What Porridge Can Teach Us About Brand Loyalty
Yes, porridge. The grey, gloopy sort you stabbed at as a kid. But hear me out, because a curious trend is simmering in the food delivery world, and it's powered by oats. During a rainy August week in Wellington, I noticed five different cafes releasing gourmet porridge lines. Cinnamon-poached pear with bee pollen, anyone?
I thought it was seasonal fluff. Then UberEats data confirmed porridge bowls were outselling pancakes by 42 percent in the capital. That's not a breakfast choice, that's a cultural moment. So I started digging. Why would something so ancient, so basic, suddenly seduce the flat white crowd? Turns out, porridge hits that marketing sweet spot: heritage-over-hype. Consumers are craving perceived wholesomeness, but packaged in a way that looks like modern craft. It's not about health, not really. It's about story.
The smart brands tap this early. They don't sell a bowl of oats, they sell a narrative of care, of slow rituals in a fast world. Take Auckland-based grain brand Goldspoon. Their imagery? Not glossy. Their copy? Anti-influencer. Their sales? Up 89 percent year-on-year. Because they realised something critical: niche creates national. Micro-fandom grows macro loyalty. Porridge proves it. Not because it's sexy, but because it’s steady.
Marketers can learn a lot from hot cereal. Be consistent. Know what era of nostalgia you’re mining. And for heaven’s sake, let your brand calories come from substance, not syrup. You don't need to be flashy to be sticky. Just warm, weirdly specific, and a little bit golden around the edges.
I thought it was seasonal fluff. Then UberEats data confirmed porridge bowls were outselling pancakes by 42 percent in the capital. That's not a breakfast choice, that's a cultural moment. So I started digging. Why would something so ancient, so basic, suddenly seduce the flat white crowd? Turns out, porridge hits that marketing sweet spot: heritage-over-hype. Consumers are craving perceived wholesomeness, but packaged in a way that looks like modern craft. It's not about health, not really. It's about story.
The smart brands tap this early. They don't sell a bowl of oats, they sell a narrative of care, of slow rituals in a fast world. Take Auckland-based grain brand Goldspoon. Their imagery? Not glossy. Their copy? Anti-influencer. Their sales? Up 89 percent year-on-year. Because they realised something critical: niche creates national. Micro-fandom grows macro loyalty. Porridge proves it. Not because it's sexy, but because it’s steady.
Marketers can learn a lot from hot cereal. Be consistent. Know what era of nostalgia you’re mining. And for heaven’s sake, let your brand calories come from substance, not syrup. You don't need to be flashy to be sticky. Just warm, weirdly specific, and a little bit golden around the edges.