growing plant-based brands
plantAbove is a collaborative of senior-level brand consultants. We help move plant-based businesses, organizations and causes to the next level. New clients grow@plantabove.com
Grassroots to Mainstream
Plant-based
brands have come a long way since Tofurky launched over 35 years ago.
However, there is still much to do to create an equal marketplace for
‘veggiebrands.’ A trip to the local store shows that most lack the
strength of their animal counterparts and are often hidden away in the
smaller ‘specialty’ section. As a result, they are not seen as a serious
option and often struggle as grassroots operations. If they are to be
accepted as ‘mainstream’ offerings, then they must counter the amateur,
homegrown clichés often associated with this category. A modern, more
professional brand image is required. The success enjoyed by so many
mass commercial brands is available to the plant-based—but only if they
are willing to adapt the same brand-centric model.
Brand Challenge
The
challenge facing the veggie cause is confusion:
vegan/vegetarian/lacto-vegetarian/ovo-vegetarian/ovo-lacto-vegetarian/pesce-vegetarian
etc. etc. And if that doesn’t create enough confusion for plant-based
prospects, there are hundreds of poorly branded organizations, products,
services and causes. Yet the animal product folks seem to have a more
united front—like they all got together and put in some real effort into
their brand and how they could better position themselves to busy
people. And it has paid off—literally. Their messages are clear and
memorable: “Get Cracking,” “Got Milk?” are household slogans. Such
phrases would overpower any mass veggie-promoting tagline—if there were
any. Many parents falsely believe that a cow’s milk is the best source
of calcium for their child. This is the power of Brand Dairy. So why
can’t the veggie pushers get it right? Part of the problem is funding.
The animal-product marketing orgs simply have more of it. However, the
plant-based movement lacks not only the dollars, but also the ability to
produce high-quality brand messaging that the general public will take
seriously. Time to get cracking! – Errol Saldanha