Sweet Spot

Founder of Sweet Spot, an agency that utilises Social Powered Insights to find the moments that matter, revealing the potential for brands. Insights | Strategy | Brand | Digital

Founder and Managing Director

N2O Limited

Digital Strategy Director

Pynea

Strategy and Marketing Director

HRG (UK) Ltd

Digital Director

Billabong

Digital and Retail Marketing Manager

P&MM

Head of Consumer and Product Marketing

Blacks Leisure Group

Strategy and Digital Manager

logbuy

Head of UK Marketing

As the founder and strategy consultant of Sweet Spot Consulting, I use data-driven insights to find the moments that matter for brands. With over 20 years of experience in digital strategy, insights, strategy and innovation, I help clients unlock their brand potential and achieve profitable, scalable, and sustainable growth.

My core competencies include customer experience strategy, content marketing, eCommerce strategy, innovation thinking, and workshop management. I have a proven track record of creating and executing online and offline strategies based on consumer insights, technology trends, and business objectives. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and insights through speaking engagements and publications on topics such as AI, brand development, and marketing.

How can I help you?
My agency Sweet Spot utilises a 'Social Insights Powered' approach to your strategy to ensure your Brand, Digital and Category Marketing truly is human focused, by being powered by real time insights from your target customers and what they are talking about on social media. The biggest trends start on social and we have the tools to tap into the cultural conversation on your industry as it happens.

findthesweetspot.co.uk

👉 How do we scale healthier, more sustainable food choices without relying on sheer willpower?

Yesterday I had the chance to join the Stimulating Demand webinar with the Future Food Movement.

For me, one idea stood out: 

We need to design demand around how people already live.

Right now, choices are driven by cost, time, and occasion. If health and sustainability slot naturally into those patterns, instead of sitting on top of them - they’ll stick.

For me, it’s clear: if we want better food systems to scale, we can’t just innovate in isolation. We have to design for real lives and act ahead of demand.

Huge thanks to Kate Cawley for inviting me and my fellow panelists Anna Owen at Birds Eye, Alison Fildes, Bertie Matthews at Cotswold Flour and Natasha Maynard at Tesco for such an energising discussion. If you were there, I’d love to hear what stood out most for you 👇

#sustainability #healthyandsustainablediets #fmcg

✨ Tina Thompson

Decoding consumer behaviour across Reddit, YouTube & Tiktok for FMCG brands and agencies | Highly Commended Digital Woman of the Year 2024.

Do you have a product which sustains people and the planet? 🌍 

I am so excited for this on Thursday where I will be discussing the how brands can stimulate demand for sustainable products. 💡 

Looking at social media all the time we constantly see the difference between consumer and industry conversations. ⚔️ 

We see the actual tactics consumers use to stay sustainable, and how we can  trigger more buying and consuming of these products to increase demand. 📈 

Can't wait to discuss with:
- Anna Owen, Head of Sustainability for Birds Eye
- Bertie Matthews, Managing Director for Matthews Cotswold Flour
- Natasha Maynard, Company Nutritionist for Tesco.

Hosted by Kate Cawley from Veris Strategies

Join us @ https://lnkd.in/emNH34Zb

#sustainability #sustainableeating #fmcg

Not all sales triggers come printed in a calendar 📅


Christmas. 🎄  Valentine’s. ❤️   Mother’s Day. 💐 

If that’s your promo calendar… you’re playing small.

Because those aren’t sales triggers. They’re price wars. Everyone piles in, discounts fly, and you fight for scraps.

The real money?

It’s in the triggers nobody else is tracking.

⚡ Culture spikes: Every time Bridgerton drops, tea and biscuit sales rise. Did you plan for that?

⚡ Habit loops: Reset Sunday - the weekly ritual of stocking up. That’s 52 chances for repeat revenue.

⚡ Life customs: This year, families gifted teens chocolate during (and after) exams, as a 'keep going and focus mechanism' as well as a 'well done'. It’s been happening for years. Nobody planned for it.

These aren’t printed in calendars. They’re pulled from behaviour.

If you only market to what’s obvious, you’ll always be late.

The brands who win? They build systems to spot triggers in real time… and cash in before competitors even see them.

Do you know what your sales triggers are?

#marketing #consumerpsychology #triggers #digitalmarketing #sociallistening

Greenwashing has a new sibling. It’s called Cleanwashing.

You’ve probably noticed how the word “clean” has crept into consumer language.
 👉 “Clean eating.”
 👉 “Clean girl.”
 👉 “Clean skincare.”

It doesn’t mean bleach and antibacterial spray.
It means without the junk. Stripped back. Basic. Organic.

And just like with eco-labelling, brands are now wrestling with the same problem:
 💭 What actually makes a product clean?
 💭 Who gets to decide?
 💭 And how far do you have to go to be a clean brand?

The stakes are high. Greenwashing damaged trust because everyone defined eco differently. Some brands leaned too hard on fluffy labels without substance, and consumers saw through it.

The same risk applies here. Clean is a moving target - for some, it’s ingredient purity. For others, it’s process, transparency, or even how little your brand interferes with their lifestyle.

But here’s the upside…
✅ If you do get it right, you’re tapping into one of the strongest identity drivers in consumer culture today: people wanting to feel like their choices reflect their healthiest, most stripped-back selves.

The challenge? It’s not just a claim. It’s an earned identity.

So here’s the real question:

👉 Is your brand walking the talk on clean, or just hoping the label will do the heavy lifting?
#branding #fmcg #cpg #packaging #marketing #sociallistening

Marketers obsess over the first 5 seconds of a TikTok or YouTube video.
We know if the scroll doesn’t stop, the game’s over.

But then what?

That rule gets dropped the second we move deeper into the funnel.
Here’s the truth 👉 the hook isn’t just for social.
It belongs everywhere:
⚡ Your landing page headline.
⚡ The subject line of your emails (yes, even your community emails).
⚡ The front of your packaging on a busy shelf.
⚡ The first words in a buyer's pitch.
⚡ The opener of your investment deck.
The masters don’t forget this.

Mr Beast shocks you into paying attention.

Hormozi hits the pain before you’ve even taken a breath.
Both know one thing: attention is the hardest currency to earn, and the easiest thing to lose.
I see brands invest heavily in reach, but then miss the chance to hook when it really counts - at the point of decision.
That’s why I built Sweet Spot the way I did. Strategy isn’t just about bold thinking - it’s about making people sit up in the first 5 seconds, at every single stage of the funnel. Awareness. Engagement. Conversion. Retention.
So let me leave you with this:

If you applied the 5-second rule everywhere, not just at the top, what would you change? And how much more could you win?

#marketing #digitalmarketing #fmcg #cpg

One of the biggest mistakes I see brands make is comparing themselves to the wrong category.

Here’s what I mean 👇

Take a premium granola brand.
If you compare it to cornflakes, suddenly £4 a bag looks outrageous.

But if you compare it to protein bars or breakfast smoothies, suddenly £4 looks like incredible value for a wholesome, multi-serve product.

The product hasn’t changed. Only the frame of value has.

Yet I see brands fight to justify themselves in the lower-priced category, when the truth is they deserve to be benchmarked higher - not because of ego, but because of fit.

👉 If you’re priced above the “cheap shelf” but below the “luxury shelf,” the fastest way to kill your brand is to let the wrong category set your value.

Positioning is everything.

Get it wrong, you’re “too expensive.”

Get it right, you’re a bargain.

So the real question is: Who are you sitting next to on the shelf?
#positioning #consumerpsychology #marketing #fmcg #cpg

Most brands chase sales.
Smart brands chase retention.

Here are 3 things you can look at today that drive retention:

1️⃣ Spot the buying trigger

Consumers don’t buy at random, they buy in moments. Think: payday treats, Sunday resets, Friday nights in.

 👉 Task: Review your last month of customer activity. Can you spot a common spike in timing? Build your next campaign around that moment instead of blasting discounts.

2️⃣ Find the habit hook

Products that slot into routines get bought again and again. Coffee in the morning, skincare before bed, snack in the gym bag.

👉 Task: Interview 5 customers or scan social mentions. Where are they actually using you? Tighten your messaging to reinforce that habit.

3️⃣ Unlock the community multiplier

People stick with brands that make them feel they belong. It’s not about broadcasting, it’s about making them part of the story.

👉 Task: Post a poll, question, or co-creation idea today. Get them talking with you, not just buying from you.

💡 Retention isn’t about holding on tight.

It’s about designing moments, habits and belonging that make customers never want to leave.

#SociallListening #Marketing #FMCG #CPG

Every brand has it's own pair of red trainers. 🔴 
Do you know yours?

The Red Trainers (or Sneakers) Effect is one of my favourite behavioural quirks.

It's the idea that people who deliberately go against convention (like wearing red trainers in a sea of black shoes) can gain status and authority - but only if they already carry a degree of creditability.

Here's the trick:

When people are used to how a category operates; the way products are sold, packaged, promoted - breaking all the rules feels powerful! 

- It disrupts routines. 
- It cuts through bias. 
- It makes people pay attention.

But here's the catch:
It can look sloppy. Rebellious without a cause.

We see this play out everyday:

✨ Effective examples:

Ryanair’s savage one-line tweets- cheap, brutal, but perfectly aligned with their low-cost, no-frills brand.

Liquid Death breaking all the rules of bottled water marketing with heavy metal aesthetics and dark humour.

❌ Less effective examples:

Brands hopping on trending TikToks that clash with their category values (think luxury brands posting forced memes).

Legacy food brands suddenly “doing Gen Z slang” without context or credibility - it jars, and audiences call it out.

So when should you use the Red Trainers Effect?

👉 When you know the conventions of your category inside out.
👉 When your brand can break the rules with a relatable purpose.
👉 When the rule-break directly reinforces your positioning.

Every brand has its own pair of red trainers.

Do you know what yours are?

#marketing #fmcgmarketing #socialmedia #branding

How AI helps us get out of our 'what do you want to do' loop at home.


Rainy day. Bored day. 🌧️ 
Instead of the usual 'what do you want to do' ... 'I don't know' loop, we've been running our own AI-powered cinema at home.

Here’s how it works:
 🎥 We pick a film.
 🖊 We open one of 50 envelopes I prepped.
 🤖 AI helps me come up with themed snacks, drinks, and activities for less than £10.

This was our Sonic movie night 👇

🍩 Golden Ring Donuts
🌭 Chili Dog Sliders
🍿 Speedster Popcorn Mix
💎 Chaos Emerald Jellies
⚡ Blue Blur Slushies

All in, under £10. And the fun lasts longer than the film.

We’ve been doing this for months - themed movie nights powered by AI. 

My nine year old son gets to cook, craft and create, and I get to sit back and watch the magic unfold.

That’s the power of AI we don’t talk about enough. It doesn’t just belong in strategy decks or boardrooms - it can spark everyday creativity that makes life lighter, cheaper, and a lot more fun.

#ai #chatgpt #kidsactivities #parent #snacking

Every day means every day.
Yes, even on holiday. 🌴
So here’s today’s post. Short. Sweet. Done. 🙂
#onholiday #digitaldetox #outofoffice #backmonday

Do you know which movements your brand is already part of?

Because here’s the thing.

Movements don’t need you to create them. They already exist. Consumers name them, live them, and build communities around them long before a brand decides to jump in.

Here are a few social media trends that are shaping FMCG right now:

🌱 Clean Girl Aesthetic
Not just beauty - it’s changed how people buy food, skincare, even their iced coffees. Minimalism, ‘clean’ ingredients, simple packaging.

🍬 Lazy Dinner
It started as a TikTok fad called ‘Girl Dinner’, but it’s now redefining snacking occasions. Charcuterie boards, random fridge items, small indulgences… 

🪙 Soft Saving
 A cultural shift that’s reshaping how shoppers spend: achievable savings goals, swapping big luxuries for affordable feel-good treats. 

🧠 Dopamine Dressing & Eating
 Products promising a “mood lift” - from bright-packaged cereals to functional drinks with adaptogens - tap into the same desire: joy on demand.

🔥 Swicy (Sweet + Spicy)
Not a trend term from brands, but a consumer-created flavour movement. Now it’s influencing everything from crisps to cocktails.

Your brand is already being pulled into movements like these, whether you notice it or not.

The opportunity? To stop just chasing trends and start understanding the movements that really drive your audience’s choices.

Because movements are where culture - and demand begins.

Do you know which movements your brand has been riding (accidentally)?

#SocialListening #Marketing #FMCG #CPG #SweetSpot

Great products don’t fail because they’re bad. 
They fail because no one can prove the market. 🚫📈

I see it every day.
Founders spend months (sometimes years) perfecting a product. Packaging looks great. Taste tests go well. Friends say it’s brilliant.

Then they hit the wall.
Retailers. Investors. Buyers.

They all ask the same 5 words:
 👉 “Give me the data that proves it.”

That’s the real test.

It's not about how good your product is or how passionate you are.
It's not about how much money you’ve sunk into it.

The only thing that matters is proof.

✅ Proof that there’s a big enough market today.
📊 Proof that demand is growing tomorrow.
🚀 Proof that you’re not just another “nice idea” on the shelf.

Here’s the mistake I see: most brands only measure success by sales. But sales are a lagging indicator. By the time you’re looking at them, you’ve already won or lost.

The brands that scale don’t just track what people bought. They track what people are talking about, searching for, and getting excited about, before the sales even land.

Because proof isn’t just numbers. It’s momentum. ⚡

👉 So here’s the question... 

Are you measuring proof late, when it’s too late to act, or are you spotting it early enough to shape your growth?

#fmcg #demand #data #cpg

Most FMCG collabs are lazy.

Brand X + Brand Y. A nice press release. A couple of social posts. Then everyone forgets about it.

Here’s the truth 👇
If you’re just copying your competitors, you’re already late to the party.

Here’s a better way of finding the right collabs that will move the needle…
We are an iced coffee brand.

1. Competitor collabs (already done):
 Energy drink x Gym Chains.
 Cold Brew x Protein Powder.
 Safe. Predictable. Boring.

2. Adjacent markets (better):
 What else do my customers enjoy with iced coffee?
 → Brunch cafés.
 → Ready-to-drink smoothies.
 → Oat milk brands.
 This works - it’s relevant and builds usage occasions.

3. Target culture (best):
 What are my customers actually excited about right now?
 Iced coffee drinkers are all over:
 → Vinyl listening nights.
 → Limited sneaker drops.

So why not:
 ⚡ A limited-edition iced coffee flavour drop at a sneaker event.
 ⚡ Or a Coffee + Vinyl subscription box for the perfect Saturday ritual.

That’s not just Brand X + Brand Y.

That’s tapping behaviour + culture to create something no one else can copy.

👉 Stop looking sideways at competitors. Start looking forward to your customer’s world.
#collabs #marketing #fmcg #cpg #sociallistening

How might we...sell the same product to 5 different markets?

When you know what problem your product solves...
Have you ever tried reframing the problem so your product suddenly solves more?

It's one of the simplest ways to open up new markets and not hit that sales plateau.

For example, instead of saying 'We sell a healthy snack bar', you could reframe it with How Might We... questions that open up new commercial opportunities:

How Might We...

🍫 Fuel the afternoon energy crash without another coffee?

🥪 Make packed lunches feel more exciting for kids?

🎉 Give hosts an easy party treat that feels indulgent but light?

🏃‍♀️ Help fitness fans stay on track without boring options?

🚗 Create a no-mess car snack for parents on the school run?

Same product.
Five different problems.
Five different markets.
Many more shoppers and consumers.

The reframing game isn't about changing your product, packaging or visual branding. It's about changing the lens to find the product fit that reflects actual needs.

#marketing #fmcgmarketing #branding #consumerpsychology #shoppermarketing

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
We don’t buy products because we want them.
We buy because we don’t want to lose out.
That’s loss aversion.
And it’s why “mob mentality” marketing works.
👉 If they’re doing it, I should be doing it too.
But here’s the thing most brands get wrong:
You don’t need influencers on yachts. You don’t need celebrities.
What really sells?
Seeing the best version of yourself reflected back at you.
It could be:
✨ A mum of 7 who somehow has it together - business, bills, life.
✨ The savvy shopper who stretches £20 into 5 M&S dinners.
✨ The organised one who uses a Christmas Planner and never panics in December.
That’s who people copy.
Not because they want their life.
But because they’re scared of missing out on what their own life could look like.
So when you’re choosing who should represent your brand, stop asking:
“How many followers do they have?”

And start asking:
👉 “Who looks like the best version of my customer?”
That’s how aspiration works.
That’s when sales follow.
#influencermarketing #marketing #fmcg #cpg #digitalmarketing #consumerpsychology

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