11 - Plant-based meat packaging and consumer dietary habits

Abstract

Plant-based meat is still a niche category. However, interest in these products is increasing among both vegetarians and nonvegetarians who aim to reduce their meat consumption. This new situation has generated great interest, as well as new challenges. The definition of the target, choosing between vegetarians and vegans or omnivores, affects communication and the message plant-based meat brands should convey to these groups, especially on the packaging. We conduct two different studies, to answer two main questions: (1) which packaging features do consumers look at when making a purchase decision? (2) do visual and textual cues used by plant-based meat brands and dietary habits affect product associations? Results confirm the importance of dietary habits in affecting product associations; instead, packaging has a role only when it is strongly differentiated from competitors.