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As a food brand design partner, there’s nothing I love more in the work that we do than disrupting food categories. We’ve worked with many food startups to set new precedents, gain market share on longtime leaders in a category, and make an unapologetically bold first impression for a new food brand.
It takes guts—and solid strategy—for a food or beverage brand to stand out disruptively. But playing the big game gets big results. So how do you do it? Read on to find out.
What is a food category disruptor?
Disrupting a food category is when a new food brand, or a revamped food brand, boldly and fiercely stands out from the other brands in its category, by doing things differently in design and messaging. The result is quickly gaining consumer attention and market share—when done right.
What’s your secret sauce?
What’s your competitive advantage? Be clear on that first and foremost, because standing out just for the sake of standing out isn’t a sound strategy. Do you have a better quality product? Are there functional qualities to your food product that give you an edge over the competition? Is there a unique aspect about your product that your competitors don’t have? Get clear on your points of differentiation first, then move forward building on that.
Don’t diss the competition.
Negativity is a downer, and insulting your competition is bad form. You might think that dissing the competition makes your product look better, but what it really does is create a negative presence around your product. Negativity impresses upon the subconscious even when we don’t realize it, so this is an important practice and mindset to follow.
By focusing on your strengths in your messaging, and embracing those fully, you keep your brand and product surrounded by positivity. This keeps the feel-good vibes flowing between you and your audience. Make your brand shine so brightly that it throws shade on your competition by default.
It can help to think of your competitors as friendly competition—just like a team might practice good sportsmanship in a game and respect their opponents. In a food category, it’s not necessarily about “win or lose,” but acknowledging that each product has its own benefits and strengths. Speak your benefits loudly to carve out your own niche in the category as a food disruptor.
Do the due diligence.
Research the competition thoroughly, so you know what consumers expect from this category for brand design, packaging design, and brand messaging. Then do something entirely different. As a consumer, I love when I happen upon a food or beverage that communicates in a refreshingly different way—visually and with words. But again, every decision should be based in strategy, to ensure it aligns with your intent and is right for your food brand.
Use newness to your advantage.
Don’t be daunted by the staid behemoth brands in your food category. Size and longevity don’t matter when your goal is to disrupt. In fact, the longer they’ve been resting on their laurels, looking the same for years, the more ripe the opportunity is for gaining market share on these bigger food brands, and exciting food consumers with something different.
A helpful mentality for disrupting is to make the competition look old and stale. Position your product in a new, fresh, and exciting way. Use your brand’s youth and newness in the category to your advantage. There is a lot to like about new brands as a consumer: a fresh take on a food product, fresh energy, new versatility, or a new approach. Own your newness and have fun with it!
Go big or go home.
I can’t emphasize enough the need to be bold when disrupting in the food industry. If you pull back to play it safe, you’re weakening your brand’s impact. You have to be bold in every way to maximize your results—not just design but also messaging, brand personality, imagery, and more. Assess every consumer touch point of your food brand to see how it can be made better, bolder, and authentic to your brand.
In our food industry work over the past 22 years, I’ve always found the reward and ROI are much greater than any perceived risk. Here are some of our client food brand disruptor examples:
- 60% increase in sales in 6 months after a redesign [Whisps, snack category disruptor]
- A category disrupter that quickly gained national market share [Vevan, vegan cheese category disruptor]
- Landed shelf space with a new retailer that quickly wanted line extensions [La Tourangelle, oil category disruptor]
These are just some of the real results our work has achieved with clients.
Put it all on the table.
Ultimately, if you’re going to invest money in creating a new food or drink brand, or refreshing your brand, you really want to go for it. Otherwise, what’s the point? Highlight the goodness of your brand—don’t be shy or hold back. Consumers crave newness in food brands and products, and respond well to disruptive food brands when done right. They are always looking for the next new, exciting thing in food—or, when a favorite brand gets a fresh new look, or takes a new approach.
So, get out there and go for it!
If you’re ready to disrupt a food category or level up your food brand, let’s talk! Get started here.
