Plant-Based Branding: To V or not to V?
We are currently living through a plant-based boom! There are now 3.5 million UK people living a vegan lifestyle (a 350% increase in a decade), and 1 in 3 people now describe themselves as “flexitarian”. More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of plant-based living, and there has never been a better time to be a plant-based business.
The UK plant-based market was worth £443 million in 2018
Source: www.publicsectorcatoring.co.uk
However, with this incredible rise of veganism and plant-based businesses, the market is becoming increasingly saturated and it’s getting tougher by the day for brands to stand out and make an impact!
As a creative designer and someone who has followed a plant-based vegan lifestyle for a few years now, I love helping vegan entrepreneurs define their brand voice and create a visual identity that helps their venture succeed and make an impact in the world.
Vegan by stealth?
In the plant-based product market I believe it’s important to ask the question of whether you should boldly label your brand (or product/service) as vegan and go heavy on the ethical benefits of your product, or whether it is better to be vegan by stealth and talk more about the other benefits you offer. By going through what is known as a persona building process - where you create an avatar of your ideal customer so you can better understand their wants, needs, and personality type - you will be in a stronger position to decide if you should slap that V sign onto your marketing.
Did you know that a staggering 92% of all plant-based meals consumed in the UK in 2018 were eaten by non-vegans?
Source: https://uk.kantar.com/consumer/shoppers/2019/only-3-of-uk-self-define-as-vegan/
It’s largely understood that having a plant-based diet and living a vegan lifestyle can solve many problems; environmental, ethical (animal suffering) and health. If you’re running a vegan brand you will naturally want to shout about all the benefits your vegan product will offer the world, but I can tell you that you should fight the temptation to say everything at once.
Choose one angle, and stick to it!
Once you’ve done the research and thinking to better understand your ideal customer, and worked out how you want to be perceived in this market-place, you will have a good understanding of what your target audience will resonate most with, and you can position your business with those insights to be more effective.
Decide if your product is a health product, and go heavy on those benefits, regardless of whether you know it’s better for the environment. Is your product an ethical alternative to a leather product for example? Focus on the fact your customers can look stylish without harming animals. If you are selling a 100% sustainable product, make that a central focus to your core message and make it resonate, even if it may be a healthier alternative that avoids animal exploitation.
Free resource: Find Your Vegan Brand Voice Worksheet
Once you have established your core message of the 3 vegan benefits, you will be able to reference the others as and when necessary and required. But by focusing on just 1 big plant-based benefit, you will speak more directly to your target audience and have a clear message that people remember. They are more likely to associate your product with the 1 good thing, rather than having 3 (or more) benefits in mind.
Summary
In a world awash with new vegan brands and products, you might want to swim against the tide and do something different that doesn’t capitalise on this trend. Alternatively you might want to ride the wave of veganism and go all in to capture as much of the audience as possible. Either approach could work, but it depends on your specific offering and who it is you’re aiming to reach. And that’s the fun part that makes you, your product, and your potential customers unique!
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