Sun-Maid Plans Brand Expansion
The iconic raisin cooperative Sun-Maid has named Earthbound Brands as its exclusive licensing agency. The partnership is designed to extend the Sun-Maid brand into new food, beverage, and lifestyle categories, leveraging the value of the heritage brand.
This new partnership builds on Sun-Maid's recent efforts to innovate and expand beyond its iconic red box of raisins. In 2021, the cooperative acquired Plum Organics, a popular brand of organic baby food and kids' snacks, signaling a strategic move into the broader healthy snacking category for families. The company has also been introducing new takes on its core product, with offerings like yogurt-covered raisins and a "Farmstand Reserve" line of premium dried fruit. The collaboration is a significant step for the 114-year-old grower-owned cooperative, which consists of approximately 850 family farmers in California's Central Valley. Sun-Maid produces over 200 million pounds of raisins annually and has been actively working to appeal to a new generation of millennial parents through modernized packaging and new snack formats. Earthbound Brands has a strong track record of extending well-known brands into new product lines. The agency recently signed a similar deal with Newman's Own to expand its products into additional grocery categories like snacks and frozen foods, as well as lifestyle areas such as home and pet products. Their portfolio also includes successful expansions for brands like The Pioneer Woman, Better Homes & Gardens, and WW (formerly Weight Watchers). This isn't Sun-Maid's first foray into licensing. The company has a history of brand-licensed products, including Sun-Maid Raisin Bread, which is produced by Flowers Foods, and chocolate-covered raisins. Past licensed offerings have also included cookies, croissants, and loaf cakes, indicating a long-standing strategy of leveraging its well-known brand in adjacent food categories. The move comes as the global dried fruit market continues to grow, with projections estimating it will reach over $16.5 billion by 2030. The expansion is a key part of Sun-Maid's strategy to increase demand and position itself for growth. In 2019, the company's then-CEO stated a goal of adding $100 million in growth within five years through new product offerings. Under the leadership of CEO Steve Loftus, who took the helm in 2024, Sun-Maid is focused on continuing its transformation into a modern, consumer-focused snacking company. Jeff Cohen, CEO of Earthbound Brands, expressed excitement about developing "meaningful brand extensions" that remain true to Sun-Maid's values of tradition and quality.
