WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE 3,500-YEAR-OLD WISDOM OR COOKING FAT?

Brands these days seem to have lost their soul. Across F&B categories, most are dutifully listing out ingredients, certification claims and functional benefits, as if consumers make clinical calculations when scanning the shelf.

The problem is, it’s just not how most of us behave. The average shopper spends seconds, not minutes, evaluating products. Nobody’s doing a cost-benefit analysis; they’re relying on something more.

THE CONSUMER WANTS TO FEEL SOMETHING

Canadians are seeking comfort, nostalgia and authenticity in greater numbers than ever, up 87%, 56% and 24% respectively over the past year (Tastewise, Canada Food Trends 2026).

CHFA has noted four emerging trends for 2027: one of them is “Passed Down: Tradition Makes a Comeback.” Consumers, they say, are turning away from long ingredient lists and fast-moving wellness fads toward “familiar, time-tested traditions… passed down through generations,” seeking “simplicity, authenticity and a deeper connection to where products come from.”

TRADITION-BASED BRANDS: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT HAND

In this context, brands that are bringing back old traditions have an enormous opportunity to lift themselves above the crowd. Think zaatar, kimjang (the practice behind kimchi), even balsamic vinegar. They have something that can’t be easily replicated: rich cultural roots, proven ancient wisdom, and authentic heritage stories.

Consider ghee, for example. Most of us know it as an oil alternative. It’s actually much more. It’s an ancient Hindu recipe, first referenced about 3,500 years ago, made simply, with butter clarified from the fresh milk of grass-fed, well-tended cows. The cow’s story has a deeper meaning than just ethical treatment: the high respect given to cows in Vedic society meant derived products, like ghee, had a sacred halo. As the purest of offerings, it was used in sacred rites for the gods. The longstanding belief is that adding ghee to your food makes the food itself pure.

When ghee is 3,500-year-old wisdom in a consumable form, do you want to flatten your brand proposition to “cooking fat, with a high smoke point”?

Every brand that is rejuvenating old traditions, introducing cultural belief systems, and restoring forgotten wisdom needs to ask themselves this question.

IT’S TIME TO BRING EMOTIONS BACK

This isn’t just a ghee story or only for tradition-based products. It has relevance for every brand. The feelings you inspire – through your provenance story, purpose, or process – can create grounding, connection and closeness with consumers who are looking for exactly this. Your ingredients and claims give reassurance; your emotional promise converts the basket.

As is well known: they may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

30-SECOND GUT CHECK

Does your brand have an emotional promise? Look at your pack, your PDP, your website and your social posts the way a consumer would. Do they evoke a feeling in you, or is it largely educational talk? Ask your consumers too. If the answer is no or you’re not sure, it’s worth five minutes with your team.

Don’t bury your real story, the one that moves feelings, on the About Us page. Bring it into your brand’s proposition. Right now, giving consumers a way to connect to human experiences is probably the strongest way for your brand to be chosen.