Written by We’ve recently seen major CPG companies, including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestlé USA, and J.M. Smucker, commit to eliminating artificial dyes from their foods and beverages. This move is certainly exciting for consumers, and for the world, but it also presents significant risks for these brands. Initiatives like this often highlight a considerable say-do gap among consumers. This gap emerges when what consumers say they want (e.g., healthier, all-natural options) doesn’t always align with their subconscious behaviors and purchase habits. Our non-conscious brains frequently want things that aren’t “good” for us, and these desires govern many moments of purchase, often overriding rational intentions. So, while we rationally want to be healthier, we may be less enticed by products that don’t quite excite our senses to the same degree, especially when familiar, vibrant colors are missing.
I remember back in 2016 when Trix cereal listened to shopper requests for natural dyes, only to experience the backlash from nostalgic brand loyalists who weren’t willing to give up the bold colors they knew and loved. This example vividly illustrates the power of consumer expectation and the challenge of altering deeply ingrained brand associations.
What makes this situation especially tricky is that there are implications for both the First Moment of Truth and the Second Moment of Truth. The First Moment of Truth occurs when a shopper first encounters a product, typically on a store shelf or online. Here, bright, vibrant colors often do a better job of catching shoppers’ eyes and enticing them into a non-conscious desire to purchase, even if the color is artificial. Delivering a product expectation that is still vibrant at this initial glance can help secure the initial sale over something duller. However, the risk then shifts entirely to the Second Moment of Truth.
Satisfaction at the Second Moment of Truth is all about how the product lives up to expectations once it’s consumed or experienced. If the product itself doesn’t deliver on the vibrancy promised on-pack – if the natural blue looks muted compared to the artificial blue consumers are used to – there will be consumer let-down. This disappointment can impact repeat purchases and brand loyalty.
Nostalgia, although often a superpower for established brands, can actually work against them here. Brands with a long history and strong visual heritage find themselves in a challenging position because they don’t have the same flexibility as private label and newer-to-category players. These newer brands often enter the market with natural ingredients as a core part of their identity, without pre-existing color expectations. Aldi, for example, has successfully sold similar cereals without artificial dyes, without facing the same risk of consumer complaint, precisely because they weren’t battling decades of consumer visual expectation.
Although it helps that so many companies are making this change at the same time, offering some collective consumer re-education, there is still significant individual brand risk. Some strategic options for brands include focusing even more on their brand identity and their core visual equities. This might mean leveraging other strong brand assets to compensate for color changes. It’s possible the product shot will need to be deprioritized when evolving packaging, as the actual product appearance may not be as visually striking without artificial dyes. Research and Development and supply chain teams will also need to be the heroes in this transition, ensuring products not only arrive fresh on shelves but also deliver an exceptional and satisfying experience that lives up to evolving consumer expectations, even with new color profiles.