Integrated not complicated.

Who really wins in the aisle? Private Label vs Brand.

As 2026 gathers pace, we’re spilling the tea on the hottest food & drink trends on the horizon 🔥 ☕ From functional drinks 2.0, where wellness meets quiet luxury, to book bars becoming the hottest reservation spots, and GLP-1 medications reshaping how restaurants serve, price, and portion food... Discover what’s set to make headlines and where the biggest opportunities lie to land dream coverage 👇   Read our latest blog here: https://www.mercieca.co.uk/thoughts/private-label-vs-brand-yp4ds-l3rw6 #Mercieca #PRtrends2026 #PRtrends #functiondrinks #GLP-1

As 2025 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to express our thanks to all our clients, media partners and valued suppliers across the industry. From all of us at Mercieca, we wish you a joyful and restful holiday season. And here’s to creating more great campaigns together in 2026.

Big congratulations are in order as we celebrate @geena_oehlers promotion from Account Executive to Senior Account Executive ✨🫶 Her passion, organisation, and endless stream of ideas shine through in everything she does. Huge congratulations, Geena – a very well-deserved promotion! ❤️

Nothing says Christmas quite like iconic snacking staples Pringles and Cheez-It! 🎄✨   This festive season, @lifeatkellanova “Deck the Shelves” competition is back, giving one lucky retailer the chance to win £10,000 in cash, while hundreds of shoppers can instantly grab £100 Prezzee gift cards via QR codes on-pack and in-store.   To kick off the promotion, we partnered with star retailers @onestopcarltonconvenience, @tjslateshop and Chloe Taylor-Green to transform their stores into full Christmas wonderlands. Think: dual-branded POS at every touchpoint, festive displays, and plenty of Pringles and Cheez-It samples shared throughout the day. We even had a surprise visit from Santa himself, thanks again, Priyesh! 🎅   Meeerrrrrry Christmassssss! 🎄🎁✨

Our PR Director Frankie - part of the @barmagazineuk Awards panel, headed to @floratticarooftoplondon for an afternoon of judging the industry’s finest talent 🍸 We had our annual meeting with Philip Morris to present our end-of-year review, followed by a festive tipple to toast to a fantastic 2025🎄 And to round things off, Geena and Sadie spent a lovely afternoon at @thepeacockn1 for lunch with Shyama from New Trade talking all things 2026 🥂

Mercieca out and about this week!  We hosted our annual Philip Morris trade media festive event - a delicious lunch at Hackney hot spot @berberandq followed by a yule log making competition at @thebig_bakes, where teams went head-to-head in full Great British Bake-Off style 👩‍🍳 A Friendsgiving celebration with press and influencers for @sagamorespirit at Acme @sagamorespirit - for an immersive experience where guests explored the ultimate expression of rye through incredible cocktails, guided whiskey tastings, and incredible food pairings 🥃 And to round things off, brunch and a catch-up with @thegrocerofficial at Caravan!

No FMCG brand can afford to take things for granted. There’s always someone snapping at your market share. To stay ahead of the competition, you have to succeed in so many areas. Wholesale activation. Retailer engagement. Category leadership.Distribution.Instore POS.Brand events. Consumer sampling, social buzz, and trend-led storytelling.   If you’re not noticed at every touch point, you’re not selling. Simple. With over 30 years’ experience in FMCG, we know what it takes for brands to win. And keep on winning. To see some of our recent creative and PR work just click on the link: https://www.mercieca.co.uk/

It’s been a busy but brilliant week for Team Mercieca - awards and events season is in full swing! We kicked things off at the #NationalPizzaAwards @h2o_publishing with our client Rich’s for an incredible celebration of all things pizza 🍕 Huge congrats to @cocacolaepofficial (Dr Pepper) and @kellanova (Cheez-It) on their #AsianTraderAwards2025 wins — and thanks to @asiantrader for hosting (and for that iconic goodie bag!) We joined the FDW “Intro to Wholesale” event with @lioncroft_wholesale — great convos on better supplier partnerships and a behind-the-scenes depot tour. Wrapped up the week at @thegrocerofficial New Product & Packaging Awards - celebrating wins for @kellanova, @glebefarmfoods , and @perfettivanmelle_ (Chupa Chups) 🎉 And a special shoutout to Organix for taking Gold!

We wake up thinking about FMCG. We go to bed thinking about FMCG. Call us obsessive if you want. But this specialisation gives our clients a real commercial advantage. Take a look at some of our recent creative and PR work by clicking the link. And discover why helping brands win is definitely our bag. https://www.mercieca.co.uk/work

Yesterday, the team celebrated our very first autumn party - and it was one to remember! We kicked things off with some delicious nibbles and a scarily good murder mystery, brilliantly hosted by Geena and Ellie. 🕵️‍♀️🔪   After cracking the case, we rolled up our sleeves for a pasta-making masterclass with @pastaevangelists, learning how to make fresh pasta from scratch (with a well deserved glass of champagne in hand 🥂)   We wrapped up the evening at The Slaughtered Lamb in Farringdon - the perfect spot to unwind, laugh, and share a toast to our fantastic team.

We’re thrilled to see Camden ranked as the third best borough in London in The Telegraph’s latest research piece on London boroughs - and we couldn’t agree more!   For over 15 years, Mercieca has proudly called Camden home. This borough isn’t just where we work - it’s where our creativity comes to life. A true cornerstone of London’s incredible music, arts, and cultural scene, Camden continues to inspire us every day with its energy, diversity, and spirit.   From its legendary venues and vibrant markets to the people who make it pulse with life, Camden captures everything that makes London great - bold, authentic, and endlessly creative.

This week we had the pleasure of visiting the Emerald Isle with @thebusker_official   We hosted journalists from The Spirits Business and Master Of Malt, along with leading whisky content creators @londonwhiskyguy @redwhiskygirl @thewhiskynovice for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the brand’s multi-million-pound distillery. From state-of-the-art technology to hands-on craft, we saw firsthand the passion and precision that go into every single bottle.   Between distillery visits, we also explored the culinary delights Kilkenny has to offer, with plenty of The Busker tastings and cocktails enjoyed along the way, of course.   The trip marks the start of an exciting year ahead as the brand continues to grow distribution across the on- and off-trade and attract even more new fans around the world. @ruperthohwieler @a_dram_of_adam @disarory @anniejenkinnn @rachelvfarrell @frankie_mercs

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