2026-02-05

6 FMCG challenges strategic design can solve

It’s easy to think growth always comes down to “more marketing” or “more launches.” In reality, it’s often the system around the product that’s leaking: clarity, portfolio logic, recognition, and execution. On shelf and in digital.


Here are six situations we see again and again, and what changes when they’re solved properly.




1) The strategy has moved on, but the brand still looks like the old version


  • Symptom: You’ve changed direction, audience, or channel yet the brand and packaging still communicate the previous positioning. 
  • Effect: Confusion, internal friction, and a harder time commanding price. 
  • What we do: We translate strategy into an updated brand system. Positioning, expression, pack hierarchy, and scalable rules. 
  • Case: Saturnus Coffee Syrup needed a more premium feel in grocery retail, without losing recognition. We created a “café / everyday luxury” expression that feels premium while still keeping existing customers.




2) The product is right, but it’s not gaining traction in the market


  • Symptom: Strong content and quality, but weak visibility, trial, or repeat purchase.
  • Effect: Promo dependency, price pressure, and slow brand growth. 
  • What we do: We sharpen the “why buy,” clarify claims and benefits, improve pack hierarchy, and build recognition across variants. 
  • Case: Saturnus Glögg had strong quality and heritage, but underperformed in store. Through strategy, clearer positioning, portfolio structure, and redesign across variants, we built a more recognisable system with seasonal storytelling.




3) The field is changing - requirements, materials and production need an upgrade


  • Symptom: New expectations around materials, sustainability, and documentation or production quality is no longer consistent. 
  • Effect: Rework, rising costs, poor investment decisions, and a loss of premium feel.
  • What we do: We re-engineer design and production: specs, material choices, supplier set-up, and finishes so it holds up in the real world. 
  • Case snippet: André Clouet had handcrafted originals and worn print plates. We modernised from the ground up: digitised the artwork, updated print specs, and moved to more sustainable, lower-impact methods without losing the “wow” of foils and details.




4) The portfolio feels like a set of products, not a system


  • Symptom: Every new SKU becomes a new design project, and shoppers struggle to navigate the range. 
  • Effect: A weaker shelf block, less cross-sell, and higher cost to launch and manage.
  • What we do: We build portfolio architecture and a modular design system with clear rules - tiers, variants, and a master layout. 
  • Case: For Millu, we built a coherent packaging system across several products in different formats. The focus was clear recognition, easy navigation, and a logic that allows new products to be added without breaking the system.




5) Differentiation is too weak - you look like the category


  • Symptom: The product is great, but the expression is interchangeable and competitors feel “the same.” 
  • Effect: Easy to copy, hard to win attention on shelf, and price becomes the main argument. 
  • What we do: We define a clear territory and create distinctive brand assets you can own over time, form typography, cues, and story. 
  • Case: LIV Vodka was perceived as too anonymous to win market share. With a new bottle and sleeve-wrap as an opportunity, we developed a clearer, more eye-catching expression, especially important when the bottle is often on the table in HORECA.




6) There’s a shelf-to-screen gap - the pack has to perform everywhere


  • Symptom: It works in store, but disappears on small screens (or the other way around). 
  • Effect: Lower conversion in e-commerce and retail media, and weaker recognition across channels. 
  • What we do: We optimise hierarchy, contrast, typography, and format logic and set content rules so the expression holds up everywhere. 
  • Case: The Diplomático Discovery Box was designed with an upright tube solution (instead of horizontal). That improved usability (the box becomes a holder during tastings) and display value while materials and finishes reinforced the premium feel.


 


Quick check


  • Is it clear within three seconds why someone should choose you - and which variant is right?
  • Could you launch a new SKU without reinventing the design from scratch?