Summary

Too many organisations mistake naming a new subcategory for progress. The real signal gets buried by proof gaps and split language. Clarity returns when customer outcomes in the current category force a choice. That’s when your organisation regains momentum—and earns permission to stretch the category for growth.

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Our Perspective

What this means for leaders navigating growth, change or transformation in their organisation.

Category As Shortcut

Category isn’t a filing system; it’s the shortcut buyers use to judge fit, value and risk. In pressured markets, people seek certainty and familiar comparisons, so the label you occupy frames how fast you’re understood and how credibly you’re assessed. Morning Consult finds that the share of U.S. adults who now lean toward more affordable options rose from 74% in early 2021 to 81% by early 2025. When customers are primed this way, coining a new term rarely helps. They don’t want a new map; they want clearer outcomes within the map they already use.

Pattern Before Naming

New language should follow a recognisable pattern, not try to create one. Most organisations we work with discover the category issue is really a proof gap, not a naming gap. Before you rename, validate where buyers already place you and which outcomes they expect from that shelf.

Look for signals that anchor you to the current category:

• Recurring search terms in inbound queries, tenders and analyst notes.
• Procurement checklists and comparison matrices used by target accounts.
• How adjacent partners and marketplaces catalogue your offer.

Proof Creates Permission

Evidence reshapes perception faster than rhetoric. The market grants you permission to stretch a category once results show a repeatable pattern of value. Morning Consult reports that roughly 43% of U.S. consumers have reduced or stopped spend with grocery and restaurant brands due to cost pressures, a reminder that proof of value is now the primary filter. So, show your working and make it specific to the category you’re in.

Build proof that buyers recognise:

• Quantified outcomes benchmarked against known alternatives.
• Reference customers from the same category and use case.
• Pricing logic that aligns with the results you promise.
• Third‑party comparisons that verify your claims.

Leadership Moves

When growth is the goal, aim for alignment, not invention-for-its-own-sake. Tie category perception to how you actually go to market and how you measure progress.

Three practical moves:

• Clarify the segment you’ll win now, then design message, pricing and channels to serve that segment unequivocally.
• Sequence any naming change after clear adoption signals: repeated wins, stable use cases, and consistent willingness to pay.
• Track alignment metrics: shortlist rates versus your declared category, time to close against category peers, and the share of revenue from the focus segment.

What follows is simple but not easy: treat the category as the customer’s decision frame, earn the right to stretch it with proof, and you’ll find the market moves with you rather than against you.

Sources:

• Increasing Cost of Living is Damaging Brand Loyalty — Morning Consult
• Consumers Increasingly Turn to Affordable Options — What Brands Do They Think Are a Good Value? — Morning Consult

Further Resources

1. Evolving Brand Positioning: Aligning Perception with Growth
2. Aligning Brand Positioning: Strategies for Modern Growth
3. USP and Brand Promise: Aligning for Strategic Clarity

Curious how this applies in your market? We’re speaking with leaders across industries every week. Let’s talk.

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