Why successfully showcasing your plant-based products is so important in a saturated market

When the competition is steep, brands need to work harder to promote their plant-based options to consumers. 

It’s safe to say that veganism and plant-based food is here to stay. Gone are the days of very few vegan options available in supermarkets – now shelves are flooded with them. Whatever consumers’ reasons are for making these lifestyle changes – whether it’s health, animal rights or simply personal preference – this looks like a permanent change to the way we eat, and therefore brands and retailers must accommodate this. 

According to Veganuary, more than 440,000 people signed-up for the 31-day annual vegan challenge in 2021, a considerable increase from 2020’s total of 400,000. With the increase in numbers of vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and those interested in reducing their consumption of animal products, it’s only natural that brands and retailers cater to this demand. 

The uptake of plant-based brands in supermarkets 

The data speaks for itself. Research on plant-based meat alternatives conducted by investment bank UBS found that the number of people who had tried plant-based food increased from 48% to 53% between March and November in 2020. 

The future of plant-based foods is looking both bright and profitable. According to BBC News, the UK market for meat alternatives could be worth more than £1.1billion by 2024. 

This goes some way to explaining why both named and supermarket-own brands are working hard to introduce their own vegan and plant-based alternatives. These range from veggie burgers and meat-free steaks to ready-meals and plant milks. 

According to vegan business magazine Vegconomist, Tesco was recently named as the number one plant-based supermarket in the UK as it hosts 76 own brand plant-based products. This is just a reminder of how brands and retailers are adapting to consumer demand and offering products they know will be desirable in consumers’ shopping baskets. 

While this is great news for those who enjoy a plant-based diet and the retailers who stock the products, a new challenge has emerged. How do you make your plant-based products stand out amid such stiff competition? 

The increased focus on plant-based living also has its connections with a desire to live in a more sustainable way. To learn more about the rising trend of sustainability, check out our blog post on the topic. 

Encouragingly, as restrictions have eased and we begin to get accustomed to living in the post-Covid ‘new normal’, more and more shoppers are likely to return to pre-pandemic shopping habits, favouring the in-store experience. With this in mind, there are plenty of opportunities to showcase your products, convey why they’re superior to the competition and ultimately catch your consumers at the right time. 

At Logobrand, our talented, expert team are here to ensure your products are showcased in the right way, located in the places designed to attract consumers and catch their attention at the ideal moment. It is this combination that allows us to help you maximise sales. We make strategic decisions based on data, which means we can understand what does, and doesn’t, work for every product. 

How Logobrand can help you attract consumers 

We develop bespoke strategies that work for your brand and your unique consumer. We work with you to understand your brand and products. 

Here are just a few of the ways we can work with you to ensure your plant-based products are the ones consumers recognise: 

• Promotional Compliance  – ensuring your plant-based meat alternatives have all the planned space you’ve agreed when on promotion, both on fixture and on any planned feature. If the store isn’t compliant, we’ll do our best to fix it! And if we can’t do this, we’ll provide you with the ammunition to challenge your retailer 

• Planogram Compliance – We’re here to help you by presenting your products in the best possible way, optimising the opportunity to catch your customers’ attention at the right time. Ensuring at least all planned space is actioned for your brand, stock is available and shoppers know how much it costs, are all critical to driving sales  

• NPD New Product Development – We understand how important it is to ensure new products are available for shoppers as soon as they arrive in-store – stock doesn’t sell from the warehouse 

Final thoughts  

The demand for plant-based products will be growing for the foreseeable future, and the most successful brands and retailers are those who are meeting shoppers’ wants and needs. However, promoting and successfully selling these plant-based products has its challenges due to saturation in the market. This is one of the reasons why having the right field marketing team by your side will make all the difference and allow your products to stand out from the crowd. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Logobrand, and more importantly how we can help your brand achieve the results you’re looking for, get in touch with us today.