Private label is at something of a crossroads. Rising out of the shadows of its humble, “no-name” generic past, private label today has blossomed into a $100 billion industry. While the media and analysts are fixated on sales numbers and growth expectations another story frequently gets little air play: Private label has the freedom (and not the baggage) to seize opportunities to leapfrog name brands in such critical areas as ingredients, flavors, preparations and even packaging.

This is an excerpt from Hartman Group SVP Michelle Barry's keynote presentation at IIR's Private Label Impact Conference held October 27-28, 2009 in Chicago. You reach to a larger summary of her presentation here. There is also a podcast.