Top CPG Companies Go To Court To Stop Smaller Rivals From Stealing Market Share

Big CPG companies are filing lawsuits in federal courts against smaller competitors as a means to stop losing market shares. Cases such as Unilever's October 31, 2014, lawsuits against Hampton Creek, maker of the Just Mayo brand; Procter & Gamble Co.'s January 2014 lawsuit against Hello Products; and Nestle's May 2014 case against Blue Buffalo came after the CPG giants were not satisfied by actions taken by the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Some market observers believe these large companies are using the courts to bully their smaller rivals. Unilever and the other companies, however, claim they went to court as a last resort after their smaller rivals refused to play fair.