Marketing & Media

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Why Consistency is Crucial for Plant-Based Brands

Trying to make your plant-based product stand out on the shelf can be daunting, and can lead to a desire to innovate and rebrand. However, as ProVeg International writes in this week’s New Food Hub article, consistency in branding is often the unsung hero behind the success of some of the world’s most beloved brands. Consistency isn’t just about your logo or colour palette; it’s about creating a cohesive and recognisable brand experience across every touchpoint. Maintaining a unified brand identity is crucial in establishing trust with consumers, whether it’s your product packaging, social media presence, or the tone of voice in your marketing materials. This is particularly important for plant-based brands, where customers are not just looking for delicious products but also for transparency and …

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Wild Hope Mission Impossible

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WILD HOPE Documentary Spotlights Impossible Foods and the Role of Plant-Based Innovation in Climate Change Mitigation

The new episode of the WILD HOPE documentary series, Mission Impossible, debuts today on centering on Dr. Pat Brown, founder of Impossible Foods, and his mission to combat climate change and biodiversity loss through plant-based innovation and sustainable land use practices. Dr. Brown, a former biochemist at Stanford University, took a sabbatical from his academic career to address what he identified as one of the most pressing global challenges: the environmental impacts of animal agriculture. He states in the documentary, “What I wanted to do on the sabbatical was to figure out what was the most important thing I could do to make the best possible world?” Research led him to establish Impossible Foods in 2011, with the goal of creating plant-based alternatives that rival …

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supermarket plant meats in Germany

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Op Ed: Philipp Wolf, Founder of swyytr, Says Plant-Based Brands Are Losing the Mainstream Due to a Lack of Courage

Philipp Wolf is the founder and operator of swyytr.com, a digital food hub that brings together relevant topics from the food sector under one roof and reports on news and trends in the form of several newsletters every week, in addition to his full-time job in private label marketing at REWE. In this piece, Wolf poses that many plant-based brands are failing to stand out due to interchangeable, green-centric branding and lack of originality. Despite product improvements in taste and texture, companies rely heavily on green packaging and predictable names, says Wolf, suggesting that while this may appeal to early adopters, it lacks the distinctiveness needed to attract the mainstream consumer, who prioritizes price, taste, and memorable marketing. Trapped in total interchangeability: how plant-based brands …

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creating lasting connections with consumers

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How Can Plant-Based Brands Create Lasting Connections with Consumers?

In the increasingly competitive plant-based sector, it’s clear that offering a great product is no longer enough. Today’s consumers want to connect with the brands they choose on a deeper level. Brands that can evoke love and respect from consumers become more than just products – they become essential to their lives. For plant-based brands, shared values such as sustainability or health often form the basis of this emotional connection. But how do you build and sustain this bond? Authentic storytelling, consistent brand experiences, and tapping into consumers’ subconscious drivers can all help plant-based brands foster loyalty and advocacy. Brands like Allplants and Heura Foods have harnessed this strategy, embedding their values into every customer interaction. Whether it’s through the founders’ personal stories or promoting …

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Plant Based Foods Association May Cause

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Largest-Ever Collaboration of Plant-Based Powerhouse Brands Unites in Landmark Campaign to Drive Consumer Awareness

The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) has partnered with advertising agency AKQA Bloom to launch the “May Cause” campaign, a landmark initiative that unites leading plant-based giants such as NotCo, Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and many more. This represents the largest-ever cross-category collaboration of plant-based brands, all working to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet, says the PBFA. Launched during New York City’s Climate Week, the campaign represents a pivotal moment for the industry, shifting the focus from competition to collaboration in order to drive wider consumer adoption of plant-based products. CEO Rachel Dreskin enthused about the initiative, “This campaign marks a key moment for our industry. By coming together, for the very first time, as a diverse coalition of brands across 20+ plant-based …

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Oatly campaign convinces Brits to try oat milk in tea

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New Oatly Campaign Aims to Convince Brits to Try Oat Milk in Tea

Oatly has launched a new 360 integrated campaign with the aim of convincing Brits that oat milk works in tea. While figures indicate that over half of UK coffee drinkers opt for oat milk, new research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Oatly suggests that Brits are much more reluctant to try oat milk in their tea. In fact, just 4% of tea drinkers said they use a plant-based alternative, while 31% said they would be surprised to see someone drink tea with plant-based milk. The “It Works in Tea” campaign will feature OOH advertisements including billboards in Brighton, London, and Manchester, along with digital and in-store promotions and PR. It will also be advertised on Twitch, Spotify, Oatly’s social media channels, and Connected TV …

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French brand La Vie has launched its first-ever TV campaign, coinciding with World Animal Day, aiming to spark a nationwide conversation about animal welfare and meat consumption.

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La Vie Takes Viewers on Emotional Journey in Bold Premier TV Ad for its Plant-Based Ham

French brand La Vie has launched its first-ever TV campaign today, coinciding with World Animal Day, aiming to spark a nationwide conversation about animal welfare and meat consumption. Using the brand’s bold and tongue-in-cheek marketing, the ad invites viewers to consider plant-based options for better health, sustainability, and ethical reasons. The 40-second spot is an emotional journey for viewers. Both suspenseful and humorous, it creates tension as a man prepares a ham sandwich while a piglet watches. When the man eats the sandwich, deep, unblinking gazes are exchanged between them, only to reveal, at the very end, that the ham is plant-based, leading to relief and delight. Display “La Vie™️ – Duel” from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s …

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Why brand salience matters in the plant-based market

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Why Brand Salience Matters in the Plant-Based Market

Brand salience is crucial for success in today’s competitive plant-based food market. But what does this term mean and how can we build it? Understanding brand salience In essence, brand salience is about how noticeable or prominent a brand is in the minds of consumers. According to marketing expert Byron Sharp, author of How Brands Grow, brand salience is a key driver of consumer choice. While brand awareness indicates familiarity, salience takes it a step further, ensuring that your brand is the one consumers think of first when making a buying decision. Why salience matters in the plant-based market The plant-based market is expanding rapidly, with more brands and products entering the space every day. To stay competitive, plant-based brands must go beyond simple awareness …

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Oatly carton

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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

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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

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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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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

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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

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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

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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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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

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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

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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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