- Aspirational marketing works well, but risks backlash if it lacks authenticity
- Ceremonial cacao is booming in the US, sold as a mystical, ritual experience – though many claims remain unverified
- Consumer trust is dropping fast: only 50% of US consumers trust brands – and even fewer among Gen Z
WHEN buying products, consumers are often driven by the desire for a specific feeling, the fulfilment of a dream, or a memorable experience.
But how far can brands go in crafting this allure before straying from the truth about what the product truly offers? Has this blurred line contributed to a decline in consumer trust?
Some brands promise something extraordinary with their products – be it an energy-boosting drink, a car that will enrich your life, or a food that enhances health. In today’s market, consumers increasingly seek brands that reflect their personal values. Aspirational marketing can be highly effective in this landscape but can backfire if it lacks honesty, making authenticity essential.
Marketing that taps into aspiration often highlights themes like success, resilience, and growth, resonating with consumers’ long-term ambitions rather than offering just immediate satisfaction. This approach builds deeper connections, aligning the brand with the consumer’s journey and values.
Bain & Company’s B2B Elements of Value identifies 40 core values across different buyer groups, organising them in a pyramid that illustrates the hierarchy of buyer priorities. At the top of the pyramid are inspirational values, while functional values form the base.
Unlike immediate desires or hopes, aspiration is a long-term ambition, and brands are increasingly leveraging these deeper aspirations to connect with and sell to consumers.
These marketing strategies often feature real-life stories of individuals who faced a challenge, used the product to overcome it, and went on to find success.
While these narratives can be shared authentically, they can also be exaggerated, sometimes shifting attention away from the actual quality of the product. Research shows that consumer trust has been on the decline; a recent survey revealed that only 50% of US consumers trust their brands, with even lower trust among Gen Z, at just 28%.
“Brands are amalgams of market-based identifiers that help make a company’s products and/or services distinct to consumers,” says Spencer Ross, associate professor of marketing at the Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
“By making one brand distinct from the next, all of these signifiers help a business increase consumer knowledge about the brand, build relationships, foster loyalty, and ultimately increase brand equity.”
As a result, brands are increasingly focusing on building emotional connections rather than highlighting the product itself. To foster genuine trust, they need to shift their emphasis toward marketing grounded in reality rather than promoting intangible ideals or dreams.
Achieving this requires crafting clear, authentic messages about the product, targeting the right audience, and effectively conveying that message. But the question remains: how can these messages be validated and ensure authenticity?
The ultimate ruse – stretching rules and escaping accountability
Health and wellness products are often guilty of using potentially misleading marketing tactics. Take ceremonial cacao, for example: while many brands claim their cacao is “ceremonial” and offers specific benefits, where is the proof?
Some even claim that there was no ceremonial cacao in Mesoamerica – saying that while it was considered a sacred food, there was no celebration per se.
Without an external body to certify these claims, it’s difficult to verify them. Some say that true ceremonial cacao should be high-grade, intended to emulate the spiritual practices of the Mayan and Aztec peoples. But if a brand advertises its cacao as ceremonial, how can consumers trust these qualities are authentic (especially if there was no practice in the first place)?
Many products marketed with intangible qualities, such as ceremonial cacao, operate with minimal oversight, allowing brands to make bold, often unverified claims about their benefits.
Unlike food or pharmaceuticals, which are subject to rigorous regulatory standards, products like ceremonial cacao often exist in a regulatory grey area. In these niches, brands can weave mystical health and wellness claims into their marketing, suggesting benefits tied to ancient rituals or spiritual practices without requiring certification or independent validation.
The absence of external validation means consumers must take these brands at their word, trusting that the cacao they buy is as “ceremonial” or as “transformative” as advertised.
This dynamic can be risky; without any governing body to certify product quality or validate the health benefits, consumers can end up paying premium prices for items that may not deliver on their promises.
As a result, the wellness industry, especially with products like ceremonial cacao, has been criticised for leveraging consumer trust in pursuit of profit – capitalising on the appeal of spiritual or alternative health narratives without accountability.
Marketing unchecked by third-party audits can also inflate prices, positioning products as rare or transformative while offering little in return beyond a label. This approach leaves buyers vulnerable to inflated expectations and can diminish consumer trust over time, as promised benefits don’t materialise.
As customers become more discerning, there’s a growing need for brands to balance inspiration with authenticity, ensuring that marketing aligns with real product value.
In contrast, the specialty coffee industry has traditionally taken a more transparent, product-focused approach.
Rather than leaning on mystical or intangible qualities, specialty coffee brands often emphasise the traceable origins, unique profiles, and artisanal processes that shape their coffee. This transparency and focus on quality have allowed specialty coffee to gain credibility and loyalty within its niche, positioning it as a more trustworthy alternative in the world of premium products.
“Specialty coffee has managed to ‘sell’ consumption around the hedonic elements of the product,” says Spencer. “In doing so, it creates value perceptions that focus on the product itself – beyond just a caffeinated beverage.”
The narrative revolves around the journey from bean to cup, allowing consumers to appreciate and understand exactly what they’re paying for.
Yet, even within specialty coffee, there’s an argument for brands to listen more closely to the market. As wellness trends continue to intersect with consumer expectations, could specialty coffee benefit from appealing more to the consumer’s desire for holistic wellness?
A thoughtful approach would allow specialty coffee brands to maintain their commitment to quality and transparency while exploring new, market-responsive strategies to engage consumers on both practical and emotional levels.
The future of marketing: Selling experiences over products
In some cases, marketing can have a greater impact than the product itself, leading consumers to pursue lower-quality products that promise to fulfil a dream or desire.
However, when brands fail to deliver the experience they advertise, consumer trust inevitably suffers.
This effect is particularly pronounced among Gen Z, a generation with significant purchasing power compared to older age groups. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, younger consumers build lasting trust through ongoing brand engagement after the initial purchase. This ongoing relationship not only establishes trust but also encourages repeat purchases.
“The question of selling dreams or experiences rather than a product, or stretching the truth about a product, is complex because each consumer’s brand perception is multifaceted,” says Spencer. “Larger brands in particular manage numerous consumer touch points along the buyer’s journey, and these shape brand perception.”
“Regardless of brand size, consumers view the brand as a cue that signals certain values. When brands misalign with these values – through greenwashing, for example – consumers are less likely to choose them, sensing an incongruence with their own beliefs.”
Misleading practices can damage a brand’s reputation, as consumers incorporate this information into their perceptions, often resulting in brand abandonment.
The journey of experiential marketing often begins with commercials, ads, videos, and influencers on social media – strategies aimed at selling not just a product, but a lifestyle or experience.
This is increasingly how consumers discover products: through enticing glimpses of what the product can do for them, often attempting to fulfil a dream or desire they’ve seen online. Consumers then purchase the product to see if it delivers on the promise of that ad or social post.
Specialty coffee has a unique opportunity to leverage this approach by selling the experience of the farm, the story of the growers, and the journey of the coffee bean, rather than focusing solely on quality.
With an increasing number of coffee companies undergoing rebrands – a practice typical for roasters every 7 to 10 years – brands have the chance to shift their marketing strategy to connect more deeply with consumers. For these rebrands to succeed, however, they must go beyond cosmetic updates and focus on resonating with consumer values. A refreshed brand presence can bring in a new audience by presenting a compelling narrative around values and experiences.
“We see plenty of experiential brands that describe ‘relationships’ with farmers that don’t extend beyond a one-time trip to the farm, often sponsored by the importer,” cautions Spencer.
“Many brands talk about ‘giving back’ to farmers without being consistently transparent about FOB or farmgate prices, often because they work with importers who don’t provide that information. Additionally, we see brands expanding their retail presence while barely paying baristas a living wage, adjusted for local cost-of-living.”
“Consumers in coffee-consuming countries are paying more for these branded experiences and ideals, yet brands may not be sharing value back across the supply chain. No coffee, no dreams, no experiences.”
Brands can, however, sell dreams and experiences authentically, attracting consumers who value both the narrative and the product.
With today’s coffee drinkers more connected to the industry and interested in transparency, specialty coffee can embrace this opportunity to market an authentic experience that aligns with the quality and values it promises.
This approach not only attracts a loyal consumer base but also fulfils the deeper connections and dreams that consumers seek in their coffee experience.
Coffee Intelligence
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