Marketing & Media

Oatly carton

Image courtesy of ProVeg International

Why is Brand Purpose Important in the Plant-Based Industry?

In the competitive landscape of plant-based foods, having a distinct brand purpose can significantly impact success. A clear purpose differentiates brands and fosters enduring connections with consumers. As the plant-based market expands, understanding and utilising brand purpose is essential for anyone involved in branding or marketing. But what exactly is brand purpose, and how can it contribute to the success of plant-based food brands? In the latest New Food Hub article, ProVeg International explores the role of brand purpose and shares practical action points to support brand leaders. Connecting with consumer values and building loyalty A brand’s purpose goes beyond mere profit – it defines its core reason for existing. In the plant-based food sector, consumers are particularly attentive to values like animal welfare, health, …

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A man holding multiple NotMilk products

© NotCo

Word-of-Mouth is Key Channel in Success of Plant-Based Milks, Finds Study

Research on US consumer preferences for plant-based milk, conducted by New Zealand’s Lincoln University, has found that plant-based milk enthusiasts actively promote these alternatives through word-of-mouth, making them valuable allies in marketing. The study — focused on US consumers, due to the country’s extensive plant-based milk market — was conducted by Dr. Meike Rombach, Dr. Lei Cong, and Associate Professor David Dean and published in Beverages, to provide a framework for marketers to promote plant-based milk more effectively. Through a survey, the researchers measured how factors such as animal welfare, environmental concerns, health consciousness, and personal dietary preferences influenced consumers’ willingness to try plant-based milk and their propensity to share their views through word-of-mouth, particularly on social media. “Willingness to try is a low-commitment response …

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VFC Believe in Chickens campaign

© VFC

VFC Condemns Hypocrisy & Cruelty Inherent in KFC Campaign: “KFC Believes in Chicken, Whereas VFC Believes in Chickens”

Activist-led UK brand VFC has accused KFC of hypocrisy after the chain launched a major ad campaign encouraging consumers to “Believe in Chicken”. According to VFC, KFC’s representation of chicken cannot be trusted. Consequently, the brand has launched a social media campaign featuring a modified version of KFC’s billboard creative, altering the message to “Believe in Chickens”. By addressing chickens in the plural, VFC aims to highlight that they are living creatures that deserve to be treated with compassion. Unlike KFC’s campaign, which features images of fried chicken, VFC’s version shows how farmed chickens are treated. This is not the first time VFC has challenged the fast food chain — in 2022, the brand condemned a “misleading” KFC campaign where an influencer was invited to …

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Elin Roberts, cofounder of Better Nature

Elin Roberts © Better Nature Tempeh

Op Ed: Elin Roberts, CMO at Better Nature Tempeh: Stop Using Plant-Based as a Scapegoat

As co-founder and CMO of the UK’s fastest-growing wholefood protein brand, Better Nature Tempeh, Elin Roberts is on a mission to help people live healthier lives by making wholefood proteins the norm, not the alternative. As a business, Better Nature claims it is on track to achieve this, with its supercharged tempeh range now available in over 1,000 supermarkets across the UK. For the wider plant-based industry, it has been a more bumpy ride, with meat alternatives under fire amidst growing consumer concern about ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Here, Elin gives her reaction to a study that hit the headlines this month that highlighted the health risks of ultra-processed foods, creating a flurry of negative press for the plant-based sector in the process. Why scapegoating plant-based …

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Purchase Plant-Based.com, the domain, for just US$12,500

There exists no domain more powerful, memorable, or increasingly positive in the minds of consumers than Plant-Based.com. Parents, kids, academics, media, and even politicians understand that plant-based has become part of the zeitgeist, not just as a term of culinary import, but also as a potential solution for improving conditions around the world. As more and more consumers prioritize plant-based diets and lifestyles, the demand for products and services that cater to this demographic is on the rise. With Plant-Based.com you can instantly position your business, product, service, event, or non-profit organization as a leader within the plant-based space. As consumer recall of Plant-Based.com is nearly 100%, there is no better way to draw consumers to your online presence, whether to increase customer subscriptions, grow …

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© Beyond Meat

So, We Have Reached Peak Vegan Sausage?

This is a story about Beyond Meat’s fourth iteration of its plant-based sausage, how we have reached “peak vegan sausage”, and how these “fake vegan meats” are apparently dangerous for our health. Beyond Meat today unveiled the fourth iteration of the Beyond Sausage, offering “enhanced flavor and meaty texture while raising the bar on nutrition and earning recognition from leading health organizations”. Like the recent reformulation of the Beyond Burger patty, the sausages are now made with avocado oil and contain 2g of saturated fat per link and 17g of protein per link. Additionally, the new formula features a 66% reduced saturated fat content compared to the previous version of Beyond Sausage, is certified as part of the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life …

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The Lancet

© The Lancet

Media Wildly Misrepresents Findings of UPF Study in The Lancet to Slander Plant-Based Foods

Earlier this week, a study was published in The Lancet examining the health impacts of plant-sourced ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The results showed that while unprocessed plant-based foods decrease cardiovascular disease risk, ultra-processed plant-sourced foods may have the opposite effect. However, the study has attracted a slew of misleading coverage from mainstream media outlets, with some articles giving the impression that the UPFs in the study were predominantly meat alternatives. For example, a clickbait headline in The Telegraph falsely declared “Vegans are slowly killing themselves”, with the subheading “There’s nothing healthy about ultra-highly processed fake ‘meat’ products”. Unsurprisingly, the writer of the article is a dairy farmer. In reality, plant-based meats represented just 0.2% of the diets of the study participants, while foods such as packaged …

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Woman eating vegan pizza

Image courtesy of ProVeg International

Winning Over Tastebuds: Strategies for Promoting Plant-Based Foods

Promoting plant-based food brands in today’s competitive market can be challenging, but your business can stand out and make a lasting impact with the right strategies. In its latest New Food Hub article, ProVeg International collaborates with Joe Hill, co-founder of One Planet Pizza, who shares his top tips for marketing plant-based products. Drawing from his experience building a plant-based pizza brand, Joe offers essential tips to capture consumers’ attention, win over sceptics, and create a buzz around plant-based offerings. Taste is still king It’s easy to forget just how important a role taste plays in food. And in the plant-based world, it’s even more crucial to nail great taste. “Research now shows that most consumers will try something new plant-based once, and if they …

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La Vie plant-based ham campaign

© La Vie

La Vie “Turns London Pink” With New OOH Campaign Celebrating Its Plant-Based Ham

French brand La Vie is celebrating the success of its plant-based ham with a new OOH advertising campaign in “one of the UK’s most ham-centric cities”, London. La Vie’s ham alternative arrived at Tesco and Ocado earlier this year, and is now one of the top three plant-based ham brands sold at Tesco. The product also recently launched at Waitrose stores UK-wide. To mark this success, some of London’s famous black cabs have been turned pink with the message “Take me to BuckingPlant-Basedham Palace”. Additionally, billboards have appeared around the UK with messages such as “For those who love animals, the planet and kids having a future but can’t give up ham sandwiches”. The aim is to ignite conversations about the significance of plant-based meat …

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Image courtesy of ProVeg International

The Flexitarian Strategy – Optimise Your Plant-Based Sales

Flexitarians, not vegans or vegetarians, are the primary target market for plant-based foods, comprising almost half of consumers in many countries and driving most plant-based purchases.[1] With this in mind, shifting focus from the niche vegan market (less than 4% of consumers) to flexitarians can tap into a market over 10 times larger. In its latest New Food Hub article, ProVeg International shares actionable insights for brands and producers, food service businesses, and retailers looking to reach flexitarians. Here, we’ll share strategies for brands and producers looking to optimise their plant-based sales. Strategies for brands and producers When your plant-based product is on a shelf with a hundred other products, how do you encourage a consumer to pick it up? It stems from good branding, …

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Impossible Foods marketing campaign

© Impossible Foods

Impossible Foods’ New Ad Campaign Aims to “Solve the Meat Problem with More Meat”

Impossible Foods has unveiled a large-scale marketing campaign alongside its recently refreshed brand identity. The campaign targets meat-eating consumers with a compelling message about the sustainability and benefits of plant-based meats. Under the tagline “We’re solving the meat problem with more meat,” the campaign challenges the deep-rooted habits of meat consumers.  Central to this campaign is a straightforward assessment of meat’s environmental and health impact. According to Impossible Foods, “Meat’s got a big problem. It’s too good. We humans love it too much. And we can’t stop eating it, even though we’re told that eating too much of it is bad for our bodies and will eventually cause us to run out of water and land while filling up our air with carbon emissions. Somehow, …

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Chloe Bullock Sustainable Interior Design book

Image courtesy of Chloe Bullock

PETA Award-Winning Designer Chloe Bullock Publishes Sustainable Interior Design Book

Chloe Bullock, a UK interior designer who received last year’s PETA Compassionate Designer award, has written a new book titled Sustainable Interior Design. Printed by RIBA Publishing (the publishing arm of the Royal Institute of British Architects), the book outlines sustainable practices that can reduce the impact of interior design on the planet, animals, and people. It features eleven approaches that can be used as project goals, demonstrated through a range of innovative spaces, products, materials, and supply chains. Examples from around the world are combined with best-practice guidance and information about the benefits of sustainable and regenerative design. Projects include: A circular economy building that can be dismantled and relocated many times Non-toxic alternatives to animal-derived products and materials Regenerative designs to revive culture …

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Morningstar Farms and Gallo Salame

© Morningstar Farms & Instacart

New Study Reveals Key Marketing Differences Between Plant-Based and Animal-Sourced Foods Online

A comprehensive study published in Business Strategy and the Environment by Suzannah Gerber, Sadie R. Dix, and Sean B. Cash, examines the marketing strategies of plant-based foods (PBFs) versus animal-sourced foods (ASFs) in the online grocery market in the United States. The research meticulously analyzed over 16,000 marketing and labeling content observations from seven leading US e-commerce grocery retailers, focusing on top-selling ASFs and closely matched PBFs. The study’s findings reveal several key insights that could significantly influence marketing strategies and regulatory considerations within the food industry. It found PBFs to be more robustly marketed, with an average of 47 claims per product compared to 28 for ASFs, demonstrating a focused effort on promoting product benefits both online and on packaging. PBFs tend to emphasize …

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Plant CEO X UnchainedTV

© UnchainedTV

PLANT CEO to Broadcast on UnchainedTV: Featuring Industry Leaders Matthew Glover, Bernat Añaños, and Ria Rehberg

PLANT CEO, a London-based podcast platform that spotlights leaders in the plant-based sector, has announced a collaborative venture with UnchainedTV, a Los Angeles-based, plant-based streaming TV network. This partnership is set to amplify the narratives of vegan business leaders, allowing them to reach a global audience. Hosted by Anant Joshi, PLANT CEO has become a notable platform for sharing success stories and insights from key figures in the vegan industry. The roster of interviewees features Ria Rehberg, the CEO of Veganuary; Bernat Añaños, the co-founder of Heura Foods; Louie Psihoyos, director of “You Are What You Eat” and Sam Tucker, CEO of VEG3 and executive director of Open Paws.  “We are elated to join forces with UnchainedTV to broaden the impact of our show,” commented Joshi. …

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OLALA plant-based seafood brand design

© OLALA!

OLALA! Unveils New Brand Design for Alt Seafood That “Breaks Through Ordinary Taste Experiences”

French plant-based seafood startup OLALA! has collaborated with Scandinavian consumer branding and design agency Everland to develop a new brand design centred around taste. While many plant-based brands focus their marketing on the ethics of their products, OLALA! believes taste is the key to repeat purchases. The startup aims to “break through ordinary taste experiences” with products aimed at all gourmet foodies, not just vegans. The new brand design takes inspiration from bistros, with an off-white colour that resembles a tablecloth, eye-catching golden illustrations, and the O in the logo suggesting a plate. The brand name is inspired by the French phrase “Oh là là”, indicating a pleasant surprise. “When nearly all competitors focus on rationality and sustainability, we focus on the emotional aspects of …

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Frys Chicken Run nuggets World Food Innovation Awards winner image

© Fry's Family Foods

Fry’s Marketing Campaign with Aardman and Netflix Wins Global Innovation Award

A marketing campaign for plant-based nuggets from Fry Family Foods has been awarded Best Marketing Campaign in the World Food Innovation Awards. The ad was timed to coincide with Veganuary as well as the arrival of the nuggets into retail and the launch of the Chicken Run 2 movie, which touches upon issues thought to inspire many viewers to consider the concept of veganism. The campaign win was announced at an award ceremony at  IFE (International Food and Drink Event) at London’s ExCeL this Monday the 25th of March. The brand belongs to the LIVEKINDLY group, as does Sweden’s Oumph!, which similarly received a marketing accolade in 2022 with its famous Human Meat campaign for Halloween, which again causes the public to question their choices and …

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Cauldron Foods announces new plant-based products and rebrand

© Cauldron Foods

Cauldron Foods Announces Colourful Rebrand and New Plant-Based Products

UK meat-free brand Cauldron Foods (not to be confused with Australian fermentation company Cauldron) has announced a full rebrand with updated packaging, as well as a selection of new plant-based products. This includes two new vegetable-based centre-plate options — Spinach & Carrot Veggie Bakes and Pumpkin & Caramelised Onion Veggie Bakes — which will debut at Asda from April 4, followed by Tesco and Waitrose. Additionally, Cauldon is introducing a new Extra Firm Tofu block, launching at Asda from April 8 and then at Sainsbury’s. Updated packaging The colourful new packaging will roll out from March 25, including for classic Cauldron products such as the brand’s authentic tofu and falafel. (According to Cauldron, Circana data indicates that the falafel is the UK’s No. 1 plant-based …

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Woman shopper influenced by nudging

Image courtesy of ProVeg International

Nudging Toward Sustainable Consumption – the Power of Choice Architecture

Within the ever-evolving world of consumer behaviour, nudging has surfaced as a powerful tool for guiding decisions towards sustainability. Nudges are capable of amplifying product allure, streamlining purchasing processes, and providing consumers with feedback regarding their purchase choices. Marketing professionals can make subtle use of factors that influence consumers’ purchase decisions, these include product design, pricing, labelling, product placement, promotions, and other persuasive marketing material. In its latest New Food Hub case study, ProVeg International explores key studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of nudging in encouraging consumers to make environmentally conscious and plant-based food choices. Key terms Nudging Nudging, as defined by Pelle Guldborg Hansen et al. (2016), is a strategic approach aimed at influencing decision-making processes by shaping the environment in which choices are …

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EatDifferently Dairy Campaign

© Eat Differently

Eat Differently Launches Huge Billboard Campaign Across LA Exposing Falsehoods Peddled by Dairy Industry

A new campaign by Eat Differently, a public service resource encouraging plant-based eating, is challenging long-held consumer beliefs about the dairy industry. Titled “Got My Mom’s Milk? I Didn’t,” the campaign seeks to expose the often glossed-over realities of dairy cows and their calves and foster a broader understanding of dairy production practices.  With over 20 billboards strategically placed in key locations around Los Angeles, including the highly trafficked 405 Freeway, the Hollywood and Highland intersection, and near the Los Angeles International Airport, the campaign is anticipated to have high visibility.  Lori Amos, founder of Scout 22, an advertising agency working with Eat Differently, articulated the campaign’s core message: “The messaging featured in this campaign negates the falsehoods that have been peddled by the dairy …

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Impossible Foods Burger King

Alex Swanda © Impossible Foods

Burger King’s Million Dollar Whopper Campaign Features Customizable Impossible Whoppers

Burger King’s latest promotional venture, the Million Dollar Whopper Campaign, will feature the Impossible Burger patty, allowing the option to create 100% plant-based burgers as part of the contest. The campaign offers Burger King patrons the opportunity to design their ultimate Whopper, with the chance to win a $1 million prize. The contest, which is open for entries through March 17, encourages participants to explore over 200,000 possible combinations to create their dream Whopper. For the first time, customers can opt for the Impossible Burger patty, enabling the creation of entirely plant-based versions of the popular sandwich. Participants can submit their unique Whopper designs via Burger King’s website or the BK App, utilizing a Royal Perks account. Each submission will be transformed by artificial intelligence …

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