcing. Company Portals