Introduction
Why Mature and Declining Categories Still Have Untapped Growth
Consumer needs do not expire
Even in slowing categories, consumer jobs – the goals, tasks, or challenges that drive purchasing – are still present. Take laundry detergent, for example. The need to clean clothes hasn’t changed in decades. What evolves is how people want to get that job done: faster routines, fewer chemicals, better skin sensitivity, or more eco-friendly packaging. In this way, stagnant categories often hide emerging or unmet needs. When all competitors are chasing the same improvements, true innovation comes from stepping back and asking: What else is the customer struggling with?Why growth is still possible in mature markets:
- Shifts in lifestyle: Changes in work habits, parenting styles, or living arrangements can alter how people use products.
- New technologies: Advances in materials, delivery methods, or digital capabilities can support better solutions.
- Consumer expectations: Today’s consumers expect more personalization, convenience, and environmental responsibility — even from basic products.
- Overlooked segments: Many categories over-serve certain users while ignoring others who may have specific, underserved needs.
How the Jobs To Be Done Framework Helps You Reframe the Category
Understanding JTBD at its core
At its simplest, Jobs To Be Done is about understanding the progress your customer is trying to make in a given situation. Think of it as the goal behind the purchase. For example, a homeowner buying a drill doesn’t really want the drill – they want a hole in the wall to hang a shelf. Go a step further, and they may want the organized space that the shelf brings. That deeper goal leads to far more opportunity for innovation than simply designing a slightly better drill.Applying JTBD to saturated categories
In mature markets, products are often feature-rich but insight-poor. All competitors may offer similar functionality, but none have stepped back to ask if the product still aligns with modern consumer needs. JTBD helps you:- Reframe the category: Move from thinking about product categories to thinking about customer jobs. For example, shift from "soft drinks" to "refreshing energy boosts during the workday."
- Uncover unmet needs: Dive into real-world use cases to see where customers struggle, workaround, or compromise with existing solutions.
- Focus innovation: Identify areas where your brand can create value by helping customers accomplish their jobs in better, cheaper, or easier ways.
JTBD in action: A simple example
Let’s say your company makes packaged soup, and sales have been flat for years. Instead of asking how to make the soup taste better or offer more varieties, a JTBD approach asks: "What job is someone hiring this soup to do?" Maybe it’s to provide a fast, warm, comforting meal between meetings. But what if today’s consumers also need it to be portable, include dietary preferences, or integrate into meal-prepping routines? These deeper jobs open the door to new packaging formats, hybrid snack/meal offerings, or even new distribution channels.Reframing leads to resilience
By refocusing on customer needs rather than category norms, the JTBD framework equips teams to drive sustainable growth strategy even in declining product categories. It’s about seeing beyond what your product has been and focusing on what your customer is actually trying to get done today. With the right market research approach, like the custom methodologies SIVO Insights delivers, this shift in thinking becomes a concrete plan fueled by real consumer insights – not guesswork. It’s not just about reviving a product; it’s about reimagining its purpose.Identifying Unmet Customer Needs Through JTBD Interviews
At the heart of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a simple but powerful idea: people don’t buy products, they hire them to get a job done. To uncover what those “jobs” are – and more importantly, which needs are still unmet – you need to talk directly with customers in a structured, insightful way.
Why JTBD interviews are different from traditional customer interviews
Most market research interviews often focus on opinions, likes, or dislikes. JTBD interviews dig deeper. They’re designed to uncover decision-making processes, motivations, and context – revealing what people were trying to accomplish when they sought out a product or solution.
This method gives you access to functional, emotional, and social needs that often go unnoticed. In mature or declining categories, this is where the gold lies – unmet or underserved needs that haven’t changed even if consumer habits have.
Conducting JTBD Interviews: What to Look For
- Triggers and events: What happened in the customer’s life that led them to seek out a solution?
- Struggles and obstacles: Where did existing solutions fall short?
- Desired outcomes: What were they ultimately trying to achieve, functionally or emotionally?
- Competing alternatives: What other products or behaviors were considered (even unrelated ones)?
These interviews often reveal surprising insights. A product may be losing relevance not because demand is gone, but because consumers are “hiring” something else – not always a direct competitor – to do the same job. This approach avoids tunnel vision and opens up entirely new opportunities.
For example, in a declining beverage category, JTBD interviews might reveal that consumers are “hiring” the product for relaxation at the end of the day – but have switched to calming teas or functional drinks instead. That insight leads directly to innovation opportunities aligned with the original customer need, not just the old product form.
Turning Insights Into Opportunities
By identifying the gap between what people need and what current products offer, you can:
- Spot underserved or overlooked customer segments
- Reframe the purpose of your product or category
- Fuel targeted product innovation that aligns with true consumer motives
Ultimately, using JTBD interviews transforms your market research into an actionable consumer insight engine – ideal for companies looking to reignite growth in slowing markets.
Real-World Examples of JTBD Revitalizing Mature Markets
Many companies across industries have used the JTBD framework to breathe new life into stagnant categories. By listening to real consumer behavior and understanding what jobs need doing, these brands uncovered unexpected opportunities for product innovation and growth strategy.
Case Study: Laundry Detergent as a Confidence Booster
Liquid laundry detergent is a classic example of a mature category with little visible room for differentiation. But through Jobs To Be Done research, one brand discovered that people — especially parents — weren’t just washing clothes. They were trying to make sure their kids looked and felt confident.
The result? A new messaging strategy and product development focus centered on helping kids “show up clean and confident.” It’s a subtle but powerful reframing of the same product, based on real emotional needs, that gave the brand fresh marketing tact and product relevance.
Case Study: Fast Food Breakfast for ‘Self-Care’
Another brand used JTBD to analyze consumer behavior around fast food breakfast items. Rather than seeing them as just convenience meals, interviews revealed an emotional job: giving oneself a small reward, especially on stressful mornings. The brand shifted its framing of breakfast items as self-care helpers – and found a new way to connect emotionally while maintaining functional value.
Case Study: Power Tools as a Path to Self-Reliance
Even in highly saturated and technical categories like power tools, JTBD uncovered emotional jobs being “hired.” One major retailer found that DIY customers weren’t just buying tools – they were looking for a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. Reframing the category to emphasize personal achievement, rather than technical specs, helped revive interest among novice users and hobbyists – expanding the total market.
Patterns Across Examples
- Emotional needs are powerful: Many successful JTBD implementations uncover emotional or identity-driven motivations.
- True competitors often aren’t direct: Sometimes consumers are switching to entirely different categories to get a job done (e.g., switching from soda to meditation apps for stress relief).
- Reframing drives relevance: Even unchanged products can feel new when positioned around unmet customer needs.
Real-world JTBD use shows that the potential for category growth often isn’t in product features – it’s in understanding what people are secretly hiring them to do.
Getting Started: Applying JTBD to Your Own Category for Innovation
If you're managing a mature product line or operating in a declining category, applying the Jobs To Be Done framework is a practical way to uncover fresh opportunities. Whether you're just exploring or ready to dive deep, JTBD provides structure for reframing your category through consumers' eyes.
Start with the Right Research Approach
You don’t need an army of researchers to begin applying JTBD thinking – but thoughtful customer conversations are essential. A good first step is conducting qualitative market research, specifically in-depth interviews designed to unpack decision-making and unmet customer needs.
Start by identifying recent buyers or switchers in your category and ask:
- What motivated their purchase?
- What were they trying to accomplish beyond the functional goal?
- What alternatives at the time (even tangential ones) did they consider?
Map the Jobs and Unmet Needs
As you collect insights, map out common jobs people are trying to get done. Then look at how well current offerings in your category deliver on those. Where do pain points still exist? These gaps often signal the clearest opportunities for product innovation, repositioning, or communication refreshes.
Test New Ideas with the Right Lens
Innovation doesn’t always mean launching entirely new products. Using JTBD in mature industries often inspires:
- Refreshing how you position an existing product based on an emotional job
- Targeting a new segment with similar needs but unmet by current solutions
- Adding small but meaningful features aligned with key jobs
Anchoring your ideas to real consumer challenges makes innovation more grounded and more likely to succeed. Instead of guessing what might work, you’re building around what people already want to get done – they just haven’t found the right way to do it yet in your category.
Refueling Growth with JTBD
When executed thoughtfully, JTBD becomes an everyday mindset, not just a one-time workshop. It strengthens your entire growth strategy by refocusing your business around meaningful consumer insights. For companies that crave control in shifting markets, Jobs To Be Done offers clarity and action.
Summary
Mature and declining product categories can often feel like dead ends – but they’re not. Beneath slowing sales and waning interest are customer needs that haven’t disappeared – they’ve simply shifted or gone unmet. By embracing the Jobs To Be Done framework, businesses can reframe these stagnant categories based on what consumers are truly trying to accomplish.
In this post, we explored how JTBD uncovers hidden consumer motivations, discussed how structured interviews reveal powerful insight, and looked at real-world examples where rethinking the “job” led to revived relevance. Most importantly, we shared practical steps to begin applying this thinking to your own products, packaging, and messaging.
With JTBD as a lens, your market research becomes more than just data – it becomes a tool to spark ideas, reorient your value, and drive sustainable product innovation in even the most mature spaces. Growth is possible – if you know where to look.
Summary
Mature and declining product categories can often feel like dead ends – but they’re not. Beneath slowing sales and waning interest are customer needs that haven’t disappeared – they’ve simply shifted or gone unmet. By embracing the Jobs To Be Done framework, businesses can reframe these stagnant categories based on what consumers are truly trying to accomplish.
In this post, we explored how JTBD uncovers hidden consumer motivations, discussed how structured interviews reveal powerful insight, and looked at real-world examples where rethinking the “job” led to revived relevance. Most importantly, we shared practical steps to begin applying this thinking to your own products, packaging, and messaging.
With JTBD as a lens, your market research becomes more than just data – it becomes a tool to spark ideas, reorient your value, and drive sustainable product innovation in even the most mature spaces. Growth is possible – if you know where to look.
