New research reveals that how plant-based and vegan packaging are labeled significantly impacts whether omnivores choose them.
The study asked over 7,000 people to pick either a vegan or meat/dairy food basket. The catch? The vegan basket was randomly labeled as “vegan,” “plant-based,” “healthy,” “sustainable,” or “healthy and sustainable.”
The results showed people were far more likely to opt for the non-meat basket when it emphasized positive attributes like health and sustainability rather than its vegan status.
Just 20% selected it when labeled “vegan,” but 42-44% chose it for eco-conscious and wellness-focused descriptions. Even “plant-based” outperformed “vegan.” Simply avoiding the term “vegan” also helps
Meat-eaters displayed particular bias against the v-word. However, framing the same foods as personally or environmentally beneficial overrides this instinct.
This indicates that leading with health and green merits over moral arguments, and relating plant-based lifestyles to self-care and resource stewardship, can make them more appealing to omnivores.
#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Plantbased
