November 11, 2025 – The US food and drink industry is filled with innovation by brands trying to be disruptors. This has created a crowded, competitive landscape. Examples of successful disruption like pumpkin spice, White Claw alcoholic seltzer, and Amazon show that it takes more than R&D to be successful. Brands have to push consumers to feel like they need the disruption.
Messaging Answers the Why
When brands try to disrupt, it is important for them to message consumers how and why the brand invites change and is better than what came before it.
Social Pressures Invite Disruption
Social pressures like the COVID-19 pandemic impact trends and strengthen the need for disruption. US food and beverage brands that want to be disruptive need to look at the social environment in addition to product R&D and marketing. They must understand how the political environment in the US, US social trends, and the US economy all impact product development and the need for disruption. The key to success is to communicate to consumers that it is necessary to disrupt. It is true that disruption can solve problems for consumers. However, US consumers may need to be shown that they have a problem that needs to be solved.
Small Disruptions Count Too
US food and beverage brands may set their expectations around large market disruptions. However, small disruptions can be counted, too. They are easier than large disruptions, can be combined with other smaller disruptions, carry less risk than large disruptions, can create a positive buzz, and are less likely to have the same types of unintended consequences seen with biggest disruptors. US food and beverage companies can get excited about small disruptions. Small disruptions can lead to bigger disruptions and bigger ROI.
Aiming for Multi-level Disruption
US food and beverage brands that are successful disrupters are able to carry disruption across various business areas, including R&D and marketing on the company side, mergers and acquisitions with other companies, and retail plus other settings. They are highly aware of what is going on with US food and beverage trends and can align with both current and emerging trends in a disruptive product campaign. It is important to be disruptive across more than one area. US food and beverage brands need to disrupt with more than one of the following – ingredients, health, value for the price, social issues, and others.
Holistic Disruption
US food and beverage brands that are looking to be disruptive may think first about the product itself and elements like format and flavor. They may not be thinking of other ways they can be disruptive. Brands can be disruptive through their packaging, retail presence, marketing campaigns, and overall business ethics. If a US food and beverage brand wants to be disruptive, it can use trends as a guide. One example is cottage cheese, which has become a major trend in the US that is pushing cottage cheese sales. This success is transferrable to other types of food and beverage products in the US. It is crucial to change the baseline expectations of the US consumers. Another approach is to change consumer expectations about what the brand should be.
Look for Disruptive Inspiration in Foods Away from Home
Food and beverage products that are consumed away from home in the US can be a source of inspiration for disruption. A US CPG brand can disrupt through a partnership with an out-of-home brand. This partnership pushes US consumers to reimagine their packaged goods of favorites in different types of settings. One example is to transfer a US CPG food and beverage flavor into a completely new setting away from home, creating new opportunities for disruption into expanded dayparts and occasions.
Trend Combinations Show Disruptive Potential
For maximum disruption, try innovating products that address a combination of US consumer trends. This approach, which has been highly successful for food and beverage brands in the US, shows the power of product innovation toward consumer trends. The benefit is that the disruptive food or beverage product can be relevant and can capture attention. Done right, disruptive brands can enjoy lasting success. Innova Market Insights can be a critical trends resource for US food and beverage brands seeking to be disruptors. These trends can be combined with other tools to help brands understand trends in features such as ingredients, flavors, and formulas.
Seek Disruptive Inspiration from Broader Movements
Broader movements around culture, politics, and global forces can provide momentum for disruption. US food and beverage disruption cannot happen by itself. Disruption needs to be positioned within the global political and social context. US consumers are highly stressed and anxious about world events, so the next disruptive food and beverage brand in the US could try to offer solutions. Amazon, for example, became much more disruptive and successful during the pandemic. The US retail environment has changed forever. Future disruptors will need to provide solutions for current and emerging problems.
What’s Next for US Disruptive Brands?
Innova Market Insights has several expectations for disruptive food and beverage brands in the US. Disruptors in the future will address ethical and social issues in the US. We expect to see more disruption in US retail food and beverage settings. To stand out among growing disruptions, brands will need to consider and incorporate trends. Telling brand stories will be a must for success in the US food and beverage market. Future US food and beverage disruption could include production considerations in crop cultivation and manufacturing, aspects that the US consumer may not consider. Finally, turning old ideas into new ones can lead to disruption.
This article is based on Innova’s Disruptive Brands in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more.