How to re-brand like a Vegan.

It's been interesting watching the rise and rise of Veganism recently. I've seen it change from a slightly odd and sidelined lifestyle choice to a mainstream foodie paradise. Why and how has it happened?

If we put the practical and ethical issues to one side, such as diet & health, animal welfare and environmental concerns, I really believe that re-branding has had a huge part to play in the success of the movement.

The Guardian state that there was a 350% increase in Veganism between 2006-2016 and 185% increase in Vegan products between 2012-2016. Wow. High street brands are already making the most of the trend and the Vegan market is being targeted left, right and centre.

Remember the old Vegan-ist dinner party joke? It went something like this...

How do you know if someone is a vegan?

Don't worry - they'll tell you.

Not the best way to extend a sense of openness I know. But what it shows is that the term Vegan was perceived to stand for a preachy, annoying dinner guest who was a lot of trouble. Veganism seemed hard. It seemed extreme. It seemed impractical. The word itself wasn't explicit either - how many times was a Vegan asked 'do you eat honey?'. So what's changed?

Veganism has become Plant-based Living. Driven as usual by diets, celebrities and social shares, the term seems to be everywhere. Some Vegans I know embrace this as a positive, some make a huge distinction between the two names. Some Vegans worry that the ethics around being Vegan are being hijacked by a simple food choice. Some are happy that eaters are switching to a more animal friendly way of life. My take on it is everyone should be able to have a choice and one is no better than another, and plant-based living may be a spring board to 'upsell' consumers to consider other animal & environmental issues.

So what can we learn?

The Good Lessons

1. Getting a simple message across works. I totally get what 'Plant-based Living' is. It's explicit. Chip and Dan Heath extol the virtues of simple messages in their awesome book Made to Stick.
2. It's positive, and therefore something I want to do and share. Living is a great word - its full of optimism and promise.
3. It feels like community. It's inclusive and accessible. Veganism still sounds a little scary.

The Tough Lessons

1. It's out of control. Because veganism isn't a brand with a brand team controlling the messaging worldwide everyone can have a go. And has.
2. It's de-valued. Some great brands like Daily Om are embracing the messages, whilst others will trade off it to over-promise and under-deliver.

So, if I were to sum this up for a brand it would be:

Define simply what you stand for, create authentic messaging, keep it controlled whilst at the same time giving your tribe power to shape it's future.

Sounds simple, but I bet the last bit terrifies lots of brand owners out there. Give your tribe any sort of control? Hell yes! It could mean something as simple as listening to their opinions... if you know who your tribe are. And that, my friends, is another article all in itself.

Whatever your view on the ethics of this, learn something for your brand from the positive rise of Veganism.

Kelly is Strategy & Development Director at Katapult - A Creative England Top 50 company, that create physical and digital guest experiences that amaze and engage your visitors.

www.katapult.co.uk