There’s an awful lot of chatter about veganism within the national press. So much, one could argue, that this way of living is fast becoming one of the most hotly debated topics in the UK.
You probably already know a vegan and I’d wager they may have only turned to veganism relatively recently. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, obviously, but, as a non-vegan, it’s impossible to ignore the underlying narrative of the headlines I’ve read recently (in the past few days!) from various publications throughout the world:
This might not make me particularly popular (and if what I’m about to say offends, please do skip to the wrap-up for the caveat!), but the above headlines only serve to highlight the apparent faddishness that surrounds veganism.
However…
Fads come and go - quickly. Remember 3D TVs? And whatever happened to UGG boots?
The Vegan Society was founded in November 1944.
A fad that has been around since 1944 is a rather long fad. I’d therefore suggest veganism is more of a trend - something which meat bosses appear to vehemently disagree with, having recently described the vegan way of life as “just an Instagram trend”.
Trends play a huge role in marketing, and regardless of whether or not you think veganism is a fad, it’s hard to ignore the pulling power it has for audiences. It’s a huge marketing machine.
The sheer weight of content online that focuses on veganism is staggering, but it’s also a great source of inspiration for a marketer like myself.
The urge to jump on the bandwagon and begin using veganism’s ability to engage audiences is therefore hard to ignore (it’s what inspired this blog post, after all), but I’ve been in marketing long enough to know that you need to tread carefully with such subjects.
A little while ago, I tested out some new banners for a business website that incorporated Brexit imagery and copy. During the week they went live, engagement rates on the website dropped and enquiries all but ceased.
This may have been nothing more than a coincidence, but I’m unconvinced. There’s the distinct possibility that my decision to leverage the power of something that’s so high on the national agenda and so divisive simply put off a vast proportion of the website’s audience.
Veganism - whilst not particularly political - is no different. It divides opinion and, for many, is a topic on which hard-and-fast beliefs are held. Should you risk tapping into that debate with your marketing?
If you fancy it, make sure you do so with caution and don’t stray too far from the middle ground.
I’m fairly sure that the press coverage of veganism will begin to dilute as it becomes a more accepted, widespread way of life. And I don’t think we’re that far off; virtually every restaurant or pub you visit these days has some form of separate menu for vegans and, as I noted at the outset, everyone knows a vegan.
This highlights another important point about fad marketing; it’s as faddy as the subject matter. It won’t last and is unlikely to provide long-term gain.
What it does brilliantly - if you pick the right topics - is provide you with an immediate boost in engagement and potential new customers by placing you smack-bang in the middle of a hotly debated topic.
So, while I firmly believe veganism is a trend, it’s clearly being marketed as a fad. And that’s no bad thing at all.
I must point out that despite having been a happy meat eater and beer drinker for a very long time, I’m clearly not a vegan. However, I do respect and embrace the rise of veganism because I’m a great believer in following your heart and pursuing what you believe in.
I also love seeing how veganism is continuing to shape the marketing landscape. Which begs the question: what trend will be fad-marketed next?
Web Design Northampton by New Edge
Ⓒ Copyright Pete Halsey
