Vegans More Likely to Face Contempt & Harm Than Meat-Eaters – How Should Brands Respond?

A study has found that vegans are perceived as health- and environmentally conscious, but also face feelings of fear, contempt, envy, and anger from meat-eaters. This emotional rivalry has negatively impacted sales of vegan meat products. The study, conducted by University of Vaasa researchers, analyzed perceptions of fictional consumers based on their shopping lists, with vegans eliciting the most admiration but also the most negative emotions.

To address this issue, brands in the plant-based meat category should market their products more creatively, focusing on social influences like envious prejudice. By highlighting the superiority of meat alternative shoppers in advertisements, humanizing the image of vegetarian consumers, and appealing to flexitarians, brands can potentially turn around the decline in sales of vegan products. Emphasizing reduction over elimination of meat in diets, using humorous marketing, and leveraging celebrity endorsements are also suggested strategies to combat prejudice and increase consumer acceptance of vegan alternatives.