BRANDING AGENCIES GIVE VEGAN MENU ITEMS MORE ATTRACTIVE NAMES FOR FREE {Creative Agency Service}
This idea is built upon an article and study that came to our attention recently, thanks to our beloved friends at VegConomist. “A new study, conducted by the University of Queensland and published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, has found that giving plant-based dishes more attractive names on restaurant menus could boost sales.” Though this might seem obvious to folks in branding, remember that restaurants may choose to name a dish with “vegan” as the primary descriptor in order to be clear. While in some cases this might be useful, it’s often not helping people overcome the perceived “taste-bud/satisfaction risks” in gambling on a plant-based option when their stomach is gurgling with hunger.
Among the many great points the study makes is that more attractive names for plant-based options only works on meat eaters who are open minded to begin with. But that’s still a large segement. And a fast-growing one. The study is very well articulated. Here’s a snippet: …Enticing consumers to reduce their meat intake, however, is challenging because most food choices are habitual (Cadario & Chandon, 2020) and deeply engrained in people’s lifestyles and socio-cultural environments (Vermeir et al., 2020). In many Western societies, red meat is part of their identity and a key ingredient of many traditional meals (Bogueva et al., 2017). Eating food outside of the home contributes additionally to excessive meat consumption because dining out is perceived as a special occasion, increasing the likelihood of people choosing more indulgent meals, which typically contain meat (Cohen & Story, 2014).
In other words? When faced with the choice between a “Classic American Cheeseburger,” and a “Vegan Burger,” which do you think a hungry meat eater will go for? Exactly. But following that same logic, imagine if the choice instead were between “Classic American Cheeseburger,” and “Mouth Ecstasy Burger.”
Understandably, most restauranteurs don’t put much time into such considerations, and it’s likely not their area of expertise. But think about it a little bit. We as a greater society know that menu choices featuring beef, cheese, chicken, fish, pork, eggs or ice cream are pretty much always going to be delicious (just like heroin pretty much always feels amazing – though not what’s best for our health, planet or fellow beings). So if you’re with a restaurant doing the good work of broadening your menu to be more plant and animal conscious, remember the insights from this study. And if you’re a branding or advertising agency (vegan or not) that believes in the opportunity here, consider offering your skills to give free naming options for new plant-based (or “vegan”) menu items. A simple LinkedIn message could be enough, or you can go for it and make a great social-media film about your offer. Point is, let’s help where we can.