Words Shape Perception - Use The Right Ones

Last week, I posted on LinkedIn about a one-word change on a cheese packet. And it blew up!

199+ comments later, one thing was clear: tiny marketing tweaks can have a massive impact.

You can see the post here, but the point was that Cathedral City (yes the cheese brand) swapped the word “grated” for “shredded” on their high-protein cheese packaging. Simple right? But that one word made it feel stronger, more fitness-focused, and more aligned with their target audience.

Most people won’t even notice. But those who do? Well they feel like the brand gets them!

This is the kind of small but powerful thinking that challenger brands need to lean into. Let’s break down how founder-led brands can use this to their advantage by hacking the strategy.

Words shape perception - use the right ones

The way you describe your product shapes how people think about it. The right words make a product feel premium, indulgent, functional or fun, before anyone even tries it!

For example, Huel could have called itself a “meal replacement shake” - instead, it branded itself as “nutritionally complete food”, shifting the perception from diet culture to science-backed performance nutrition.

Look at your product descriptions, packaging and website copy. Could a small language shift make your product click better with your audience?

Subtle design tweaks can change how people feel about your brand

Sometimes it’s not what you say but how you show it. Mid-Day Squares designed its packaging to look like a protein bar but feel like a chocolate bar, playing in both spaces.

Consider how your design cues (colour, shape, typography) influence how your product is perceived - are they making your brand feel as premium/healthy/indulgent as you want?

Make the customer feel like they're in on something.

Challenger brands thrive on loyalty and community.

Subtle in-jokes, easter eggs and personality-driven copy make customers feel like they’re part of something more than just a transaction.

Wild Deodorant’s refill packs say “Give single-use plastic the boot”. They could have gone with “plastic-free packaging”, but this version makes customers feel like they’re actively part of the mission. While Who Gives A Crap literally puts “Good for your bum. Great for the world” on their packaging, making people smile and share - not necessarily something you’d usually do with toilet roll!

Where in your packaging or marketing touchpoints could you add small, smart details that make customers feel like they’re in on something?

Going back to my post, it wasn’t really about cheese, but more about how challenger brands win. The details that seem small, the words you use, the way you phrase things, the tone of voice on your packaging, are actually the things that make a brand stick.

Great marketing isn't always about big campaigns, sometimes the tiny details make all the difference. If you need help making those small but mighty shifts in your brand, that’s literally what we do! Hit reply and let’s chat.

See you next week,

James

Don’t hide us away, if you know of another founder who would find these tips useful, share this post!