Beyond the Ban: How HFSS Rules Will Redefine Food & Drink Branding in 2026
The food and drink industry is entering a transformative moment. From January 2026, new HFSS (High Fat, Salt, Sugar) regulations will change how brands can advertise across TV, digital, and influencer channels. At first glance, these rules feel restrictive. In reality, they open the door to more imaginative, culture-led storytelling. For brands willing to embrace the change, the HFSS era offers an opportunity to connect with consumers in richer, more meaningful ways, moving beyond traditional product promotion.
Changing the Brief, Not the Opportunity
The most important shift for brands is a change in perspective. Without the ability to lead with product, brands are challenged and encouraged to think harder about the worlds they build around themselves. Their tone, purpose and cultural relevance. As we’ve observed across client work at Palm and industry conversations already, when brands can’t lead with product, they lead with story and purpose – and often produce stronger, more culturally relevant work as a result.
By removing product-first advertising, brands are encouraged to craft richer, more layered stories. It’s about asking questions such as: Who are we as a brand? What do we stand for? How do we contribute to culture and community? The answers to these questions become the foundation of campaigns that resonate far more deeply than traditional product-focused advertising ever could.
With product visibility restricted, the focus shifts squarely onto the brand itself. Values, heritage, founder stories, craft, and visual identity now become the primary drivers of engagement. Brand-level advertising is still allowed, so brands that have strong, distinctive worlds will carry more weight. Examples from Palm clients like KNOOPS demonstrate how tapping into culture and community keeps a brand front of mind, even when the product itself isn’t visible. Experiences, events, and storytelling become the vehicles for engagement, helping consumers connect with the ethos of the brand rather than just what’s inside the wrapper.
Big vs. Challenger Brands
Naturally, larger brands such as Mars or Nestlé start with some advantages: familiar colours, fonts and tone provide immediate recognition, making it easier for them to pivot toward brand-led campaigns. But scale alone won’t guarantee success. The shift toward brand-first communication opens doors for smaller, challenger brands that have a clear identity and a strong sense of purpose.
This is familiar territory for disrupter brands which often are ideas first, rather than product first.
So how do brands win in this new HFSS landscape? A few principles are already proving essential. For challengers, the golden rule is consistency. Voice, visuals, behaviour and community engagement must all align to build trust and authenticity. Founder stories, brand values, and purpose become crucial signals of credibility. Success is no longer measured by product visibility, but by the ability to create experiences that people want to be part of. Those challenger brands that consistently show up with clarity and conviction often feel more human, relatable, and exciting than established legacy players. They speak peer-to-peer and they tap into cultural challenges or serve a higher purpose.
Smaller brands can also leverage agility and niche positioning. While bigger brands are adapting existing products, visual systems and messaging, challengers can experiment and innovate in ways that feel timely and culturally relevant. The shift to brand-first marketing is, in many ways, a leveller, allowing smart, consistent, and culturally tuned brands to punch above their weight.
Strategies to Thrive in the HFSS Era
With these changes in mind, brands need a clear set of strategies to thrive. Here’s how to navigate this new landscape:
1. PR as a Strategic Advantage
Public Relations will become an even more critical tool in the HFSS era, enabling brands to build visibility and credibility in trusted environments, bypassing the restrictions limited to paid advertising. Strategic partnerships, cultural collaborations and event activations create attention while reinforcing brand identity.
Example: KNOOPS x DIRTEA launched a mushroom chocolate activation that blended indulgence, wellness, and community, creating buzz without relying on product-led advertising. The activation generated earned media coverage, social content, and influencer engagement all while staying fully compliant with HFSS regulations.
2. Organic & Digital Amplification
Paid advertising will no longer be a reliable channel for HFSS brands, making earned and organic reach more important than ever. SEO, shareable content, and community-driven engagement amplify PR campaigns, ensuring discoverability across digital platforms and even AI-driven search systems. In the HFSS era, discoverability isn’t bought, it’s built.
Brands can optimise non-branded search terms, such as “vegan chocolates” or “mindful indulgence treats,” to drive traffic and engagement without violating HFSS restrictions. Organic content that resonates with audiences, such as recipes, cultural collaborations, or lifestyle features, can have the same impact as paid media, while also strengthening long-term brand equity.
3. Creativity Without Product
With direct product promotion restricted, messaging must shift from product to purpose. This includes highlighting brand values, heritage, sustainability credentials, and social impact. Founder stories, craftsmanship, and quality become central narratives, giving consumers reasons to engage with the brand beyond taste alone.
Example: M&S and McDonald’s have pivoted campaigns to focus on sourcing, sustainability, and heritage rather than HFSS products, successfully creating brand narratives that engage consumers and reinforce their values. It’s about building emotional resonance and trust through storytelling rather than transaction-led messaging.
4. Rethinking Influencer Engagement
Paid influencer promotions will face tighter restrictions but influence itself isn’t disappearing. Brands can still leverage influence through more creative approaches: gifting experiences or merchandise, hosting press trips to communicate brand values, or inviting influencers to curated events that generate organic content.
Example: Wagamama partnered with a running influencer to host a community run, creating content and engagement aligned with brand values while maintaining compliance with HFSS rules. These approaches ensure influencer activity supports brand storytelling without focusing on product placement.
The Future of HFSS Marketing
The HFSS era isn’t about doing less marketing; it’s about doing smarter and more strategic marketing. Brands that move away from transactional messaging and invest in culture, community and meaning will be the ones that endure.
This is a moment for brands to redefine themselves, sharpen their identity and show up with intention. Those that embrace this shift won’t just remain visible, they’ll become more relevant than ever.
