For a stronger category story, fix the leak first 🚿

Nothing focuses you like a leak.

You start the day with a long to-do list.

Meetings, emails, family plans.

Then you notice a leak in the bathroom.

Guess what instantly moved to the top of the list?

Not the nice-to-haves. The problem.

Retailers think the same way.

If your category story is packed with “incremental opportunities” but doesn’t clearly solve a real category problem, it’s much harder to secure decisions, commercial agreements and space in store.

Behavioural science calls it loss aversion. People are more motivated to avoid a negative outcome than to chase a positive one.

Buyers are no different; fixing a leak beats adding something new and shiny every time.

So if you want your next category insight deck or range review story to land, try these three simple steps:

1. Name the leak early.

What is genuinely holding the category back?

2. Show the cost of ignoring it.

Lost occasions, trade down, missed missions… make the risk feel real.

3. Then bring the solution.

Your category recommendation, activation or NPD. But only once the problem matters to them.

---

When teams shift from opportunity-led to problem solving storytelling, decisions speed up.

Meetings get shorter. Objections reduce. And stakeholders remember the story because it felt necessary, not optional.

If your category or insight team could benefit from turning data into problem solving stories that drive action, our Category-Led Storytelling training might be a good fit.

It’s a two day in person course for UK FMCG Category teams who need their insight to influence commercial outcomes.

Get in touch to book a discovery call to see if it’s right for your team.

December 2025