This Retail Display Tells You Everything About a Brand in Trouble

A once-hyped CPG brand is showing serious signs of decline and it’s all right there on the shelf. In this short, Christy breaks down what the pricing, graphics, and display strategy are really saying (spoiler: it’s not good). If you’re in retail or brand management, you’ll want to see this.

Description

When packaging starts working against the brand, it shows up quickly, especially on the shelf. In this case, the execution creates confusion instead of clarity.

The most immediate issue is readability. If shoppers can’t quickly identify the brand name or fully read the tagline, the pack loses its primary job: recognition. “Thirst’s worst” is a perfect example cut off messaging can unintentionally signal something negative, even if that’s not the intent.

There’s also a deeper CPG brand challenge here. When visual identity leans too heavily on personalities or promotional graphics, it can dilute the core brand equity. Instead of reinforcing what makes the product desirable, it starts to feel inconsistent or even disposable.

The aggressive pricing adds another layer. Deep discounts can drive short-term volume, but they often signal weakened demand or excess inventory, especially when paired with unclear packaging.

In competitive categories, strong CPG packaging trends point toward clarity, consistency, and immediate communication. When those fundamentals slip, even highly visible brands can struggle to maintain momentum.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 thirst's worst. That's really all I see
00:00:02 and I'm like, "Oh gosh, does this taste
00:00:04 bad?"
00:00:07 Hey guys, it's Shopping with Christie. I
00:00:09 saw a display and it made me think of
00:00:12 the topic of this very hot brand that's
00:00:15 been taking the CBG world by storm in
00:00:18 recent years. Although, rumor has it and
00:00:21 I have some numbers on this that
00:00:23 actually it's in quite a decline right
00:00:25 now. And so what I thought I'd do is
00:00:28 actually point out a couple things I see
00:00:31 on this brand that might suggest uh
00:00:35 according to what I've heard and even
00:00:37 just visually graphically what I would
00:00:39 say would indicate to me this brand
00:00:41 isn't doing so well right now. Let's
00:00:43 take a look. Of course, the brand I'm
00:00:44 talking about is this one. This is
00:00:47 Prime. One of the first big, let's say,
00:00:50 creatorled brands. There's a couple
00:00:52 things I want to point out to you here
00:00:54 on this product assortment. Looks like
00:00:56 an LTO potentially. First of all, first
00:00:59 thing you see, I don't know about you,
00:01:01 but I see 10 for 10. I mean, that is a
00:01:04 really aggressive sale price. Regular
00:01:06 $229 and now it's a dollar. That is a
00:01:10 significant TPR, total price reduction
00:01:12 right here for this brand. Usually
00:01:15 brands do that either right at the
00:01:17 beginning or let's say to really
00:01:19 stimulate volume when they desperately
00:01:21 need it and want it. I'm going to guess
00:01:23 it's sort of the latter one here. Second
00:01:25 of all, I'd say, you know, to me this is
00:01:28 an incredibly dramatic visual expression
00:01:31 of the brand. You can actually barely
00:01:34 see the brand. And in fact, I mean, I
00:01:36 can kind of see Prime, but not really.
00:01:38 The KSI stands out much more to me
00:01:42 anyway here. And then you see him here.
00:01:44 I mean, this graphics probably were put
00:01:46 together very quickly. That's my guess
00:01:48 because you can't even see the brand
00:01:49 name. You can't even read the full
00:01:51 tagline here. It just says thirst's
00:01:53 worst. That's really all I see. And I'm
00:01:55 like, "Oh gosh, does this taste bad?" To
00:01:57 me, that looks probably a little bit
00:01:58 rushed here graphically. It's just
00:02:00 basically a cheaper Gatorade is what I
00:02:03 see. Sort of a campy cheap Gatorade to
00:02:05 me. Rumor on the street is that Prime in
00:02:09 general is down 85% yearonear. That is
00:02:12 not good. When I see brands doing
00:02:15 executions like this where probably this
00:02:18 is a rapid innovation, opportunistic,
00:02:21 let's get some volume in there and then
00:02:23 10 for 10 and almost to a certain extent
00:02:26 hiding the brand name. To me that says
00:02:29 days are probably done here for Prime.

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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