Brand Central Leads Food & Beverage Licensing
Diamond Sponsor Feature
Unwrapping New Potential with Leading CPG Brands — An Interview with CEO Ross Misher
By Gary Symons, TLL Editor in Chief
Brand Central has been at the forefront of licensing trends for the last 25 years, representing some of the biggest household food and beverage brands. Their clients, past and present, include Mars Snacking, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker Co., Mondelez, Boston Beer Co., Pernod Ricard, Krispy Kreme, Tapatio Hot Sauce, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Domino's, and Kellogg's — just to name a few. The agency has represented over 30% of the top 35 food and beverage brands in the U.S. and has been ranked a top 10 licensing agency for over 15 years in a row.
While fads have come and gone, food and beverage licensing is one area that has exploded over the last two decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. For our 2026 Food and Beverage issue, we sat down with Ross Misher, founder and CEO of Brand Central, to discuss what has shaped the last 25 years at the agency, the past and present of food and beverage licensing, and what's on the horizon.
On the value of trade shows
TLL: It seems like your team is at every major trade show across the country. What's the value for a licensing agency?
Ross Misher: We've certainly had a jam-packed year so far. In March, we brought our entire team to LA for an off-site and to attend Natural Products Expo West, the biggest natural food trade show in the country. It was a great opportunity to meet with our licensees and clients, find new brands for collaborations, and, most importantly, see what trends will be defining the industry in the coming years.
We have a presence at nearly every major trade show relevant to licensing, especially in the food and beverage space — from the Fancy Food Show, IDDBA, and Sweets & Snacks to other key shows like Pet Expo, Housewares Show, Gift Shows, and Toy Fair. We can't forget Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe, where we exhibit and meet with hundreds of licensees across the globe. Our team prioritizes hitting the road for our clients to uncover new opportunities and see for ourselves what shifts are happening in the licensing landscape.
Emerging trends
TLL: Speaking of shifts in licensing, what emerging trends have you and the team noticed, and what implications might they have for licensing?
Ross Misher: The grocery space continues to see protein emerge as a leading functional benefit, driving the "proteinification" of products. We're seeing protein leave the nutrition aisle and permeate the grocery store via high-protein versions of classic snacks and other pantry staples, from pasta to soda. A big driver of this trend is the proliferation of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
Macro trends shaping the industry
TLL: Zooming out, what do you see as macro trends affecting the F&B industry as well as licensing as a whole?
Ross Misher: The past few years have been really challenging for consumers, with rising costs and tightening budgets. We've seen a downshift in consumers' willingness to splurge on non-essential items, and an increased focus on health and wellness stemming from the fitness industry. As this trend continues to evolve, we will be launching new products with our clients that make a splash across a few innovative categories. Look for us to sign on some new clients in the next year that capitalize on the trend and prove it has staying power.
In other areas, international flavors and seasonings are continuing their dominance with the taste-first Gen Z demographic. Bold sauces, condiments, and flavors from around the world are becoming mainstream as consumers' palates have evolved and they crave newness. We recently signed Fly By Jing, the famous Sichuan chili crisp sauce that is taking the country by storm.
That said, we also know consumers are looking to buy from trusted brands and desire "affordable luxuries" — items that are inexpensive but bring a lot of personal satisfaction. We've leaned into this white space by pairing a well-known, trusted brand with a touch of indulgence across many of our brands, including Smucker's fruit snacks, M&M's cheesecake, and Little Bites and Entenmann's ice cream. Pairing a well-known and trusted brand with a touch of indulgence makes even a hard day a little more fun.
And of course, no flavor trend conversation is complete without mentioning the flavor that emerged a few years ago and has remained in the cultural zeitgeist: dill pickle. Brands like Vlasic, Grillo's, and Claussen have capitalized on the popularity of pickle flavor through new product extensions like Vlasic's pickle puffs and Grillo's pickle-flavored beer with Pabst Blue Ribbon. Last year, Baked By Melissa released a collab with our client Claussen for pickle-flavored cupcakes, and we also launched Claussen sparkling wine cocktails with Spritz Society, which started as a limited-time offer but became an everyday item due to customer demand. The fun will keep going this year as we launch Claussen into the snack aisle in the next few months.
Another big trend impacting the industry is the shift from artificial to natural ingredients, colors, and flavors — a shift that will persist through 2028, when related legislation goes into effect.
Recent product launches
TLL: Despite those headwinds, have you been able to launch any new food and beverage products recently?
Ross Misher: This year is already shaping up to be a banner year for our brands. We just launched new products with General Mills, including Betty Crocker x M&M's Fudgy Blondie Mix, Betty Crocker x M&M's Cookie Mix, Chex Mix Sweet & Salty with Milk Chocolate, and M&M's and Pillsbury x Snickers Ready to Bake Cookies, which are hitting shelves nationwide.
Kraft sports nutrition products with RYSE continue to perform well, and we're launching new formats and flavors this summer. We brought Jif Peanut Butter, a protein-rich favorite, into the snacking aisle through peanut butter pretzels and cookies, as well as an array of new Jif products including sprinkles, chocolate, and snack clusters. Jif is also making its way into the noodle aisle, with peanut butter noodles, and more flavors on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Calypso is expanding beyond its iconic lemonade flavors through new brand extensions spanning confections, protein, drink sticks, and gelatin snack cups. On the beverage front, we just introduced a new line of Lifesavers-flavored drinks with Sparkling Ice, building on the breakout success of the Starburst x Sparkling Ice line. The spicy trend keeps getting hotter, and our client Tapatio recently expanded the brand into jerky and protein puffs, with new products launching this spring.
Going beyond food, the food x cosmetics space has been booming. In May, our Smucker's nail polish collab with Nails Inc. dropped in Walmart and Walgreens nationwide, and our M&M's lip balm collab with NYX launched with a viral blind bag product globally.
New clients
TLL: I saw you just announced some new clients. Can you tell us what you have planned for them?
Ross Misher: We are thrilled to announce we represent Boston Beer Company's brands, including Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard, and Sun Cruiser, as well as Pernod Ricard's globally recognized spirits brands Malibu, Absolut, and Kahlua. With all of this new opportunity, we strategically brought on alcohol licensing expert Tobey Roush, formerly of Brown-Forman/Jack Daniel's, at the end of last year. He's been leading the charge with our alcohol portfolio, and we will be launching our first licensed partnerships in the coming months. So far, the response from licensees has been fantastic, as these brands are globally recognized.
As we expand beyond food and beverage, we are having fun with a popular pop-culture favorite, Old Jewish Men, which boasts over 1 million followers on social media, is loved by celebrities, and translates Jewish humor into hysterical products.
Full-service licensing
TLL: We know you're experts in food and beverage licensing, but tell us more about all your services.
Ross Misher: We have a full 360-degree view of the industry, working with both licensors and licensees. We have a rapidly growing business helping manufacturers acquire licenses for their products. To help build out this flourishing business, we hired licensing veteran Molly Jacobson, who has over 20 years of experience acquiring licenses for manufacturers and comes with a wealth of knowledge and industry connections. Alongside Liza Abrams, we have a dedicated team helping leading manufacturers find the perfect IP for their products. We are working with manufacturers in a variety of industries, from apparel to food to beauty.
We guide and deliver on the entire licensing process — from strategy and due diligence to negotiations and management — with a methodology designed to deliver results. We've also been growing our creative services and consulting businesses year over year. Our creative team is expert in style guides, product concepts, packaging files, and marketing materials, and we're doubling down in all of these areas with new tools and technologies to drive speed and effectiveness.
If you are a food and beverage manufacturer or brand owner looking to use licensing as a tool for innovation and growth, we would love to meet you!
What's next
TLL: Sounds like you're really growing. What's on the horizon for Brand Central in the coming years?
Ross Misher: We will be continuing to scale our business in multiple ways — from growing our team, to adding new lifestyle clients, to continuing to build our expertise and relationships.
Celebrating 25 years
TLL: Finally, as you celebrate the silver jubilee of Brand Central with your 25th anniversary, what would you say has set you apart? To what do you attribute your success over the years?
Ross Misher: We've had an amazing run over the past 25 years, working with some of the world's most beloved brands. What has set us apart are some basic principles we've followed since day one: we hire the best people in the industry, we put our clients' interests before our own, we work hard but we also have fun doing it, and — most importantly — we always do the right thing.
I'm thankful every day to our incredible team for continuing to show up for our clients, our partners, and for Brand Central. They are truly the "secret sauce" and the fuel that keeps the Brand Central engine running. Here's to the next 25.