A high-level look at the progress of veganism in the USA might lead you to think there’s no trend to be seen. Lifestyle mag WT Vox estimates there are only 1 million Americans following a vegan diet. Yet this low headline figure is very misleading – vegan marketers, and influencers in particular, have developed a modus operandi that is having a remarkable effect on US agricultural investment and consumer trends.
The method
Veganism has an intensely personal aspect to it. The reason for turning vegan is quite a radical change for many, and occurs for personal reasons – the BBC highlights the health benefits, the commitment to ethics, and environmental responsibility as key motivators. Effective vegan blogs and influencers, then, must take a personal approach to their content, and often do – they will focus on some aspect or benefit of veganism, and make an impassioned plea to cross over, whether that be through activism, recipes or lifestyle change. This has profound impacts for many.
How trends are changing
This personal approach, and the influencers that use it, has the benefit of targeting ideals that many consumers hold close to their hearts. As a result, they can make small gains – even when not entirely converting a consumer to veganism.
That can mean turning to meat substitutes for part of their diet, or a halfway step to vegetarianism. This growing popularity across a wider market is represented perfectly by the success of Beyond Meat, which has grown from a $66 opening price in mid-2019 to maintain double that throughout mid-2020 to date.
A progressive edge
Arguably, these trends will only continue to grow. Veganism has a pan-societal appeal that has roots way past its young and socially progressive roots. As Today highlights, there’s a vegan tradition in black and native American roots. This gives the trend a wholly progressive edge, and something which has massive potential across the USA – as well as being ethical to boot.
The movement is something deserving of time and attention from across the American market, and is doing real good in the modern world, while helping to improve health for those who need it.
Financial, environmental and societal gains: veganism ticks all three boxes. Even if uptake of the diet is slow, there is much to be said for the subtle impact influencers are having across the world. It’s a trend worth getting aboard for any savvy business.
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