CPG growth: How to build a strategy that supports success

Feeling stuck on the retail shelves? You’re not alone. Many CPG brands hit that growth plateau where their products seem to blend into the background. New SKUs struggle to gain traction, and mastering the leap from direct-to-consumer to physical retail feels impossible. 

The difference between brands that break through and those that stagnate often comes down to one thing: a strategic approach built for sustainable growth. To succeed in CPG, you need a plan for connecting with your ideal consumers where they already are.

Ready to build some sustainable momentum for your brand? Let’s explore how to create a growth strategy that boosts immediate sales and transforms browsers into buyers.

First, define your growth goals

When it comes to building a CPG brand, your growth goals are both your North Star and measuring stick. These goals can help you navigate decisions and track whether your efforts are paying off. 

Successful CPG brands aim to grow. To achieve this, CPG brands create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals.  A typical goal might be to increase sales. A SMART goal, on the other hand, would be more specific: boost sales of our new plant-based snack line by 15% in the Midwest region by Q3. 

Each goal should have key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs tell you whether or not you’re on track. Is it units sold? Retailer adoption rate? Social media engagement? Customer touchpoints? Web traffic from a specific zip code? Only you know the right KPIs for your brand’s goals. 

But one fact is universal: when you look at the right metrics, you know when you’re making progress and when it’s time to course-correct. 

Some common goals that drive long-term success: 

• Attracting first-time customers to try your product

• Breaking into new geographical markets or retailer partnerships 

• Increasing sales velocity within existing retailers 

• Launching new initiatives to boost profit margins through operational efficiencies 

• Expanding product development to capture different occasions or consumer needs 

• Building brand loyalty and increasing repeat purchase rates 

Next, get to know your target audience 

Let’s say you’ve created the most irresistible gluten-free cookie on the planet, but you’re marketing it to fitness enthusiasts who’ve sworn off sweet treats. Whoops! If you don’t understand your audience, you could be talking to an empty room. 

Market research doesn’t have to be intimidating. Start by observing consumers in their natural habitat — yes, that means hanging out in stores and scrolling through social media. Notice what makes consumers pause, what they put back on the shelf, and what they buy. Tools like online surveys, focus groups, and social listening uncover valuable intel about what your ideal customers want. 

Pay special attention to: 

• Price sensitivity

• Shopping habits (are they impulse buyers or list-makers?)

• Lifestyle values (sustainability, convenience, health concerns)

• Consumer preferences and emerging market trends they’re curious about but can’t find solutions for 

Customer segmentation is an important part of market research in the CPG industry. Divide your customers into groups that reflect their demographics, psychographics, geographics, behavior, needs, or hobbies. Companies that use segmentation data and consumer insights are more likely to understand their customers’ motivations and effectively address their concerns.

Then, choose tactics that support your goals 

Not all tools are a fit for every task. You wouldn’t use a hammer to frost a cake, right? The same applies here: not all growth tactics fit every goal. You don’t want to blindly make trendy marketing moves simply because that’s what your competitors are doing. 

Maybe your marketing campaigns drive awareness but fail to connect to your in-store sample program. Does your packaging redesign complement your sustainability messaging? The most successful CPG companies create an ecosystem of tactics that complement each other. 

Here are a few ways to align your goals with corresponding tactics: 

• Looking to break into new markets? Combine retail expansion with hyperlocal marketing strategies that speak the area’s language. Shoppers in one city might respond to different messaging than customers in another city.

• Want to expand your product offerings? Balance splashy limited editions that generate buzz with supply chain optimizations that ensure you can deliver on consumer demand. 

• Seeking stronger brand awareness? Strategic partnerships might be your superpower, whether that’s collaborating with complementary brands or teaming up with trusted local voices who can introduce you to their communities. 

• Need to boost customer loyalty? Combining loyalty programs, engaging social content, and consistent product quality will keep customers coming back for more. 

Simply put, use your resources to deliver maximum impact where it matters most! 

Influencer marketing: A go-to tactic for CPG

Consumers trust their friends more than they trust Facebook ads. That’s why influencer marketing has become the not-so-secret weapon for CPG brands looking to cut through the noise. Unlike traditional advertising that talks at customers, influencer partnerships create authentic conversations about your products in the places where your target audience already hangs out. 

The magic of influencer marketing is its versatility. A single strategic partnership can drive brand awareness, generate amazing content for your social channels, and move product off the shelves. While your email promotion might get ignored, the local mom influencer raving about how your snack saved her Tuesday afternoon gets people talking. 

When building your influencer strategy: 

• Think local. Partnering with community-based creators establishes geographical relevance that national campaigns can’t match. 

• Find the sweet spot between brand guidelines and creative freedom. Powerful content shouldn’t feel scripted. 

• Remember that influencers can become your most passionate customers. You can’t say the same about a billboard. 

The trendiest, fastest-growing consumer packaged goods brands are making influencer voices central to their growth strategies. Consumers will always gravitate toward the products real people love. 

Execute and don’t be afraid to adapt 

Ready, set, launch! After all that planning, it’s finally time to watch your growth strategy take flight. This is the real test — when your carefully crafted tactics meet the unpredictable real world of consumer behavior. 

As your strategy unfolds, keep those KPIs close at hand. Is that influencer partnership driving the trial rates you expected? Are your new market expansion efforts hitting velocity targets and increasing your market share? Your metrics tell a story about what’s resonating with consumers and what might need a second look. 

Approach measurement with curiosity rather than judgment. When something works better than expected (like a viral TikTok video), be ready to shift resources to fan the flames. But when tactics underperform, resist the urge to immediately abandon ship. First, investigate whether a small tweak might turn things around. 

Sometimes you might need to adapt, and that’s okay. Adapting is the hallmark of responsive brands that prioritize results over rigidity. Maybe your limited edition flavor is outperforming your core product line, or your local influencers in one city are driving triple the engagement of other markets. Think of these insights as plot twists that can lead to even more success. 

The CPG market evolves constantly. The brands that thrive are the ones that evolve along with it. 

Learn how CPG brands are growing their businesses with influencer marketing 

Today’s dynamic CPG brands are building communities around them. Local influencers are the bridge between your brand story and your ideal customers. These partnerships deliver the trifecta every growing brand needs: awareness, compelling content, and consumer goods sold. 

This is where Hummingbirds can help you really elevate your marketing game. Our platform simplifies the process of finding and collaborating with the perfect local creators. We make influencer marketing easy, that way you can focus on building lasting brand love. 

But don’t just take our word for it. Innovative brands like Olipop and Goodles have transformed their growth potential through Hummingbirds collaborations, turning local influencers into powerful brand advocates who drive real results. 

Ready to transform your growth strategy with the power of local influence? Find out how your CPG brand can harness these partnerships to soar past your growth goals!