Sustainable CPG Brand Strengthens Brand Health and Shopper Connections

A leading sustainable CPG brand came to Provoke Insights at a pivotal growth moment. While the brand had built strong credibility with environmentally focused consumers, the client’s next priority was clear: expand beyond its traditional base and reach a broader mainstream audience.

The brand suspected that sustainability alone was no longer enough to drive growth. In today’s market, shoppers are increasingly motivated by overlapping concerns, including health, ingredient transparency, and clean living. The client needed to understand which emerging consumer needs were shaping category decisions and how to evolve messaging without losing authenticity.

What was at stake was significant: without clearer positioning and broader relevance, the brand risked remaining niche rather than becoming a larger category leader.

Provoke Insights designed a full-service, strategy-led research program to uncover the motivations, barriers, and decision drivers shaping sustainable shopping today. We combined qualitative exploration with quantitative validation to identify what consumers truly value, what language resonates, and how sustainability fits into a wider set of priorities.

Our research revealed a major growth opportunity: the brand could expand its appeal by connecting not only with environmentally driven shoppers, but also with moms and families increasingly focused on clean eating, healthier household choices, and trust in what they bring into their homes.

Provoke translated these insights into clear, actionable marketing direction, including refined positioning, messaging priorities, and guidance on simplifying complex certification language.

The client directly applied the findings to reshape advertising and communications, shifting away from leading with technical certifications and instead focusing on the consumer needs that drive trial and loyalty, especially among clean eating focused households.

Packaging and creative were streamlined to emphasize what matters most at the point of purchase, while deeper certification information was moved to digital channels, driving consumers to the brand’s website for additional transparency.

The result was a stronger, more consumer-aligned sustainability narrative, expanded audience reach, and a clearer foundation for long-term growth.