Introduction & Methodology

The key to success is within your grasp. Inside this issue you’ll find comprehensive and relevant insights into the top two packaging markets: foods and beverages.

Our State of the Industry reports give you a bird’s-eye view of the last 12 months. New packaging designs, shifts in consumer perceptions, sustainability, regulatory issues and economic pressures continue to challenge your creativity.

So we also profile the Category Leaders as useful examples of how to execute winning strategies. Since this is our fifth year, we feel confident in sharing some historical data. In each profile of the No. 1, 2 and 3 companies, we show their market sales for the past five years. In most cases, revenues steadily increased. But in a few cases, sales dipped a bit before turning around again.

To create our exclusive Top 100 Packagers lists, we research several hundred companies using multiple sources: Hoover’s Online database, annual reports, 10 K and 20 F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), news articles, press releases, editorial contacts, interviews and internet research. Consistency is key to accurate comparisons, so we’ve used the same methodology for the last five years.

After we compile all the public information, we go directly to each company, asking them to fill in any blanks, and verify or correct our data. Missing fields are either left empty, or estimated and identified with an asterisk.

Rankings are based on global sales for fiscal 2007. If a company already has data for its 2008 fiscal year (Constellation Brands, for example), we went back to its 2007 figures. Remember, too, that a  few major deals were too recent to be reflected in the 2007 numbers, such as Mars’ purchase of Wrigley or Smucker’s acquisition of the Folgers brand from Procter & Gamble.

One reason our lists are so valuable is that you’re seeing a true field of competitors, because we break out revenues by specific market. Companies that sell both foods and beverages are listed in each market—but with their total revenues appropriately segmented (food dollars alone in the food list and beverage dollars alone in the beverage list).

This year, we drill even deeper into the markets. Our Top 3 lists identify the leaders in major sub-markets, such as cereal, bottled water and candy. For example, General Mills sells many different foods: cereal, yogurt, dinner rolls, soup and more. But for the Top 3 Cereal list, we ranked the company based on its cereal sales only. F&BP

If you’ve got suggestions for how we should change or expand our market coverage for next year, call me at 847-304-1551 or send an e-mail to piercel@bnpmedia.com. We’re “open” to your ideas!