FOCUS: BRAND CLARITY ISSUES | AUDIENCE: EXPERTS WITH IGNORED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I helped a vegan expert stop explaining exotic foods that confused … when audiences craved one-glance easy meals.
The vegan expert was driven by a strong sense of evangelism and passion. She wanted to prove that veganism could be exciting and limitless. To do this, she created content around rare grains, obscure superfoods, and complex preparation styles. Her website, talks, and social feeds overflowed with unfamiliar foods that looked impressive but felt overwhelming.
Her audience, however, came mostly from the mainstream: busy professionals, parents, and health-conscious consumers curious about veganism. They were put off by recipes that required ordering powders online or tracking down rare ingredients. Instead of seeing veganism as simple and accessible, they saw it as complicated and out of reach.
I uncovered that the problem wasn’t her lack of expertise, but her lack of clarity. She mistook showcasing variety for creating accessibility. Her message needed to pivot from “look at all these exotic foods” to “see how easy vegan meals can be.” The audience didn’t need encyclopaedic knowledge at first glance … they needed reassurance that veganism could fit into their everyday routines.
The insight was clear: brand clarity lies in giving people the one-glance grasp. Without it, even the most passionate expertise becomes invisible. Audiences decide in seconds if something feels relevant. If they can’t grasp it instantly, they move on to another voice.
My breakthrough idea was to make her brand the champion of easy vegan swaps. I reframed her positioning from an evangelist of rare foods to a relatable expert who helps people build everyday vegan habits. Instead of leading with powders and roots from halfway across the world, we shifted to “five-ingredient pantry meals” and “vegan lunches in under ten minutes.”
By keeping exotic foods as a “deep dive” for enthusiasts, but presenting simple meals as the entry point, her brand gained accessibility. The one-glance grasp became: “Vegan food can be simple, fast, and delicious.” That was the magnetic hook missing before.
The new strategy was to strip away complexity and spotlight clarity. We redesigned her website’s hero banner with one sharp message: “Everyday Vegan Made Easy.” Social media became home to bite-sized meal demos. Talks were structured around three clear takeaways instead of ten abstract ideas. This consistency helped the brand become recognisable at a glance.
The transformation didn’t mean dumbing down her expertise. It meant sequencing her content: clarity first, depth later. Once audiences felt confident with simple meals, they naturally showed curiosity about advanced foods, creating a healthier pipeline of engagement.
Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:
Easy Meal Reels: Short Instagram and TikTok videos showing vegan meals made in under 10 minutes.
Pantry Staple Posts: Content highlighting how everyday items like beans, rice, and vegetables can become complete meals.
One-Glance Recipe Cards: Infographic-style posts with bold visuals, showing ingredients and steps at a glance.
Weekly Easy Swap Challenges: Encouraging followers to swap one meal a week with a simple vegan option.
Beginner’s Guide eBook: A free download focusing only on easy meals for first-time vegans.
Lunchbox Inspirations: Social series with practical vegan lunch ideas for working professionals.
Super Simple Series: A content stream where every recipe uses no more than five ingredients.
Visual Pinterest Boards: Boards titled “Easy Vegan Breakfasts” or “Quick Vegan Dinners,” filled with approachable recipes.
Collaborations with Micro-Influencers: Partnering with relatable lifestyle influencers to cook simple meals together.
Simple Recipe Email Drip: Automated welcome emails with three easy meals to get followers started without overwhelm.
Social engagement on recipe content increased by 178%.
Newsletter sign-ups grew by 64% after launching the easy meal eBook.
Speaking invitations rose by 40% as her clarity made her more attractive to event organisers.
Average video view time doubled when content focused on easy meals.
CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.
If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “When a Spice Webinar Deck Pushed Range, Not Real Cooking.“
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “How a Mindfulness Platform Disconnected from Followers’ Minds.“
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