How to Market a Change to Your Brand’s Ingredients

A growing number of companies are feeling pressured to update their ingredients in order to be healthier, more sustainable, or even more environmentally friendly.

After all, consumers are increasingly seeking out products that align with their values instead of those that are the most convenient.

Cleaning up an ingredient list is a big change for any company, so it can be hard to know how to approach marketing it to customers. Here are some tips on how to make the transition as smooth as possible:

Transparency: Tell your consumers what you’re doing from the beginning. Show them you’re listening and taking steps to improve the product experience. And tell them why you’re making changes so they understand the thinking behind them.

Tell the whole story: It’s important to go beyond just listing ingredients and giving a yes-or-no answer on whether they are clean or not. Go into detail about why these changes were made and what they mean for the product. Be sure the story is consistent across the product website, social media channels, and in-store displays so that customers get a comprehensive message wherever they encounter the brand.

A major change in brand ingredients can have a devastating effect on sales. Without a clear strategy, customers will likely turn to competitors. The key to successfully rebranding with new ingredients is to clearly communicate reasons for changes. There has to be an explanation about why changes are being made, how they will benefit customers, and why the change isn’t something that needs to be worried about.

Communication strategies must be developed by considering what messages will be most effective with target audiences. There has to be evidence to support any claims made about a new product.

Here are some things to keep in mind while marketing a new ingredient:

· Including a letter from the CEO or owner of the company that clearly states extensive research has been conducted, and that the new ingredient is better than what was previously in the product. Sharing some information about the benefits of this ingredient should come next, and this could include how it is sourced or the special properties it has compared to what was previously used.

· If possible, share a third-party analysis of the new ingredient and how it compares to its predecessor. This could include lab results or reports by scientists who have done their own research comparing the two ingredients side by side.

· Include quotes from satisfied customers who have tried out a product with the new ingredient, as well as quotes from those who have stuck with the old formula. Mention any noticeable differences they noticed between both versions of the product and any benefits they noticed from the new one.

If the organization has several brands, consideration has to be made on how changing one brand might affect others. A price increase, for instance, will affect all brands equally, but a change to one brand’s taste might affect only that brand if the overall product line targets different consumer groups.

If the change affects multiple brands, the management team needs to carefully consider how to avoid damage to other brands when communicating with customers about the change.

Ronn Torossian is the CEO and Founder of 5W Public Relations. 5W PR is a leading digital PR and influencer marketing agency.