How to Meet Shopper Sustainability Goals with Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
Sustainability as a shopping goal has come to the forefront in recent times, underscored by the results of our recent original research, the “Aspirational Compass” study. In the study, we looked at aspirational shopping motivations —and the “gap” between those aspirations and the shopper’s reality. How can your new or existing products help close the gap? Here we look at plant-based meats as an example.
Meeting Sustainable Aspirations: Plant-Based Meats
The plant-based meat category illustrates one strategy to meet shoppers’ aspirations toward sustainability. Plant-based meats are commonly perceived to support sustainability concerns — through ethical considerations like animal welfare — and environmental concerns like using less land, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing water pollution.
But is the current positioning missing the mark?
What so shoppers really want?
The Reality of Shopping Sustainably
of primary shoppers aspire to buy, or currently buy sustainable foods as a lifestyle choice. Among this group, certain personas are willing to trade taste and convenience to meet sustainability goals, while others perceive that they can’t afford to shop sustainably.
Understanding what this means for your product innovation is key to accessing whitespace for innovation or fine-tuning your approach to market, beyond just plant-based products. We’ve identified five key shopping landscapes to help you align with consumer aspirations.
Explore the shopping landscapes in this webinar recording.
Are You Missing the Mark?
There may be many ways to broaden appeal for your current or future products.
For the plant-based market example, our study showed personas with higher discretionary income are already buying plant-based to help meet their aspirational goals — both for health and for sustainability. However, there is a whole buying market out there where different messaging and positioning could open new possibilities.
Who currently buys plant-based products? Access our “Reading the Aspirational Compass” webinar.
Where is the
Plant-Based Whitespace?
Continuing with our plant-based example, lower-income personas focus on price, no matter their aspirations in the marketplace. But how can plant-based meats innovate to help close the gap between their desire for sustainability and health while meeting price concerns?
If plant-based meats can overcome price through innovation, and put forth messaging like free-from, animal welfare, and great taste—it offers exposure to an untapped buying segment for brands.
You can create whitespace to disrupt behavior! Find out how by accessing our webinar recording.
Using Market Research to Reach Aspirational Shoppers
Plant-based meats can be doing more to reach a wider audience, especially given the data on the large portion of primary shoppers looking to buy sustainably. Plant-based brands can meet this aspiration when they ensure great taste, gain trust in their process, and improve affordability. What product does your brand have that could be reaching a wider audience—and where should you be innovating?
Discover approaches that benefit innovation at every step of the process.
