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Think vegetarians are all granola-munching, long-haired hippies? Not so! Vegetarians come from all walks of life. They’re highly educated, aware about animal rights and environmental issues, and passionate about their veg lifestyle and the brands that cater to them. The market is large: There are about 18 million vegetarians in the U.S., and vegetarian food is a $2.8 billion industry. In addition, vegetarians are less price-sensitive than the general population: “They’re willing to spend more for products of importance to them and companies that they support,” says Colleen Holland, associate publisher of VegNews magazine.
Veggie Tales
There are various levels of vegetarianism. Vegans eat no animal products at all, including eggs, dairy and honey. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat no meat (fish and poultry included) but do eat eggs and dairy. Pescatarians, which are not really vegetarians, eat no meat except for fish. And flexitarians, who are also not vegetarians, per se, but are concerned with healthy eating, have several meatless meals per week. “Twenty [percent] to 25 percent of the population describes itself as ‘vegetarian-inclined’ and eats four or more meatless meals per week,” says Joel Bartlett, assistant director of marketing for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Porter Novelli’s proprietary survey about consumer attitudes and behaviors, ConsumerStyles, reports that compared to the total population, vegetarians are more likely to be female (62 percent female, 38 percent male), and the average age of vegetarians is 47. Vegetarians are less likely than the total population to be married (49 percent vs. 61 percent), and this group is less likely than the total population to have at least one child under the age of 19 living at home. In addition, vegetarians are more highly educated than the total population, says COnsumerStyles, with 41 percent reporting to have a college education or higher, compared to 32 percent of the total population.
The good news is there are a lot of vegetarians. The better news is if your products appeal to them, these meatless mavens will spread the word. “Vegans and vegetarians are some of the most loyal customers on the planet,” says Adam Kochanowicz, senior editor at VegPage.com. “As soon as one product hits the market specifically labeled as vegan-friendly, vegetarians hit the online forums to tell everyone. Their friends rush out to try it out, and assuming you have a decent product, you’ve developed product loyalty with an interest group tired of constantly having to research everyday products just so they can know it’s safe to buy.”
Purchasing Power
"Vegetarians love food!” says Bartlett. Some of the most popular products among the veg crowd, he says, are faux meats and prepackaged items, which help make the transition to a vegetarian diet easier. “Some of the most popular brands are BOCA, Morningstar Farms, Silk Soymilk and Tofutti soy ice cream products, all of which are available at major grocery stores nationwide,” Bartlett says.
Because vegetarians are interested in health, the environment and animal welfare, you’ll find their cabinets full of green cleaning products, products that haven’t been tested on animals, vitamins and supplements, and organic personal care products. According to Bartlett, the Caring Consumer section of PETA.org—where users can browse lists of companies that do and don’t test on animals—is extremely popular. Vegetarians also go on eco-friendly vacations and donate to animal welfare groups and environmental causes.
Reaching the Veg Market
Vegetarians are very plugged-in—they’re often online researching various veg products—which means the Internet is a good way to reach this market. Direct mail is also a winner, but Holland stresses that you’ll want to use recycled papers and soy-based inks and be sure to let your market know that your mailings are environmentally friendly. Another way to get vegetarians to take notice is to run print ads in niche magazines like VegNews and Vegetarian Times.
You’ll cover all your bases, and reach the most loyal vegetarians, by targeting vegans. “Most marketers make the smart move of catering to all vegetarians and interested people by making sure that their products and messages are vegan-friendly,” says Bartlett. If you have a vegan-friendly product, consider applying for certification so vegetarians feel confident buying it. You can learn about the vegan logo from the Vegan Society and register for one here. You can also learn about the Certified Vegan Logo from Vegan Action here.
Your marketing should hit on vegetarians’ main concerns: “The ‘big three’ concerns ... are animals, environment and health,” says Kochanowicz. Be sure to stress your product’s benefits as they pertain to these three concerns, even when you think they may be obvious. “I’ve seen products like coffee mugs marketed as eco-friendly because they’re reusable. But when have coffee mugs ever been disposable? Nevertheless, it works!” Kochanowicz says. “As a vegan, I don’t mind it at all if the same thing went for products normally free of animal products.”
Good buzzwords and phrases (assuming they’re true for your product) include fair trade, vegan, vegan-certified, not tested on animals and organic. Avoid vague words like “healthy,” which can mean anything—or nothing. Even “vegetarian-friendly” can be vague, as Kochanowicz has seen “vegetarian-friendly” products that contain chicken broth, fish ingredients and animal rennet.
When targeting vegetarians, your message needs to be authentic. “This audience is very savvy; they question marketing,” says Holland. “One mistake marketers make is to create an ad or marketing materials that are too commercial, too glossy, too mainstream.” If you’re not sure how to speak vegetarians’ language, Holland suggests hiring a green marketing firm or, if you’re advertising in a magazine or targeting a magazine’s readers, ask the publication’s ad department for help.
Vegetarians are fiercely loyal to the brands that address their concerns. Show a vegetarian how your product is compassionate to animals and environmentally correct, and you’ll have a friend—and all her friends—for life.
Linda Formichelli is a freelance writer based in New Hampshire. She wrote about marketing to dentists in Target Marketing’s February issue.
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