Why LesserEvil is betting on occasion-based marketing to grow beyond the grocery aisle

As consumers increasingly snack around cultural moments rather than traditional meal times, LesserEvil is rethinking how it markets to them.

The better-for-you snack brand is shifting its “Renovate Your Pantry” platform away from a single umbrella campaign and into a series of occasion-based activations, starting with “Renovate Your Summer.” The campaign spans linear TV, streaming, live sports, digital, social media and out-of-home placements in seasonal vacation markets as the brand looks to intercept consumers during high-snacking occasions. LesserEvil declined to disclose how much it spent on its campaign.

The move comes as consumer packaged goods marketers are prioritizing media plans around specific moments of consumption instead of broad, always-on brand messaging. For snack brands in particular, the strategy is designed to reach consumers before they make a purchase decision, building familiarity and consideration long before they arrive at the grocery shelf.

“Our ‘Renovate Your Pantry’ campaign is about making better-for-you snacking options more accessible for all consumers,” said Ali Broderick, Associate Director, Brand Marketing at LesserEvil. “We expanded the platform to occasion-based campaigns to meet consumers where they are during the busiest snacking seasons of the year. Whether it’s game day, summer or back-to-school, consumers are most likely to discover, purchase and enjoy our snacks.”

Rather than concentrating its media investment in one or two channels, LesserEvil is spreading its marketing dollars across television, streaming, live sports, digital and out-of-home advertising. The integrated approach is intended to maximize reach while reinforcing the same creative message across multiple consumer touchpoints.

Live sports has become a particularly important investment for the brand, especially around marquee cultural events that naturally encourage group snacking. Streaming TV is another growing priority, offering both scale and stronger measurement capabilities as marketers seek more accountable media buys.

The media strategy also reflects a broader evolution in how the company thinks about the purchase journey. While retail remains a critical part of the business, LesserEvil is increasingly investing in upper-funnel brand building to influence consumers before they ever walk into a grocery store.

“Retail remains super important to us, but as we continue to grow, it’s important for us to connect with consumers before they get to the grocery store shelf,” Broderick said. “Upper-funnel brand building has become an important part of our overall strategy because we want consumers to already know and feel connected to our brand before arriving at the grocery store.”

Success is measured across a mix of brand awareness, engagement, retail performance and household penetration, reflecting a strategy that balances long-term brand equity with near-term sales.

Looking ahead, occasion-based marketing is expected to become a larger part of LesserEvil’s marketing playbook. Rather than developing standalone campaigns throughout the year, the company plans to continue using the “Renovate” platform to anchor messaging around key seasonal and cultural moments, including game day, summer and back-to-school.

The strategy reflects a broader shift among CPG marketers toward building campaigns around consumption occasions instead of product attributes alone. As consumers seek healthier options without giving up moments of indulgence, brands are increasingly trying to position themselves as the better choice when those occasions arise.

“This is a great example of finding a different decision to target; encouraging people to stock up in store, so they can make a better-for-them choice at home in the moment,” said Jon Crowley, partner, head of strategy and SVP. “Trying to own what are historically indulgent occasions is a nice overlap with the growing shift to balance in the wellness discussion, where individuals are avoiding optimization in favour of actually enjoying life; indulge more often in ways with less negative impact.”