In today’s hyper-competitive grocery game, a good product isn’t enough. The brands winning are the ones making consumers feel something, whether it’s nostalgia, trust, curiosity, or a sense of alignment with a bigger mission. This is where emotional intelligence (EQ) comes into play.
Consumers don’t just buy products. They buy stories. They buy into values reflecting their own. They buy from brands that “get them.” So, when startups walk into Woolworths Australian HQ this week to pitch their way onto shelves, it’s not just a taste test. It’s a battle for relevance.
Source: Woolworths Australia
The startups in Seedlab Australia’s latest intake have the products, but do they have the stories?
Take Nibblish, which started as one mum’s mission to create safer snacks for her allergic daughter. That’s a personal story, but also a consumer story as a parent scans the supermarket aisles for healthier, guilt-free snack options sees a bit of themselves in that brand.
Pryme Health leans into New Zealand’s untouched wilderness, bottling Mānuka honey with purity and provenance. And Robust Coffee isn’t just about caffeine; it’s about introducing the cultural ritual of Vietnamese coffee drinking to a new audience.
Source: Various Robust Coffee - Nibblish - Pryme Health
The question is; does Woolworths get this?
Supermarkets love numbers from sales projections, margin analysis, to supply chain efficiency. But where’s their emotional intelligence? Do they truly understand the power of story-driven brands in an era where consumers want authenticity over faceless products? If they don’t, they could be missing a trick.
At the same time, let’s be honest many startups are terrible at telling their own story. They have passion but struggle to translate it into a brand narrative that connects instantly with a Woolies buyer. No supermarket is going to do the storytelling for them, if these brands can’t communicate their 'why' in seconds, they won’t get a second look.
The brands making it onto Woolworths shelves won’t just be the ones with great products. They’ll be the ones selling a feeling, a connection, a reason to exist. The ones that understand a supermarket isn’t just a warehouse - it’s a curated space where consumer psychology is at play.
So, will Woolworths tune into what consumers emotionally want? And will these startups actually know how to communicate that story?
That’s what will decide who wins this game.
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