The other day, I got a flyer in the mail from Peapod. Being an online grocery delivery service, their messaging focused on saving time and hassle compared to shopping in regular stores. But one aspect of the flyer caught my attention: Peapod emphasizes that their produce is “untouched by other shoppers”.

To me, this sounds like a subtle appeal to customers who are very concerned with cleanliness and avoiding germs. This group hates the idea that dozens of different people may have pawed over every fruit and vegetable before it reaches their own shopping cart. For them, any mention of a way to avoid germs is enough to make them take notice.

But why stop there? I’d love to see a whole campaign focused on why online grocery shopping is cleaner and more hygienic than buying stuff in a traditional store. People spend a lot of money on hand sanitizer and other germ-fighting products. If Peapod targeted a whole campaign to this customer segment, I bet a lot of customers would take a newfound interest in online grocery shopping.