HFSS and FMCG – it’s time to eat your greens

Now is the time to grasp the nettle on HFSS

HFSS is a tricky issue, but lots of the challenges should be familiar ones, thanks to the pandemic. Marketers naturally want clarity and certainty before acting on HFSS but can’t get it, and it doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon (there is also a delicate line to tread in pushing the government for this clarity versus potentially triggering unnecessary further restrictions).

Marketers want to make a difference in tackling child obesity but as part of a holistic approach that recognises that advertising and marketing is one of many influences, and arguably a limited one itself. There are considerations in the areas of brand portfolios, consumer and retailer insight, shopper and retailer strategies and communications from broadcast to in-store. It’s a heady mix of challenges, areas and stakeholders, probably starting with understanding what your consumers expect of your specific brand and products in your specific area of HFSS, never mind what the restrictions will or won’t be.

Get the basics right for HFSS

HeyHuman has been fortunate in having experienced working in restricted categories around the world, before, during and after restrictions were applied. There’s no substitute for experience and we shared five recommendations based on these which our audience were enthusiastic about, along with our belief in a mindset that focuses on the opportunities to do best-in-class marketing in response to the restrictions.

1. Return to your roots

Brands often become overly complex over time and fail the real-world test when judged against how clear and connective they are with their target audiences. HFSS is an opportunity to step back and check whether your brands are clear on what they really stand for and objectively know what their brand assets are and aren’t (we’re into the world of Byron Sharp and KBAs here).

2. Embrace new insight approaches

The world of insight and research has moved on and it’s hard to ignore the limits of qualitative research, particularly self-reporting and giving views on subjects such as HFSS. Neuroscience research has transformed in recent years and can give you reliable answers to the gap between what people tell you and what’s really going on in their brains, what they say will do and what they will do (Most HFSS research tells you that the general population is totally behind HFSS restrictions and healthier eating but meantime most of us do little or nothing currently to improve our diets in the ways we say we want to).

3. Simplify your portfolio

Portfolios that have grown organically over time through new sub-brands and NPD are often confused, overly complicated, cannibalise within the portfolio and harm the core. HFSS is also a strong trigger for looking at your portfolio again with cold, hard eyes. Because if you don’t simplify and rationalise your portfolio you can be sure that retailers will eventually do it for you, thanks to both the pandemic and HFSS.

4. Re-think Shopper

It’s certain that there will be changes in store layouts and the nature of promotions due to HFSS restrictions, just with uncertainty around what responses retailers are planning as a result, in HFSS and non-HFSS categories. It’s worth considering at least four proactive tactics: equity building promotions tailored to retailer agendas, partnerships with non HFSS brands for secondary siting, retailer own experiences in-aisle and re-thinking your independents strategy.

5. Adopt new packaging conversations

FMCG brands generally change packaging designs when there’s a promotion or the brand is starting to feel outdated, while non-FMCG categories see packaging as an ongoing conversation that can trigger different designs on an ongoing basis. Other sectors have seen this trigger switching, move brand measures and help their brands connect in culture. It’s an approach that FMCG marketers can easily adopt, just with a shift in mindset in what the roles of packaging can be and what levers it can pull.

Brainkind Content – A Competitive Edge for Communications

We commissioned neuroscience research to look into the effect multi-screening has on attention span, engagement and recalling information.

14 Brand Relationships and the Opportunity for Human Brands

We’ve conducted research to gain a clear understanding of how to build better, stronger bonds between brands and people and have uncovered 14 new brand relationships to deliver new business and marketing strategies.

Creating the Unusual Everyday™ – Brands, Experiences and Technology

Our focus at HeyHuman has always been to bring people and brands closer together, particularly through the power of experiences. As part of this, we’ve researched and predicted the dramatic changes in brand relationships over recent years, and how that’s affected both experiences and the role of technology.

A Human Guide to HFSS Legislation

In this human guide to HFSS legislation, we’ll break down what HFSS restrictions mean for your FMCG organisation, in plain English.

Pet Food Campaigns

In 2021, the UK pet food category generated a market value of £3.1 billion. This is an exciting, profitable and highly competitive category, largely dominated by heritage brands so established that their names are synonymous with the sector, but with no shortage of smaller established brands, and new market entrants, all competing for the attention of pet owners in approximately 17 million UK households.

Better briefs mean better business

There’s a quote that goes along the lines of ‘I’m sorry this letter is so long, if I’d had time I’d have made it shorter’. It’s attributed to many, but the best advice still is that if you’re ever in any doubt about the source of a quote let Churchill claim it and you’ll usually get away with it. (Unless it’s about the Metaverse or Love Island.)

Marketing Bothism in the time of HFSS

I had always wanted to hear the famous author and academic Umberto Eco speak. When it was question time, I stood up first, keen to impress with my erudite questioning.

Money’s too tight to mention – how brands can win as the cost-of-living crisis hits

I remember the Bank of England base rate rising and rising in 1991, peaking at 15%. I was living a life unencumbered by a mortgage and had never experienced anything like it before, so I felt more like a witness to the failing economy than a victim of it. Nothing much changed for me.

HFSS a road map beyond 2022 webinar

Our recent webinar focused on how FMCG brands can get HFSS restriction ready.

Our panellists shared new perspectives and opportunities for HFSS and non HFSS brands, going beyond 2022, discussing key strategies for FMCG brands to thrive in the future.

How do leaders stimulate more creative thinking?

Creative thinking has been called out as an essential capability in both individuals and organisations to survive and thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment magnified by technological change.