How a Millet Snack Brand Bit Off More Variety Than It Could Swallow

CASE STUDY: PRODUCT BRAND OF A MILLET-BASED SNACK LINE

FOCUS: BRAND SCALING RISKS | AUDIENCE: INVESTORS IN SLUGGISH BRANDS

I helped a millet snack brand regroup its confused product range by returning to a story around five heritage SKUs.

The Brand Challenge

This millet-based snack brand started with a tight and tasty range of four products … all rooted in traditional grains and regional flavours. Their early success came from simplicity: a clear proposition, attractive earthy packaging, and strong appeal among urban health-conscious consumers looking for traditional snacking alternatives. Initial traction on D2C channels and niche retailers was strong.

But the brand got ambitious too quickly. In just eighteen months, they had released 20+ variants … jackfruit crisps, spiced lotus stem bites, tangy moringa chips, seasonal laddoos, even festival gift boxes. Each extension had a reason … but collectively they blurred the brand. Retailers couldn’t decide which SKUs to stock. Website visitors bounced without converting. The brand’s identity as a millet-first offering got lost in a swirl of flavour experiments. Sales volume plateaued. Investor patience wore thin.

The Brand Insight

My analysis of product-level performance revealed a telling pattern. The original four SKUs accounted for over 70% of recurring sales. Most new items had only one-time buyers. Site heatmaps showed paralysis at the category level: users hovered but didn’t click. Interviews with former repeat customers uncovered a common refrain: “I used to know what this brand stood for … now it feels like everything and nothing.”

The insight was clear: the extensions weren’t failing individually … they were eroding the brand collectively. The overabundance of SKUs created decision fatigue and mistrust. Shoppers struggled to distinguish hero products from experiments. In chasing relevance, the brand had abandoned recognisability.

The Big Brand Idea

I recommended a reframe of the brand architecture … not by cutting SKUs, but by resegmenting the product family into three clear collections. We redefined the range into: (1) Heritage Heroes (the original bestsellers), (2) Seasonal Curios (limited, playful additions), and (3) Community Picks (products co-created with customer input).

This structure brought meaning back to the menu. Instead of dumping products in one long scroll, we made each category a story. Heritage Heroes were positioned as everyday staples. Curios became an exploration space. Community Picks invited participation. This not only simplified the catalogue but also increased buyer trust in the brand’s voice and intentions.

The Brand New Strategy

I redesigned the homepage and product menus to showcase these three groupings visually and narratively. Email flows were rebuilt to welcome users into the world of ‘flavour with roots’. Returning customers were guided toward the hero range they originally loved, while new users were offered a sampler path into all three segments.

We also built social content around each group … celebrating Heritage Heroes as household staples, showing behind-the-scenes footage of new Curios, and spotlighting customers whose ideas led to Community Picks. This three-lens structure made the brand feel stable yet adventurous, and revived a sense of edible storytelling around every bite.

10 New Content Directions

Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:

Heritage Hero Highlight Reels: Video content focusing on the origin story of each core SKU and its cultural significance.
Interactive Flavour Polls: Social polls letting customers vote on which new Curios should make the seasonal cut.
Email Welcome Journey: A three-part email flow introducing each segment with stories, samplers, and reviews.
Retail Shelf Talkers: QR-coded in-store placards linking to microsites for each of the three categories.
Community Recipe Feature: Monthly blog posts where users share how they use the snacks in home cooking.
Snack Discovery Quiz: A fun website quiz that leads users to the collection that fits their palate.
User-led Naming Contests: For upcoming Community Picks, inviting audience co-creation.
Social Series: #SnackRoots, featuring heritage ingredients and the farmers behind them.
Limited-Time Curio Launches: Countdown timers and behind-the-scenes teaser videos on product development.
Regional Bundle Offers: Ecomm kits curated by region … like “South Indian Sampler” or “North-East Explorer” … to promote discovery.

Results Within 6 Months

Conversion rate improved by 31% across D2C platforms.
Monthly repeat customer rate rose by 42%.
Community Picks received over 800 name suggestions and 3,000 votes.
68% of total revenue came from the five Heritage SKUs alone.

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.

Extra Tip for Broader Perspective

If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “How a Legacy Jewellery House Dimmed Its Founder’s Radiance.“

And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “How a Career Strategist Lost Her Story Fixing Everyone Else’s.“

Take your brand from stuck to full throttle − with one bold strategic shift

"One BIG IDEA can turn brand stagnation into unstoppable movement. Spots are limited each week ... book your breakthrough session now."

Shobha Ponnappa

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