When a doughnut advert says “grab your greens”, what is it really selling?

During a recent visit to a shopping centre, something made me stop in my tracks.

A sign outside a doughnut shop read, “grab your greens”, placed right next to a doughnut and a bright green drink.

At first, it felt a bit odd. Then it made me laugh. Since when did doughnuts count as “your greens”?

But the more you think about it, the more it says something about marketing trends in business today.

This isn’t really about doughnuts. It’s about how businesses present what they sell.

Jumping on trends

Right now, there is a strong focus on wellness, healthier choices and products like matcha. You see it everywhere, from supermarket shelves to social media.

Businesses know this. Instead of changing what customers want, they tap into what is already popular.

In this case, the core product stays the same. But introducing a matcha-style drink allows the business to link its products directly to this trend. Matcha is often associated with being healthier, even if that isn’t always the full picture.

The wording then reinforces it. “Grab your greens” makes the product feel like it fits into that lifestyle, even though it is still a doughnut and a sugary drink.

Adapting the product and the message

This example shows that businesses don’t just rely on marketing, they also adjust what they offer.

The matcha-style drink is a product line extension (adding new options to an existing range to match customer preferences). At the same time, the marketing shapes how customers see the product. The phrase “grab your greens” connects it to the wellness trend and influences how it is perceived.

Together, the product and the marketing message make the offer more appealing and help to increase sales.

In business terms, this links to product development in the Ansoff Matrix, where businesses introduce new or adapted products to existing customers. Rather than replacing their core products, they expand their range while also changing how those products are presented.

Why this approach works

This approach works because it fits with how people already think. Many customers are trying to make healthier choices, and small signals like colour, wording and trends such as matcha can influence how a product feels.

This can make products more appealing, reduce feelings of guilt and encourage impulse purchases. It can also increase sales without major changes to the core product.

Put simply, businesses are not trying to change behaviour, they are working with it.

But where’s the line?

This is where the example becomes more interesting. There is a difference between going along with a trend and pushing it too far.

If customers feel that the message or product does not match reality, trust can be affected. What may initially seem clever can start to feel forced or even misleading. In some cases, it raises the question of whether marketing reflects reality, or simply reshapes it.

If pushed too far, this approach risks damaging credibility and making customers more sceptical in the future.

Final thoughts

This example may seem small, but it shows how modern marketing works.

Businesses are not always changing what they sell, they are changing how it is presented, and sometimes extending their product range to match trends.

This combination can be effective, but it also carries risk.

At what point does following a trend become overdoing it… or simply glazing over the reality?

Questions for business students

Discussion question: To what extent is this an effective use of marketing to increase sales, rather than a misleading representation of the product?

Written question: Analyse how this business has used both marketing and product strategy to respond to changes in consumer preferences.

Extension task: Choose a product that is not usually seen as “healthy” (e.g. fast food, snacks or fizzy drinks).

• Explain how a business could present this product to fit a current trend

• Describe the marketing message you would use

• Assess whether this approach would be effective or potentially misleading