lady reaching for groceries
The Risk of

Playing it Safe for CPG Brands

In crowded categories, many CPG brands are betting on what’s measurable and familiar, and that combination is making them blend into the shelf. When brands feel interchangeable, shoppers stop choosing and start comparing. This study explores how sameness fuels price shopping, private label switching, and weaker pricing power—and why bold brand, packaging, and advertising decisions are becoming the real competitive advantage.

CPG Study Cover

Why It Matters

This isn’t brand choice. It’s shortcut math. When CPG brands blur together, shoppers stop evaluating and start calculating—price, ratings, whatever’s easiest. In a system built for comparison, sameness quietly erodes loyalty and pricing power. The brands that win aren’t safer. They’re sharper, more distinctive, and impossible to ignore.

man grocery shopping

Inside the Study

  • 83.6% say brands in a category feel basically the same
  • 71% default to shortcuts like price when brands blur together
  • 34% choose the lowest price when comparing options
  • 19% switch to private label when brands feel interchangeable
  • 78% say bold packaging drove them to buy

These aren’t just statistics. They’re warning signs. Inside every number is a signal about how consumers really choose—and where CPG brands are quietly losing pricing power.

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See the Data.

Get the full report—packed with consumer insights, pricing signals, and brand distinctiveness strategies to help CPG brands stand out in a shelf built for comparison.

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