Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a customer-centric framework that looks beyond demographics and behaviors to understand why people buy a product. In the world of CPG, it focuses on the functions or 'jobs' that a consumer is trying to get done when choosing a product on the shelf or online. These jobs might be functional (e.g., 'I need something quick for breakfast'), emotional (e.g., 'I want to feel healthy and in control'), or social (e.g., 'I want to make a good impression at a gathering').

Unlike traditional consumer segmentation – which groups consumers into categories based on who they are or what they buy – the JTBD approach digs deeper into the context and motivations that fuel buying decisions. It's not about the product itself; it’s about the need it fulfills in someone’s life.

Why Jobs to Be Done Resonates in CPG

In fast-moving consumer goods, decisions often happen quickly at the point of sale. But beneath these quick choices are rich motivations shaped by lifestyle, routine, emotion, and convenience. By applying JTBD, brands can better uncover those reasons and create more consumer-aligned strategies.

Key benefits of using JTBD in CPG research:

• Uncovers unmet needs: Helps identify gaps in current product offerings that traditional segmentation might miss.
• Guides innovation: Inspires new product development based on consumer problems rather than product features.
• Improves CPG marketing: Enables messaging that speaks to real-life situations instead of generic attributes.
• Refines segmentation: Adds layers of meaning to demographic or behavioral segmentation.

Imagine a consumer buying sparkling water. Demographically, they may be similar to thousands of others in the same age range and income bracket. But one drinks it as a soda replacement to support health goals. Another enjoys it as a mid-afternoon indulgence. These are two different 'jobs' – and understanding the difference can guide both product design and messaging.

That’s why many successful CPG brands are pairing JTBD segmentation with traditional models — not as a replacement, but as a powerful complement. By adding JTBD to your consumer insights toolkit, you're better equipped to reveal the functional, emotional, and situational drivers that lead to purchase.

At SIVO Insights, we’ve seen how this method can lead to more strategic clarity, especially when used early in product development or when refining brand positioning. Though examples in this article are fictional, they demonstrate how JTBD can fit into real-world decision-making in CPG companies of all sizes.

Traditional CPG segmentation strategies typically divide consumers based on demographics (age, gender, income), psychographics (attitudes, values), or purchasing behaviors (frequency, loyalty). While these approaches help identify broad consumer groups and potential target markets, they often stop short of explaining why consumers make specific purchase decisions.

This limitation can lead brands to miss out on high-value insights that drive preference and loyalty. A data point like '25–34-year-old urban males buy this cereal' is informative, but it doesn’t tell you whether they're eating it for convenience, nostalgia, health, or even as a late-night snack. Without that context, marketing and product strategies risk being misaligned with real consumer motivations.

Common Gaps in Traditional Segmentation

Here are a few ways traditional market segmentation in CPG can fall short:

• Lack of context: Knowing who buys doesn’t reveal why they buy. Motivations and use occasions remain hidden.
• Segment overlap: Consumers often belong to multiple segments at the same time, making it hard to prioritize which message or innovation fits best.
• Static classifications: Life is dynamic, but traditional segmentation models often assume static consumer behavior.
• Limited insight for innovation: When innovation is based on age or income brackets alone, it can miss nuanced needs across categories.

For example, a mom of two and a single urban professional might both buy the same protein snack bar. Traditional segmentation might place them in separate buckets, but they could be 'hiring' the bar to do the same job – provide lasting energy without a sit-down meal. JTBD helps uncover those common threads that fuel real consumer decision-making, regardless of demographic labels.

CPG Segmentation That Misses the Mark

Fictional example: A brand launches a line of on-the-go smoothies targeting active Millennials. Their consumer segmentation data supports this audience profile, but sales underperform. Upon applying a JTBD lens, the team learns that the product is actually being 'hired' by busy parents – across multiple generations – who need a fuss-free breakfast while getting kids out the door. Adjusting the positioning and messaging makes the product more relevant to its true job.

By relying solely on traditional segmentation, companies might misinterpret the signal their consumers are giving. That’s not to say these models have no value – they’re a vital part of the CPG insights toolkit. But when combined with JTBD, segmentation becomes richer and more actionable across marketing, innovation, and brand strategy.

Understanding the difference between JTBD and traditional segmentation helps CPG brands move beyond surface-level data and toward deeper, more practical insights. The next step is seeing how JTBD can be effectively layered into your existing segmentation framework to uncover unmet needs and tap into emerging CPG trends.

Traditional consumer segmentation in the CPG industry often focuses on who the customer is – their age, income, shopping habits, or preferred brands. While this can be useful for targeting demographics, it often misses a bigger question: Why do consumers make the choices they do? This is where the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework offers powerful insights. It’s a method for uncovering people’s underlying motivations – what job they are hiring a product to do in their lives.

Going Beyond the Surface

Unlike demographic or behavioral segmentation, JTBD digs into the emotional, functional, and social drivers behind a purchase decision. For example, two people might buy the same protein bar – one to fuel a workout, the other as an afternoon meal replacement at work. Same product, different 'job.'

By identifying these differences, CPG companies can:

• Develop more tailored messaging that speaks to specific use cases
• Create product variations that match different consumer objectives
• Uncover unmet needs that existing segmentation missed

How JTBD Connects to Real Buyer Behavior

Understanding why consumers buy – not just who they are – allows CPG brands to align their offerings with real-life situations. JTBD doesn’t replace existing segmentation models; it enhances them. Think of it as adding a deeper dimension that gets at intent, not just identity.

For instance, a consumer might not identify as a “healthy eater” demographically, but still choose low-sugar products to manage energy slumps during hectic workdays. Traditional segments might overlook this nuance, but a JTBD approach places the functional need front and center.

This type of insight helps brands refine everything from product development to marketing campaigns, aligning better with real-world CPG trends and evolving buyer behavior. When used correctly, JTBD becomes a lens for seeing opportunities traditional segmentation misses.

By revealing what role your product plays in a customer’s life, the JTBD framework enables more human-centered strategies and increasingly relevant consumer experiences.

One of the most valuable benefits of using Jobs to Be Done in CPG research is its unique ability to uncover 'white space' – unmet or underserved needs in the market where innovation can thrive. These are areas that traditional consumer segmentation often misses, because they don’t stand out in traditional demographics or purchase frequency data.

Fictional Example 1: Redefining Busy Mornings

A beverage brand looking to expand into the breakfast category used JTBD research to explore why some people skip breakfast entirely. They discovered a common job among young professionals: “Help me feel like I’ve started my day without slowing me down.”

Traditional market segmentation showed these consumers as on-the-go and health-conscious, but JTBD uncovered an emotional driver of feeling in control despite chaos. This insight led the brand to develop a portable morning beverage designed specifically to provide mental clarity and a sense of routine – without heavy calories or prep time. That white space didn't emerge from demographics; it came from investigating intent.

Fictional Example 2: Treats That Build Bonds

In another case, a snack company wanted to refresh its family-oriented product line. By applying the JTBD framework, they revealed a job parents had in mind when offering snacks: “Help me create a moment of connection with my kids.”

This insight steered the development of a shareable snack with conversation-starting packaging – something that packaging data or sales numbers alone wouldn’t have suggested. Here, JTBD helped the brand reframe a classic snacking occasion as an emotional opportunity, not just a consumption moment.

Why JTBD Uncovers Strategic Opportunity

These examples show how JTBD helps surface not just what people are buying, but what they wish existed to make their lives easier, better, or more meaningful. For CPG marketing and product teams, this information becomes a roadmap for:

• Spotting early-stage CPG trends and shifting behaviors
• Designing highly targeted brand messaging
• Prioritizing high-value innovation areas

When you use JTBD to explore potential white space, you’re not guessing – you’re grounded in real human insights that reflect actual moments and motivations in people’s lives. That type of research leads to smarter, better-informed CPG innovation strategies.

Incorporating the Jobs to Be Done framework into your CPG segmentation strategy doesn’t mean abandoning traditional methods. Instead, JTBD acts as a powerful complement to demographic and behavioral research, helping you gain a and more complete picture of your consumers.

Understand When JTBD Is Most Helpful

JTBD shines whenever you’re looking to:

• Find inspiration for new products or extensions
• Understand category disruptions or shifts in buyer behavior
• Segment your audience based on motivations, not just age or income
• Reposition or reframe an existing brand to meet evolving needs

Whether your team is evaluating a product pipeline, testing new claims, or looking to refresh your CPG marketing approach, starting with JTBD-style questions can anchor your work in consumer reality.

Pair JTBD With Qualitative and Quantitative Research

JTBD isn’t a single method – it’s a way of thinking about consumer needs. That means it can be applied across both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. For example:

Qualitative interviews can uncover unique jobs through real consumer stories. Listening to how people solve everyday friction points helps surface deeper motivations.

Quantitative surveys can then measure prevalence: How common is this job? Which segments does it matter most to? This helps prioritize go-to-market efforts backed by clear data.

Make JTBD Actionable in the Organization

One common challenge for brands new to JTBD segmentation is operationalizing it across teams. That’s where frameworks, journey mapping, and stakeholder engagement come in. When done right, JTBD creates alignment between marketing, product development, brand strategy, and consumer insights teams – all working off the same truths about your audience.

Rather than focusing solely on category data or consumer identity labels, Jobs to Be Done helps your teams ask better questions: What is the consumer trying to achieve? What friction are they experiencing? Is our product the best answer for that situation?

Embedding this mindset across your organization builds agility and relevance in a fast-moving CPG market. It empowers your team not just to react to trends, but to define them with empathy and purpose.