In CPG innovation, functionality can get you into the basket. But it’s emotional resonance that keeps you there. The most successful innovations don’t just solve problems; they create connections. They spark feelings that tie a product to identity, values, and belonging.
That’s why emotional resonance in CPG innovation matters so much. In a world of endless choice, it’s not enough for products to simply work. They need to feel like part of the consumer’s life — something they’re proud to pick up, use, and even show off.
This is one of the 5 Rules for Taking Your Innovation Beyond the Obvious, a framework that helps consumer goods brands move beyond the obvious and build predictable growth.
Done well, emotional resonance turns a purchase from a practical choice into a personal ritual.
Ben & Jerry’s: A Tub Full of Belief
Plenty of ice creams taste good. But Ben & Jerry’s has always recognised that indulgence is only half the story. Consumers weren’t just buying dessert, they were buying into a playful, expressive worldview.
Flavour names that make you smile, textures that feel generous and over the top, and limited editions tied to cultural moments all add up to more than ice cream. They make the product feel alive, like part of something bigger.
Every spoonful delivers indulgence, yes, but also a little emotional lift. That’s why people stay loyal.
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Method: Cleaning That Lifts the Mood
Cleaning products are usually designed to disappear, neutral, efficient, hidden under the sink. Method challenged that assumption.
They made bottles you wanted to leave out on the counter, in colours that popped and shapes that felt modern. They added scents closer to personal care than bleach. Suddenly, cleaning wasn’t just a chore; it was a small mood boost.
The shift wasn’t about performance claims. It was about turning a daily task into something you didn’t dread, maybe even enjoyed.
What the Best Emotional Innovators Have in Common
Different categories, same mindset. The most resonant CPG innovations:
- Connect function to values. Sustainability, craftsmanship, indulgence, wellbeing, the product becomes a statement of belief.
- Design for identity. Consumers feel “this is made for people like me.”
- Engage the senses. Scent, sound, texture, and shape trigger memory and feeling.
- Create ritual. Products become part of personal or social routines.
- Stay consistent. Every new product reinforces the same bond, deepening over time.
More Than a Product
Emotional resonance in CPG innovation isn’t about gimmicks or purpose statements added as an afterthought. It’s about designing with both head and heart, creating products that perform flawlessly and deliver a spark of pride, joy, or meaning every time they’re used.
When you get this balance right, your product stops competing on features alone. It becomes the default choice consumers trust, prefer, and recommend.
Because in consumer goods, loyalty is never built on logic alone. It’s secured through emotion.
Let’s talk. Turn your ‘nice idea’ into next-level growth.
Explore the 5 Rules for Taking Your Innovation Beyond the Obvious
You read more on our 5 rules for taking your innovation beyond the obvious here, or deep-dive into each rule below.
- Identify Hidden Tensions – Uncover the deep-rooted needs and desires that consumers aren’t expressing outright but are driving their decisions.
- Reframe the Familiar – Look at the everyday in a new light and transform existing products or experiences to meet evolving consumer expectations.
- Balance Opposing Desires – Cater to consumer desires that once seemed mutually exclusive, such as convenience with quality or indulgence with health.
- Simplify the Complex – Reduce friction and complexity, offering consumers a seamless and intuitive experience.
- Create Emotional Resonance – Build deeper connections with consumers by tapping into their values, identity, and emotions.
Ready to take your innovation beyond function?
Features and claims get attention, but it’s emotion that creates lasting impact. The most successful CPG innovations are the ones that connect with how consumers feel, not just what they do.
At Catalyx, we help the world’s leading consumer brands uncover the values and emotions that drive behaviour, then design products that resonate, build loyalty, and grow.
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Let’s talk. Click here to innovate with confidence.
(Independent research conducted by Catalyx)
