CASE STUDY: NUTIVA

In a hyper-competitive superfood market, where consumers are increasingly seeking new, non-sugar based, healthy food and beverage alternatives. While in line with the overall rise in healthy lifestyles, small and mid-size brands need to find ways to break through the clutter, adopt and engage with a loyal following.

As the nation’s fastest growing organic superfood company, with an impressive track record of bringing transparency to the food industry, Nutiva was faced with the challenge of positioning its brand for accelerated growth, new product lines and continued activism. Also seeking a purpose-driven brand story that could establish the company as a benchmark for product transparency, sustainable manufacturing, and contribution to food and sustainability causes.

We First collaborated with Nutiva to address its key challenge. To cut through the clutter of an increasingly crowded superfood category with a brand positioning and story grounded in purpose. This would propel Nutiva for category leadership, greater awareness and increased sales. The goal was to empower the brands to lead a consumer movement around the responsible production and consumption of food and treatment of the planet. Without massive marketing or advertising budgets found in the large corporate brands such as Kelloggs or General Mills, brands need new approaches to emotionally connect with consumers in ways that resonate and drive sales.

We First worked closely with upper management and the CEO to define the brand story and framing for Nutiva. Along with this, We First developed internal story strategies for integration among employees, providing a social media plan with channel-specific strategies and tactics to put the story into action.

The result?

Nutiva has a proprietary positioning and story that differentiates it in the category, which now appears on all of its products and marketing materials. The brand story, ‘Nurture Vitality’, informs all social media content produced by the company and empowers it to speak about personal health and sustainability with equal fluency. The same story informs community outreach and Foundation work. This ensures that the brand communicates with a purposeful message that is simple, consistent and scalable in ways that build the business.

And the bottom line speaks for itself. According to Inc. magazine, between 2011 and 2014, Nutiva’s revenue grew 482%. In 2012, Nutiva brought in $12 million and by 2016 raked in nearly $95 million. It is projected to grow to $1 billion by 2025.

What the Nutiva case study illustrates is the power of a compelling, proprietary purpose in driving growth in unlocking opportunities both internally and externally across the entire business. In a time when consumers “wouldn’t care if 74% of the brands they use just disappeared”, brands that define and bring to life their purpose in meaningful ways offer consumers a refreshed point of view and category differentiation to consider at point of purchase.

Wonder how to define your purpose and unlock long-term value for your business? Visit We First Works and enroll today for our course, Defining and Activating Company Purpose. Enrollment ends August 31st.