As consumer eating preferences continue to change, it is our responsibility as marketers to find new ways to create value along the food chain. Plant-based diets and foods took 2020 by storm but like all fads, plant-based eating may be overlooked by those that do not believe in following trends or having to give up their meat-based foods. The good news is that there is a solution for marketing more produce consumption to those that do not want to give up meat and dairy for plant-based alternatives. This new eating style is called “plant forward eating.”
According to Produce for Better Health’s State of the Plate webinar, plant-forward eating is a style of eating that is full of flavorful fruits and vibrant vegetables that are nutrient-packed and have no trans-fats. Plant-forward diets are not about excluding or limiting food groups, it is about being more mindful of how to add and enjoy more plants on the plate. The main focus is to get consumers to add as many fruits and vegetables onto the plate as they can, without feeling like they need to exclude any of the other items they would also like to have.
The reason this style of eating can be more successful marketing-wise is because consumers do not feel that they are being limited to only certain items. Instead, plant-forward eating promotes having as much color and nutrition as possible on each plate, ensuring that people are buying and consuming more produce. This idea is important for the produce industry to market to consumers in order to sell more items as well as to change the way that shoppers look at food consumption. We must shift the consumers’ thought process to see the value in adding more plants to each meal without having to take away any meat or dairy items they still want to enjoy. This can be done by promoting more plant-forward recipes, posting videos of plant-forward chefs and cooking, or even by promoting the idea that we should try to make a plant forward meal one day a week. Like “meatless Monday” it could be a “plantiful Tuesday” where consumers are encouraged to include as many plants as possible in each meal that day. There are many ways to use plant-forward eating as a marketing strategy to sell more produce.
If you work in the produce industry and need help with a strategic marketing plan, Oster and Associates is here to help! Schedule your free consultation today with a marketing agency that has helped produce brands evolve for over 30 years.
