Every winning product earns these two things

Every winning product earns two things: the consumer’s heart and their head.

Description

To win at the shelf, you have to win both the head and the heart. The head is rational. It’s slower, analytical, and driven by category purchase drivers, price, claims, ingredients, and performance. This is where positioning does the heavy lifting. Clear benefits. Logical reasons to believe. Proof that the product will do what it promises.

But logic alone doesn’t close the sale.

The heart moves faster. It’s instinctive. Its color, form, appetite appeal, tone, and emotional resonance. It’s what makes someone reach before they fully process why.

At SmashBrand, positioning and packaging are built to work together. The strategy defines what must be communicated to satisfy the rational brain. The packaging translates that into a visual system that triggers desire in seconds.

If you only win the head, you get consideration.

If you only win the heart, you get attention.

When you win both, you get conversion.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 So the way we think about it at Smash
00:00:02 Brand in terms of sort of the the
00:00:03 positioning and then the packaging is,
00:00:06 you know, to get a consumer to buy your
00:00:07 product, you have to win their head and
00:00:09 their heart. That's not a new concept,
00:00:11 but it's very true. We're all human.
00:00:13 This is how we think. Winning the head
00:00:15 is a very rational side. You're doing
00:00:18 logics and facts. It's system two
00:00:20 thinking. It's a little slower. And
00:00:22 that's the thing usually what wins
00:00:24 people over is really winning category
00:00:26 purchase drivers.

Christy Lebor Partner & Head of Brand Development, SmashBrand

48 Articles

Christy Lebor is a Partner and Head of Brand Development at SmashBrand, a premier brand development agency championing the FMCG space. With two decades of Fortune 500 CPG experience, Christy harnesses her background from industry titans to infuse brands with a growth trajectory that transitions them from category disruptors to legacy brands.

Her portfolio includes:

Brand management roles at global giants: Kraft, PepsiCo, and Unilever.
Launching pivotal products: Axe Body Wash in the US and the original Dove Campaign for Real Beauty at Unilever.
Steering innovative product lines at PepsiCo: Gatorade chews, protein bars, Mio Fit, and Amino Energy.
Pioneering breakfast innovations at KraftHeinz: Just Crack an Egg
Leading the branded business segment and global innovation at JBS, the world's largest meat company in the world.

Prior to her tenure at SmashBrand, Christy's track record spans various senior management and development roles. Each role has honed her expertise in the intricacies of FMCG, enabling her to cultivate category advantages for brands. From SKU rationalization to directing pivotal innovation stage gates, Christy's acute expertise in FMCG has consistently placed her at the forefront of the industry. Her ability to make incisive, strategically sound decisions has been key in propelling brands to market leadership.

Her philosophy pivots on the principle that timely, relevant data, integrated with brand strategy, is the linchpin for brands aspiring to scale and establish market dominance. At SmashBrand, Christy intricately weaves this philosophy, ensuring brands are not just strategically poised but holistically developed.

Educationally, Christy is equipped with a BBA from The University of Michigan Business School, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and additional prowess in Private Equity and Venture Capital from Harvard Business School.

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