What CPG marketers need to know about today’s cost-conscious shoppers

Consumers are closely watching their wallets: From grocery aisles to online carts, cost has become a dominant theme in the way people discuss brand choices. But as new research from The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting shows, what shoppers say doesn’t always match what they do. 

To support marketers in navigating this changing landscape, The Trade Desk hosted “Understanding the Cost-Conscious Consumer: Strategies for Brand Growth,” a webinar aimed at helping marketers understand what really drives purchase behavior — and how media strategy can influence brand growth in a market that continues to be financially cautious. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

Consumers say price matters the most. The data tells a more complicated story. 

While 3 in 4 Americans say they’re more financially cautious than they used to be, brand loyalty remains surprisingly strong. In fact, 63% of consumers still prefer brand-name products over private labels, even if that means spending more.¹ 

So why the disconnect? Our research reveals that price is the top stated reason people give for choosing one brand over another. However, subconsciously, attributes like trust, familiarity, and perceived quality often play a bigger role in what consumers actually buy. For advertisers, this means that even if leading with affordability isn’t necessarily wrong, it’s not always what leads to conversions. 

Marketers can close the gap between what people say and what they do.

The gap between what consumers say and do gives marketers room to innovate. We tested messaging across a range of CPG verticals and found that creative emphasizing brand trust, credibility, and quality outperformed pure cost messaging, especially among those shoppers who initially claimed price to be their top priority. 

Even cost-aware audiences are more likely to search for deals on their favorite brands before switching to a cheaper option, making it possible to retain loyalty with messaging that affirms value by reinforcing what consumers love about the brand. 

The path to purchase is shaped by 3 distinct stages. Tailor your media to each. 

Our research reveals that the CPG journey is shaped by three key stages: Trigger, Consideration, and Purchase. Social platforms play a strong role early in the journey, but their influence peaks later during the consideration phase, when shoppers are researching, comparing, and weighing trade-offs. 

Across these stages, the open internet outperforms walled gardens and traditional media channels. Our data shows that ads on the open internet are: 

• 1.3x more effective at driving research¹ 

• 1.2x more persuasive when experienced on CTV versus YouTube or linear TV¹ 

• 1.2x more likely to boost buyer confidence when experienced on display or online video versus social ads¹ 

To reap these benefits, it’s important to think beyond social media. That’s because shoppers spend 76% of their digital time elsewhere, including music streaming, CTV, gaming, podcasts, and news sites.² 
 
But beware of viewer fatigue: Two-thirds of consumers expressed frustration with repeatedly seeing the same ads on the same channels.³ That’s where an omnichannel approach comes in, giving you the chance to maximize each impression rather than overloading your audience. 

A smarter way to meet your audience 

The strongest CPG campaigns focus on the stated and subconscious drivers of the CPG path to purchase. By aligning creative with the stages of Trigger, Consideration, and Purchase, and delivering it through a connected omnichannel strategy, marketers can meet consumers where they are to make every impression count. 
 

Sources: 

1. The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, CPG Path to Purchase, U.S., U.K., CA, Nov. 2024, April 2025. 
2. GWI, U.S., Q4 2023-Q3 2024. 
3. The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, “The Untapped Opportunity of Omnichannel,” October 2024.