According to Nielsen, 30,000+ new consumer packaged goods launch each year, and of those, only 15 percent survive their first few years of business. You can bet that those 15 percent are going the extra mile with their marketing, which means you should too.
Here are the most powerful trends in CPG PR we recommend you consider to help you get ahead in 2025:
Food as Medicine
Though the idiom dates back 2,000 years, when the Roman poet Virgil coined the phrase “the greatest wealth is health,” “health is wealth” has been the phrase on everyone’s lips lately.
Politics aside, RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign is getting a ton of attention with eyes on raw milk, seed oils, psychedelics and much more. According to The Food Institute, “Approximately 82% of U.S. consumers currently view wellness as a top or important priority in their lives.” That philosophy especially rings true with Gen Z, with 76% of that youthful cohort defining wellness as holistic and ‘anything that makes you feel good.’ If you have a functional food product or product that genuinely improves wellness, be sure to shout those benefits from the rooftops.
Mega Popular Health Influencers
With that in mind, food and wellness CPG companies should not overlook or underestimate the influence of some of the mega-popular health content creators.
Andrew Huberman has seven million followers on IG and over six million subscribers on YouTube. Fifteen-time New York Times’ best-seller Dr. Mark Hyman has three million Instagram followers. Dr. Casey’s wildly popular Good Energy book has helped her amass nearly a million followers.
Most of these personalities offer (expensive) partnership opportunities, but many also are huge advocates for their favorite products, shouting them out in newsletters and on social media simply because they love and respect the products. Do a little digging and find email addresses (and even mailing addresses) to pitch your product or service (or give us a call and we’ll take that off your hands!)
Activations that Actually Activate
Brand activations, events where people can experience a brand in person, are becoming a near necessity for CPG companies who want to get off the shelf and form meaningful connections with consumers. Nearly three-fourths of B2C marketers said that in-person events are crucial for their brand’s success, 91% of consumers reported that they would be more inclined to purchase the brand’s product or service after participating in a brand activation, and 40% of consumers felt they become more loyal to the brand. These standout activations demonstrate how important it is to align brand values with engaging consumer experiences. Whether through immersive storytelling or innovative product offerings, the most memorable activations are those that not only captivate consumers but also connect with them.
Check out some of our favorite activations that actually activate, including Lucy Score’s collaboration with Club Crackers and Primal Kitchen’s Pinterest pop-up, in our blog, Our Top Three Favorite CPG Activations of 2024.
Be Ready for Micro-Moments
A micro-moment is a brief, intent-driven window of time when a person turns to a device – often a smartphone – to act on a specific need, whether it’s to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. These are essential opportunities to connect with consumers at the precise moment they are seeking information or making decisions. Micro-moments include:
- I-Want-to-Know Moments: When someone is researching or seeking information (e.g., “What are the best probiotics for gut health?”)
- I-Want-to-Go Moments: When someone is looking for local businesses or directions (e.g., “Best restaurants near me”)
- I-Want-to-Do Moments: When someone needs help completing a task or trying something new (e.g., “How to make pickles?”)
- I-Want-to-Buy Moments: When someone is ready to purchase but needs assistance deciding what or where to buy (e.g., “Best flour for pizza making?”)
Make sure you have a wealth of content created to address people’s FAQs and frequent micro-moments – whether it’s a coupon, how-to blog, or YouTube tutorial.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses reward “affiliates” for driving traffic or sales to their website through the affiliate’s marketing efforts. It’s a $17 billion industry whose importance and popularity grows every day. 31 percent of publishers say that affiliate marketing is a top revenue source for them, and 20 percent of influencers say that affiliate marketing is their most successful method of making income.
However, it’s not easy and it does take some time to get set up. Read our blog, The Newbie’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing, to learn more about the benefits, the compensation structure, our platform recommendations and more.
For almost 25 years, ROOT has worked alongside CPG companies to ensure their success and longevity. We watch trends, and help companies plan their next move based on consumer behavior, legislation, supply-chain capabilities and other market ebbs and flows. Want to make 2025 your best year yet? Drop us a line or give us a call. We’d love to chat!
Photos courtesy of Flanagan Farm, Lenka Dzurendova/Unsplash, Dr. Casey, Toss & Spin, Firmbee.com/Unsplash, May Gauthier/Unsplash
