Mars, Incorporated receives inaugural Family of Brands recognition in Fast Company’s third annual list of Brands That Matter
Iconic Mars brand, M&M'S®, also receives General Excellence category recognition
Fast Company Tuesday announced its third annual Brands That Matter list, honoring brands that communicate and demonstrate brand purpose.
This year, for the first time, Fast Company included a Family of Brands category and is recognizing the work of Mars, Incorporated, maker of some of the world’s most loved and iconic brands including M&M’S®, BEN’S ORIGINAL™, the PEDIGREE® brand, and veterinary care brands including Banfield™, BluePearl™ and VCA™.
Fast Company also recognized M&M’S®, another iconic Mars brand in its General Excellence category. The companies and nonprofits included in the Brands That Matter list have built cultural relevance and impact through compelling branding and efforts that naturally extend their presence into the community.
“At Mars, whether it’s your favorite snacks, treats and meals or your favorite pet care product or veterinary clinic, we are in the business of creating long-term happiness across our family of consumer and pet care brands,” said Anton Vincent, President, Mars Incorporated North America & Global President, Mars Ice Cream. “We are so pleased to receive this recognition from Fast Company and we celebrate all of our Mars Associates – across the business – who come prepared and committed to deliver meaningful and purposeful work to create the world we want tomorrow.”
Consumers, including their furry family members, have enjoyed Mars products and services for generations, not just because of their high quality, but also because of the positive impact the Mars brands have on its consumers and in communities across the United States.
In the past year, brands from across the Mars portfolio have demonstrated this impact in a variety of ways:
- M&M’S® influenced conversation on important topics like equality, female empowerment, authenticity and transparency through a refresh of its spokescandy characters and the introduction of a new Purple spokescandy.
- BEN’S ORIGINAL™, another iconic Mars brand, launched its Seat At The Table Fund Scholarship across the United States and Canada to provide opportunities for underrepresented students studying in food-related industries.
- The PEDIGREE® brand created the PEDIGREE® Essential Support Dogs program, celebrating dogs as essential supporters during challenging times and establishing a $2.5 million nationwide fund to provide nutritional and financial assistance to ensure dogs can stay with their loving families.
- The PEDIGREE® brand also developed innovative ways to encourage dog adoption through its Rescue Doodles program that creatively brought kids’ drawings to life and the PEDIGREE® FOSTERVERSE initiative which brought dog foster opportunities to the Metaverse, allowing prospective pet parents to foster real life rescue dogs. All of these PEDIGREE® programs are in service of the company’s ambition to end pet homelessness.
The Brands That Matter final list – which includes large multinational conglomerates, small-but-mighty companies and nonprofits – recognizes 165 brands that give people compelling reasons to care about them and offer inspiration for others to buy in. All 165 have found an ability to forge an emotional connection with customers, whether leading on the environment or pop culture, engaging B2B customers or responding meaningfully to current events.
“The scale and scope of honorees this year is incredible,” said Brendan Vaughan, Fast Company’s editor-in-chief. “At first glance, there might not be much in common between brands like M&M’S®, Dungeons & Dragons, and healthtech platform WellTheory, but the thread that binds them is a commitment and purpose as a brand and relevance to their audience, whether that’s through fun, games, or healthcare.”
Fast Company editors judged each brand on relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity, and business impact to compile the list. To see the complete list, click here.
The Fall issue of Fast Company magazine is available online now and will be on newsstands beginning October 10, 2023.
