Six consumers. Three questions about protein powders. One finding that kept surfacing: "too sweet."
I ran a synthetic research study on Orgain, the organic protein brand founded by Dr. Andrew Abraham. They have got all the credentials: USDA Organic, B Corp certified, clean ingredient list. They are doing a lot of things right. But when I put their products in front of six health-conscious consumers who regularly buy protein supplements, the feedback was more nuanced than I expected.
The certifications registered. The organic positioning landed. But there is a gap between what the brand communicates and what consumers actually experience.
Who I Talked To
I recruited six synthetic personas from Ditto's US consumer panel. All of them met a specific screener: they regularly purchase protein powders or nutritional supplements, they care about ingredient quality, and they have tried multiple brands.
Ages ranged from 25 to 55. The group included everyone from a construction worker who grabs shakes because he does not want to heat up the kitchen in summer, to a creative professional who needs something portable for event days. Different lifestyles, different budgets, but all actively in the market for protein.
What I Asked
I kept it simple. Three questions designed to understand how these consumers actually make decisions:
What matters most when choosing a protein powder? Walk me through how you actually decide.
Have you heard of Orgain? What is your impression? How does knowing they are USDA Organic and B Corp certified change your perception?
What would convince you to switch from your current protein brand? What is missing in the market?
The Findings
1. The Sweetness Problem is Real
Multiple participants flagged the same issue, unprompted. The sweetness. One participant said it makes "real food taste weird after." Another described it as "too sweet from stevia."
One participant who had tried Orgain was blunt: "The sweetness hangs around." This is not a deal-breaker for everyone, but it came up often enough that it is worth paying attention to.
For a brand positioning itself on clean, natural ingredients, the artificial-tasting sweetness creates a cognitive dissonance. The label says one thing; the palate experiences another.
2. Texture Matters More Than Certifications
When I asked what matters most, texture and mixing came up constantly. These consumers want something that mixes smooth in water with just a shaker bottle. No blender required. No chalkiness.
One participant described Orgain as "a bit chalky" when mixed only in a shaker. Another said it is "passable in a blender I do not carry to job sites." The practical reality: most people are not bringing a NutriBullet to work. If the product does not work with a shaker cup and water, it is not practical.
Here is the kicker: when these same participants were told about B Corp and Organic certifications, they acknowledged them as "nice" but not purchase drivers. Texture wins over credentials.
3. Price Per Serving is the Real Decision-Maker
Almost every participant had a specific threshold in mind. The magic number? Under $1-2 per serving. Go above that, and you need serious justification.
One participant put it bluntly: "Under $1 for 20g. Non-negotiable." Another calculated it as "cost per protein hit" rather than cost per container.
This is not about cheapness. It is about value math. Consumers are doing the division in their heads. If your premium positioning does not map to premium performance, the maths stops making sense.
4. The Ready-to-Drink Format Gets Mixed Reviews
Orgain's RTD bottles got praise for convenience. One participant noted they grab them specifically because "cold helped" with the sweetness issue. But the core critique carried over: still too sweet.
The RTD format works for the grab-and-go use case. It does not solve the flavour profile issue.
What Orgain Gets Right
It is not all critical feedback. The brand has real strengths that came through in the research:
Brand recognition is strong. Multiple participants had heard of Orgain and could describe it accurately. That is not nothing in a crowded market.
Costco distribution is an asset. One participant called it an "easy grab at Costco." That accessibility matters.
The clean-label positioning lands. When participants think Orgain, they think "organic" and "clean." The messaging is working.
Digestion is generally positive. A few participants mentioned it "digests OK" which is genuine praise in a category known for stomach issues.
What This Means for the Brand
Orgain has built a legitimate brand in a competitive space. The credentials are real. The distribution is there. The awareness exists.
But there is a sensory gap. The product experience does not quite match the brand promise. When consumers think "clean" and "natural," they expect a flavour profile that reinforces that positioning. Intense sweetness creates doubt.
The opportunity? A less-sweet or unsweetened variant could differentiate Orgain in a market where everyone is chasing the same milkshake-adjacent flavour profile. Several participants explicitly said they want an option with "no stevia taste" or "let me add my own sweetness."
The other lever? Texture improvement. If Orgain could solve the shaker-bottle problem and deliver a smooth mix without a blender, that is a genuine competitive advantage.
The Bottom Line
Orgain is not failing. Far from it. But there is room between where they are and where they could be. The certifications and positioning have created brand equity. The product experience is not fully capitalising on it.
In a market obsessed with protein per dollar, the brands that win will be the ones that nail the basics: taste good, mix easy, sit light. The credentials are nice. The experience is essential.
Want to run this kind of research for your brand? Ditto runs synthetic focus groups in minutes instead of weeks. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you want to see what your customers actually think.
