7 Powerful Secrets Explaining How Successful CPG Brands Capture Consumer Loyalty

Posted on April 19, 2025April 19, 2025 by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

There can be no doubt that today’s buyers have evolved into sophisticated decision-makers who demand more than just quality products to achieve consumer loyalty.

As we navigate through 2025, the consumer landscape continues to shift at an unprecedented pace, challenging CPG brands to move beyond reactive strategies and embrace a truly consumer-centric approach.

With 86% of consumers now citing exceptional experience as their primary purchasing driver (McKinsey), brands must fundamentally rethink their engagement strategies to stay relevant. Yet many mid-sized CPG companies remain trapped in a cycle of reaction—constantly trying to catch up to consumer expectations rather than anticipating and shaping them.

This article explores the critical values driving today’s consumer loyalty and offers actionable strategies with recent, real-world examples to help your brand lead the market in 2025 and beyond.

If you would rather listen than read:

The 2025 Consumer Profile: Evolution of Values and Expectations

Each of these core values has intensified in importance, representing powerful opportunities to build lasting loyalty when addressed strategically.

1. Experience as the Ultimate Differentiator

The product-experience balance has definitively tipped, with memorable experiences now overshadowing product attributes in consumer decision-making. Recent research shows that 79% of consumers have abandoned brands after disappointing experiences despite satisfaction with the actual products (Forrester).

Oatly’s Immersive Retail Concept: Oatly launched experiential pop-up stores in major urban centers that combine product sampling with interactive digital installations showcasing the climate impact of plant-based choices. These spaces feature augmented reality elements allowing consumers to visualize their personal environmental impact when choosing plant-based alternatives. This multisensory approach has driven a 42% increase in brand advocacy among first-time visitors.

PepsiCo’s Personalized Flavor Lab: PepsiCo introduced a direct-to-consumer platform where customers can create custom flavor profiles for beverages and snacks based on their taste preferences and nutritional goals. These personalized products are delivered in subscription packages with content tailored to individual lifestyle interests. The initiative has secured an impressive 78% subscription renewal rate in its first year.

Proven Strategy: To win in today’s market, prioritize experience mapping across the entire consumer journey. Identify friction points and emotional opportunities at each touchpoint, then redesign these moments to create memorable, shareable experiences that transcend the product itself.

2. Radical Transparency as Table Stakes

Transparency has evolved from a differentiator to a fundamental expectation, with 92% of consumers now actively seeking information about ingredient sourcing, manufacturing practices, and corporate values before making purchases (Edelman Trust Barometer). The era of opaque business practices is firmly behind us.

Seventh Generation’s “Ingredient Stories” Initiative : Moving beyond simple ingredient lists, Seventh Generation launched digital passports for each product ingredient, allowing consumers to trace origins through blockchain verification and view environmental impact metrics in real-time. The traceable ingredients platform has driven a 34% increase in brand trust metrics among millennial and Gen Z consumers.

Impossible Foods’ Carbon Footprint Calculator : Impossible Foods integrated a dynamic carbon footprint calculator into its packaging using QR technology. Consumers can scan products to view precise environmental impact data, including water … Click to continue reading

The Ultimate Leadership Guide to Creating a Winning Consumer-First Culture

Posted on November 12, 2024March 2, 2025 by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Claiming to be “consumer-centric” is simple; executing it effectively requires a fundamental shift in leadership and company culture.

Many leaders believe they prioritise consumers, yet their strategies often miss the mark due to a lack of meaningful integration.

Building a genuinely consumer-first culture means driving every decision, process, and strategy with the consumer’s needs and values at the forefront.

This guide equips leaders with the insights and actionable strategies to foster a winning consumer-first culture. Rather than relying on superficial gestures, leaders can inspire a transformation that elevates the organisation, engages employees, and creates powerful, lasting consumer relationships.

If you prefer to listen rather than read, click below.

Denyse Drummond-Dunn · The Ultimate Leadership Guide to Creating a Winning Consumer-First Culture

1. Define Consumer-Centricity from the Top Down

A leader must set a clear and aligned definition of consumer-centricity. Many companies define consumer centricity as “putting the consumer at the centre,” yet this often stays as a slogan without actionable meaning. To ensure alignment across the organisation, start by answering these essential questions:

What does “consumer-first” mean to us as an organisation?
How do our consumers define a positive experience, and how does that align with our approach?

Encouraging leaders to establish and communicate this definition creates a foundation for a company-wide culture that actively listens and adapts to consumer feedback.

One of the best ways to do this is to adapt their vision and mission statements to specifically mention the consumer and how the company benefits them by providing solutions to their wants and needs.

Read more about how to adapt your own company’s mission in “The Essential Customer-Centric Mission Statement for Achieving Success.”

Leadership Example: Lego’s CEO exemplifies consumer-centric leadership by implementing programs like Lego Ideas, where consumers can directly contribute to product ideas. Lego sustains relevance and loyalty by embedding consumer voices into its product strategy, proving how consumer-centric thinking can drive long-term success. Source: Forbes.

2. Build Trust through Leadership Integrity and Transparency

In a world where consumers have endless choices, trust is invaluable. For leaders, this means instilling transparency and accountability at every level. Research from Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer shows that 88% of consumers expect businesses to lead with integrity, especially during uncertain times. Source: Edelman.

Leaders can build trust by:

Demonstrating honesty and follow-through in consumer communications.
Publicly stating and reinforcing company values.
Ensuring transparent practices, especially in data privacy and product claims.

Leadership Insight: Patagonia’s leadership has consistently been transparent, especially regarding its environmental impact. By acknowledging areas for improvement and committing to sustainability, Patagonia has built one of the most trusted brands globally. Source: Harvard Business Review.

3. Champion Personalized Experiences through Strategic Data Use

Today’s consumers want more than blanket personalisation; they seek experiences that resonate with their unique needs. Leaders can set the tone for truly consumer-first personalisation by emphasising a data-driven approach that moves beyond mere marketing to holistic, meaningful interactions.

Leadership Action: Starbucks’ CEO has driven personalisation efforts through the Starbucks … Click to continue reading

Surprising Solutions to the 9 Business Challenges of a Customer-First Strategy

Posted on August 6, 2024February 25, 2025 by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Adopting a customer-first strategy is more than just an option these days. But did you know that, perhaps surprisingly, it can answer most business challenges? And it is, therefore, essential for the survival and growth of every single business.

Yet, I know this paradigm shift can present formidable challenges that many organisations struggle to overcome.

In 2023, I wrote a popular post covering the ten most common challenges businesses face when starting their journey to customer-centricity. It is called “Top 10 Challenges Facing Companies When They Adopt a Customer-First Strategy.”

However, a lot has changed in the past year, so I decided to update my suggested solutions to the latest obstacles businesses face when pivoting to a customer-centric approach.

As before, I provide supporting data and some inspiring case studies to get you going.

If I haven’t covered your challenges here or in the previous article, feel free to comment.

From reshaping ingrained company cultures to harnessing the power of big data, I’ll explore how industry leaders like Toyota, Salesforce, Target and Netflix have successfully navigated these challenges.

Whether you’re a startup looking to disrupt or an established enterprise aiming to evolve, this article will equip you with the knowledge and tools to transform challenges into opportunities.

Let’s take a look at nine key hurdles I have noted in working with my clients, and discover how to solve them, ensuring your business stays ahead in the race for customer loyalty and sustainable growth.

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

Marketing Deep Dives by Denyse · Conquering The Challenges Of Customer – First Strategies

1. The Biggest Business Challenge – Revolutionising Company Culture

The transition from a product-centric to a customer-centric culture demands a complete overhaul of organizational mindset. This seismic shift often faces resistance from employees deeply rooted in traditional practices, who may struggle to see the immediate benefits of a customer-first approach. Companies grapple with ingrained behaviours, leadership communication gaps, and inadequate training programs.

Solution: The key lies in unwavering leadership commitment and consistent, clear communication. Take Zappos, for example – they’ve woven customer service into the very fabric of their core values, reinforcing this through ongoing training and aligning it with customer success metrics.

To facilitate this cultural metamorphosis:

Implement regular workshops that highlight the tangible benefits of customer-centricity
Develop a comprehensive internal communication strategy
Create a reward system that recognizes and celebrates customer-focused behaviours

The payoff is substantial: companies prioritizing customer experience see up to 1.7 times higher customer retention and 1.9 times higher average order value. This isn’t just a change in strategy; it’s a revolution in how business is done.

If you’d like to know the most effective way to overcome resistance to change in your company culture, please book some time for us to discuss your needs and identify three actions you can immediately take; click the link below.

2. Mastering the Art of Customer Data Analytics

In the age of big data, businesses are drowning in information but thirsting

… Click to continue reading

Tag: transparency