SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Bobbie, the only American Organic infant formula company founded and led by moms, is proud to be recognized by Fast Company’s second annual Brands That Matter list, honoring brands that communicate and demonstrate brand purpose. The companies and nonprofits selected have achieved relevance through cultural impact and social engagement, and authentically communicated their missions and ideals.
The final list, which includes large multinational conglomerates, small but mighty companies and nonprofits, recognizes 145 brands that give people compelling reasons to care about them and offer cultural and business inspiration. All 145 have found an ability to forge an emotional connection with customers, whether leading on the environment or pop culture, engaging B2B customers, or responding meaningfully to current events.
Since launch in January 2021, Bobbie has nourished more than 70,000 babies in every state across the U.S. as the fastest growing infant formula on the market since the 1980’s. But Bobbie’s purpose extends far beyond simply selling infant formula. For the 83% of parents that turn to infant formula at some point in their feeding journey, Bobbie exists to evolve the outdated feeding wars that proclaim “breast is best” or “fed is best” and instead supports the narrative that every parent’s best is best – whatever that looks like.
“Our bold stance on one of the most stigmatized products a parent can buy is why we really matter. Bobbie was never just about selling a product. As a mother going through it firsthand, I knew I wanted to change parenting culture and shift the conversation around the personal choice of feeding our babies. This mission is as personal as it gets – we’re a team founded and led by parents and over half of our team had a baby in the past two years. If we don’t lead this conversation, who will?” said Laura Modi, co-founder and CEO of Bobbie and mom of three.
By supporting modern parents in their feeding journeys and daring to replace comparison with confidence in an industry that has historically been devoid of empathy, Bobbie has moved the needle on feeding culture in less than two years on the market, while setting a new standard for infant nutrition in the U.S. with its quality organic product and ingredients. Against the backdrop of a national crisis and shortage that left parents scrambling to find their next can of formula – Bobbie was the only formula brand that was able to guarantee formula to subscribers during this unprecedented and unacceptable time.
As an extension of how Bobbie shows up to take action–not simply change the conversation but change policy and give back in a meaningful way, Bobbie for Change is the social good arm of the business responsible for making a real impact in the infant formula industry.
"We are our target audience. We know the physical, emotional, and mental toll feeding takes on a parent because we’ve been there. Our personal experiences create an authentic layer of empathy that’s woven into every element of our brand: how we fundraise, craft our parental leave policies, create space for difficult conversations, choose to give back – it’s all done in constant pursuit of shaking the stigma around formula feeding and creating a cultural shift for modern parents. Because we are modern parents,” said Kim Chappell, VP of Marketing and Communications and mom of three (including a one-year-old Bobbie baby).
“This year, we’ve expanded the Brands That Matter program to evaluate honorees in the context of how they matter within the category in which they compete for people’s attention or loyalty. The result is a wide-ranging list of honorees that are making their mark on culture, and through social impact,” said Brendan Vaughan, Fast Company’s editor-in-chief.
An immeasurable metric to summarize what it means to “matter” as an infant formula brand in 2022: in March, Bobbie received a customer DM asking permission to tattoo the Bobbie logo on her arm. She felt “a layer of invisible support” from Bobbie throughout her feeding journey and wanted the tattoo as a reminder to be bold and brave. “No matter how society made me feel about my feeding journey, my decision was the right one for me and my babies,” said the customer.
When it comes to leaving a meaningful mark on culture and society as a brand, it doesn’t get more permanent or impactful than that.
About Bobbie
Bobbie is a USDA Organic Infant Formula company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison, where every parent is supported in the feeding choice that is right for them and their baby. Bobbie launched in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Founded by Laura Modi and Sarah Hardy, Bobbie is the only mom-founded and led infant formula in the country and the fastest growing infant formula to enter the U.S. market since the 1980’s. Bobbie’s recipe is modeled after breastmilk and designed to meet the most recent EU nutritional standards for critical ingredients like DHA and iron, while also complying with all FDA nutritional standards for infant formula. Bobbie is focused on providing a purposefully sourced, USDA Organic infant formula with Organic Valley milk from pasture raised cows. It was the first-ever infant formula to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award and certification as a Pesticide-Free Product. Bobbie was founded in 2018, is based in San Francisco, and is venture-backed. For more information on Bobbie, visit www.hibobbie.com, and follow Bobbie on Instagram @bobbie.
