How To Market To Vegans (From A Vegan).

Posted by Anya Sleezer << back to blog

Last Updated on January 31, 2023

Think veganism is just a fad? Don’t bet your business on it. Nearly 10 million Americans now identify as vegan, a 300% increase over the past fifteen years. Before you pull out your calculator, that’s almost 3% of the population. And growing.

Whether you’re launching a vegan brand or expanding your existing business to cater to vegans, it has never been a better time to grow your plant-based goods and services. But before you start marketing to vegans, here are some helpful tips from a vegan (who also happens to be an experienced marketer).

1. Know your audience

First, don’t make the mistake of thinking “vegan” is an all-of-the-above term. People become vegans for different reasons.

Many people choose a plant-based diet strictly for health reasons (or because their doctor told them to). These vegans are less likely to be motivated by messaging focused solely on the environment or animal welfare, though it may be a contributing factor.
Some become vegan because it’s better for the environment. Health and animal welfare plays into their decision, but taking care of the planet is priority #1.
Many vegans choose the lifestyle for animal’s well being. Vegetarianism is often, but not always, the “entry point” for these vegans, though they’ve since abandoned eggs and dairy to go “full vegan.”

Different vegan brands appeal to different segments. For example, a popular vegan food brand may check all the boxes for #1 or #3 above, but strike out with #2 because they’re not environmentally friendly (this isn’t a hypothetical example; Swedish food brand Oatly came under fire for selling to Blackstone, which deforests the Amazon).

Meanwhile, a vegan hair spray may not have been tested on animals or use CFCs, two huge mandatories for animal rights advocates and environmentalists, but not a big deal for a health-seeking vegan.

Yes, there is overlap. Many vegans start their journey for just one of these reasons, but become more interested about the others as they go along. Each one of these reasons is a strong enough motivator on its own to inspire someone to choose a dramatically different lifestyle. Taken together? You have a person who is deeply passionate about the vegan cause, and very particular about the brand(s) they support. Don’t worry, we can help make sure yours is one of them.

2. Identify your “ideal target audience”

The next, and most important, step is to decide which is the “ideal target audience” for your vegan/ plant-based product, good or service. Your product may work for more than one audience, but your brand can’t be all things to all people. While it’s doable to be a one-size-fits all vegan brand, it can be challenging. So, to start, we recommend focusing on one vegan segment, two at the most. There’s a reason Ford Trucks focuses on people who need to haul a lot of equipment, not suburban soccer moms. So which segment above is yours? Once we determine which vegan audience is the ideal target for your product, good, or service, we can start to really hone our marketing strategy and messaging.

3. Define your Rally Point

Vegan marketing is unique because it’s partially goods & services or food & beverage marketing, but it’s also cause marketing. Your customer expects you to walk the walk and talk the talk, and speak with an authentic voice straight from the heart. You’re not just talking about the product’s benefits, but about what the product—and you—stand for. This is what I call your brand’s Rally Point.

Your competitors (presumably) believe the same thing as you do, so what you say, how you say it, and how you back it up can make or break your brand. Vegans can smell a phony from a mile away.

4. Pinpoint what makes you “You-nique”

What you stand for gets customers in the door, but your product’s benefit is what makes the sale and keeps customers coming back for more. For instance, your plant-based clothing at the very least needs to be biodegradable and made with no animal products or animal testing…but how does it look? Will anyone want to wear it? Is it softer? Does it fit better or look cooler?

Here is where we get into the nitty gritty of Marketing 101: What makes your brand unique? Why should the conscientious buyer choose your vegan product over Brand X?

5. Walk the walk. Talk the talk. Tell the truth.

Given the proliferation of animal-based products in pretty much everything, vegans have to read labels and do research. Make sure your product’s information is easy-to-find, up-to-date, 110% accurate (this should go without saying), and available everywhere. And we do mean everywhere; labels, packaging, advertising, website, social media, you get the picture.

Vegans get their info from trustworthy brands, but even more from trusted sources, most especially online vegan publications and communities. Your reputation is a hard thing to build, but an easy thing to break, so make sure you cultivate a strong one within the vegan community. The next time someone asks: “Hey, who makes good vegan _____?” you want the answer to be your brand.

Marketing to vegans is challenging, but it’s not impossible, especially when you have a marketing partner who knows how to grow your plant-based vegan brand.

At Levo, we are proudly a vegan- and woman-owned business, and our Principal and CIO has over 15 years of experience in the marketing industry. She has also undergone her own conversion to veganism, so knows how to reach vegans at every stage of the journey.

The demand for vegan and plant-based goods, products, and services is growing, which means the competition is growing too. If you’re ready to level-up your vegan brand and take advantage of this huge growth opportunity, please contact us.

Be conscious about vegan conscientious consumers

Now more than ever, customers care less about your brand value — and more about your brand’s values. We call these people conscientious consumers, and engaging them isn’t easy or intuitive. Let Levo show you how! Visit our page: An Introduction To Vegan Conscientious Consumerism and download our free guide.

Anya Sleezer

Anya Sleezer is the owner of Levo, a full–service marketing agency, focused on helping companies from all industries who are concerned with their marketing results, traffic, branding, advertising, or websites.

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