Let’s paint the store green: our favourite Veganuary campaigns
Veganuary might seem like an easy bandwagon for brands, but it shouldn’t be treated like a bandwagon at all. If the morals behind Veganuary align with your company's values, go for it! But if you’re creating content when it is likely to have no resonance with your following, you’re doing it all wrong.?
Fanbytes state that the meat alternatives market is now worth a whopping ￡659.9m, and that Gen Z is the reason burgers are out and beets are in, going on to argue that this is the audience brands should be targeting for Veganuary.?
According to the Independent, 2021 was Veganuary’s biggest year yet, and 2022 is set for success. So, who got it right? Let’s take a look…
Mob Kitchen…because when do they get it wrong?
If you don’t already follow them, get following. They are a young, humorous and not-so-serious team pushing out quality simple recipes for us all to try. Of course, Veganuary is going to be in the books for them. Throughout the month they have been posting easy vegan recipe videos to offer inspiration to their followers who might be giving it a go.?
The post that stood out for me was the simple Apple Notes post, asking followers (or the “Vegan Mob”) what meals they’ve been missing since going vegan, offering to replicate the recipe in true vegan style. It’s a simple post but shows their followers that they care about providing the best service, making Veganuary easier and tastier.?
PS. Who says you have to spend money and time creating posts? Type it into your notes, screenshot and you’re away!
Pizza Express has literally gone green for Veganuary
Now, this is a brand that’s so committed to Veganuary, they’ve painted their entire Aldwych store green and packed it with vegan-only favourites. The popular pizza chain posted a picture of their green store with the caption “whether you’re vegan, flexi, or just fancy giving it a try, we’re here to make Veganuary easy”.?
A way to show your followers that you truly care about Veganuary? I think so. This brand clearly backs the vegan movement and wants its audience to know just that.??
It seems not everyone is a fan of Veganuary
With brands hopping on Veganuary left, right and centre, it can sometimes get a bit overwhelming. And it looks like journalists might be getting fed up too, with one PR posting on Twitter a response she got from pitching a Veganuary piece. In response to her email, the journalist replied, “Stop sending me stuff about f***ing Veganuary. F***ing idiots”.?
Should your brand be shouting about Veganuary?
Marketing Week’s Christine Moon and Megan Ryan argue that marketing leaders must determine whether their brands will be political actors, highlighting the relatively uncommon tactic of brand activism for companies, with 28% of marketing leaders willing to use their brands for such purposes as of February 2021.?
A 2021 CMO Survey found that 26.5% of brand marketers deemed making changes to products and services in response to political issues appropriate for their brand.
If you’re a brand marketer thinking about your position in the Veganuary field, it’s important to consider two things. Is it relevant to your brand? Is it going to benefit your audience? When you’ve checked those off your list, get creating.
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