Would you buy a car with leather seats even if it had poor performance? Would you buy an outfit even if you didn’t like the design just because it fit your size? I think you get my point… Innovation is a holistic concept and this is what I mean.
An oversight a lot of brands seem to experience is they focus on one benefit without considering the whole value proposition of the product. They expect that one benefit to carry them through the decision making process. And it usually doesn’t, let me explain further.
As an example, there are a lot of products in the market being introduced today as “high protein”. Perfect for on the go consumers looking not to compromise their high protein eating lifestyle. These products come in all sorts of convenient formats, exciting delicious flavors to entice the consumer. Whilst “high protein” is an incredibly strong benefit and claim on pack, when you look deeper into the ingredients you see refined sugar and lots of it. In my view, this takes away from the value proposition because the chances are, if you are eating high protein you are also likely to watch your sugar intake. So this controversy leaves the consumer hanging, like they need to trade off between benefits. Consumers don’t like trade offs. They want it all. And if you want to lead the market, you need to be mindful of this as a brand owner.
Let’s talk sugar specifically for a second. Many consumers are reducing their sugar intake, especially the refined kind. Instead of using refined sugar, brands can leverage natural alternatives like coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses even erythritol which is the closest zero calorie, no after taste alternative to sugar in my view. This would either justify the sugar content by being more natural, less processed or bring down the calories, both wins if you ask me.
Fiber is another great point. Most high protein products miss the fiber or they don’t talk about it on front label. Consumers eating high protein not only look for protein claims, but they also look for high fiber claims along with less / low sugar. They know just like protein keeps you full for longer, fiber also does this along with giving them gut health benefits. So this is a big plus, and needs to be communicated boldly to consumers!
As the economy tightens in many parts of the world, consumers are making conscious choices. Perceived added value becomes your ticket to securing higher consumer spending. This added value is directly proportional to consolidated benefits the product offers. What I mean is – It’s not enough to be high protein, expectation is for you to also be high fiber, low sugar or less processed sugar. And still taste great! This way, your entire value proposition makes sense to your target consumer. And if they see the value, they will go for it, every time!
I bet you will be looking at how consumers make purchase decisions differently now. Especially when it comes to food and beverages… Consumers want the whole package, nothing less. When you anchor a benefit, think what else comes into play for your target consumer, and make sure you integrate them into your product. Innovation does not happen in silos, one benefit at a time.