Conquer the vegan market by following these 5 tips

Veganuary is just around the corner

In recent years, trying new adventures for a small period of time has become a trend. This concept is perfect for those who want to experience something new without having to make a full commitment.

It also gives you a chance to return to your old habits without making you feel guilty or ashamed. That’s how trends such as not shaving in November (No-Shave-November), not drinking alcohol in January (Dry-January) and not using animal products in January (Veganuary), are becoming increasingly popular.

Why does Veganuary work?

January is a popular month for changing habits to set New Year’s resolutions. For example, deciding to give up alcohol or meat for a month is particularly attractive. Because of the negative effects of intensive farming, vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular. There is a lot of curiosity about trying new recipes and being more aware of the products they buy and aspiring to leave a positive impact on the environment. It is therefore not surprising that 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of Veganuary in the United Kingdom. The initiative promotes a plant-based diet and is dedicated to protecting the Earth and all its inhabitants (Veganuary). Such an important initiative attracts a growing number of people who are ready to give the vegan diet a chance.

But how can you attract these new vegans to buy from you and not from your competitors? Here are five tips!

1. Find the right inspiration

The supply of vegan products is constantly growing, offering both fierce competition but also a lot of creative freedom. Study the most successful brands and analyze their strategies using what you learn as a template for your project.

2. Captures attention

Use all of your social media to advertise your products and present them in an engaging way to increase visibility. If you have a website, consider posting blog articles, interviews with experts or other content that offers useful information. Also start partnerships with supermarkets or local stores.

3. The benefits of communicating

Many plant-based products are high in fiber and protein, a feature highly valued by consumers! Include these benefits on labels and packaging. Avoid using such wording if it is not true. Similarly, if your products are “not 100 percent vegan,” you need to consider whether or not promoting them as vegan products is really beneficial (Stremmel et al.).

What does it mean to be Not 100% Vegan?

4. Choose your labels carefully

There are several ways to communicate that your products are vegan. The most common labels are “plant-based” (plant-based), “without” (free from) and “vegan” (vegan). Use the right one for your products and pay attention to allergen and food labels. Only if a product contains no animal ingredients with no contamination can it be labeled as “without” (free from). It is an allergen label, which provides information for allergy sufferers. In all other cases, including “vegan” or “plant-based” on your label is the correct choice (Bambridge-Sutton). Some studies show that certain wording can influence consumer expectations in purchasing regarding taste and sustainability. (Ruby et al.).

5. Less is more

Veganism is minimalism: reducing meat consumption, minimizing environmental impact, and reducing other aspects of consumerism as well. To attract more customers, create a design for your labels and packaging that is minimalist and reflects your vegan audience or those who are curious about veganism. Our professional graphic designers are available to support you in this project.

Graphic design service

Vegan certifications

You can obtain various certifications for your vegan and vegetarian products. These certificates confer authenticity by incentivizing consumers to choose your products. The most common certification in Italy is the one issued by the Vegan Society. For other markets (e.g., Europe, Australia, Canada, etc.) other certifications are more common.

Types of vegan products: a simple guide

In the past decade, a multitude of vegan products have appeared on supermarket shelves due to an increasingly health and environmentally conscious attitude. Today we can distinguish different types of vegan products from those that are not (see Fig. 1). All products that undergo reformulation to eliminate animal ingredients are by definition vegan, unlike products that are not 100% vegan. Other products mimic the appearance and taste of traditionally animal-derived foods used as meat substitutes, whose popularity continues to grow.

The choice to include the term “vegan” on the packaging also depends on the expectations you want to create in consumers, often leading them to assume that the product is also healthy. Some products are vegan, for example jams, hummus, and other spreads. With a vegan label, consumers will consider a vegan-branded product instead of an unhealthy brand. However, one must beware of too much consumerism of certain products, a situation to be avoided (Stremmel et al.).

In conclusion

The vegan trend is booming, and with increasing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets, the market will continue to grow.

For this reason, it is critical to create awareness for your products.

• Study marketing strategies of vegan products.
• Use different channels to promote them.
• Communicate the benefits effectively and transparently, avoiding using the word “vegan” just to ride the fad.
• Remember who you are selling your products to: most people interested in plant-based diets appreciate minimalist packaging. Keep this in mind when creating your label design.

References

Bambridge-Sutton, Augustus. “‘Vegan’ or ‘Free-from’? Tackling Lack of Awareness of the Difference between Allergen and Dietary Labeling.” Foodnavigator.Com, William Reed Ltd, Mar. 26, 2024, www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2024/03/26/many-consumers-unaware-vegan-labels-don-t-mean-free-from.

Ruby, Matthew, et al. Vegetarian, Vegan, or Plant-Based? Comparing How Different Labels Influence Consumer Evaluations of Plant-Based Foods, Dec. 5, 2023, https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xvz64.

Stremmel, Gesa, et al. “Vegan labeling for what is already vegan: Product perceptions and consumption intentions.” Appetite, vol. 175, Aug. 2022, p. 106048, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106048.

Veganuary, veganuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Campaign-Report-2024-UK.pdf. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024