Vegans and vegetarians: understand how this audience is impacting the industry

We never talk as much about healthy eating as we do now. And people have been worrying not only about consuming more nutrients and fewer calories, but also about the whole food production process. As a result, the reduction in the consumption of meat and other products of animal origin has become a behavioral trend that only grows around the planet, giving rise to various movements created by vegetarians and vegans —such as #SegundaSemCarne, for example. Here in Brazil, vegetarianism and veganism are already a reality for many people. And consumers adept at these lifestyles seek more and more alternatives in the market aligned with what they believe to be ethical and coherent. For business and industry, this means an important transformation that requires new perspectives and solutions. According to a survey by IBOPE Inteligência, currently 14% of the Brazilian population - or 30 million individuals - declares itself vegetarian. In addition, another study by Folha with entrepreneurs in the sector pointed out that the vegan products market here in Brazil has grown around 40% per year. And these numbers can no longer be ignored by the business world. Packaging that communicates with vegans and vegetarians In the face of a public and a market that evolve and bring new requirements every day, the packaging industry plays an essential role to fulfill. After all, 55% of people responded to IBOPE that they would consume more vegan products if this information were better indicated on the labels. Now, companies -- not just the food industry -- need to adapt to the transformations driven by these new lifestyles. Otherwise, they may fall behind brands that have greater sustainable appeal. But, after all, how to connect with vegan and vegetarian audiences and make a positive impact on the market? Well, to communicate authentically with these consumers, it is important that companies rely on the help of good design professionals. Thinking strategically about the content to be communicated through packaging is also critical. Therefore, we separate some examples of brands that have used these features effectively. Check: The vegetable egg of Mantiqueira In various recipes we make, there is a wildcard ingredient: the egg. It has several utilities, such as emulsifier function and high nutritional value. But vegans, who don't eat that food, need to look for alternatives to replace it. And it was thinking about this audience that Mantiqueira recently launched a vegan egg. The N.ovo, as it is called, is made from pea starch and sold in powder. In addition to all the innovation of the product, one of the points that deserves to be highlighted is the packaging. That's because the brand chose not to follow the most obvious logic, which would pack the food powder into a common sachet. The product is marketed in a cardboard box, such as traditional eggs. Thus, the message is communicated quite efficiently and affects the consumer easily, since the label also clearly brings the information that n.ovo is a vegetable substitute for food. Healthy Beleaf marmites Beleaf, which produces healthy and vegan marmites, has also brought a good offer for its packaging. In addition to transparency about production, making clear to the consumer why food choices are, the company communicates its positioning through marmites. As you can see in the images below, the packaging cover is used as a space to chat with the public in a light and fun way. Thus, through jokes with the names of the popular ingredients and expressions, the customer approaches the brand, seeing that its purposes coincide. All this is still intensified by the minimalist design and the chosen color palette, which brings more lightness to communication. The Body Shop The Body Shop brand sells personal care products and has been gaining a loyal audience in recent years. That's because, among other reasons, it has a proposal focused on sustainability —which is a deciding factor for an increasing number of consumers. Even recently, some products of the company received the SVB Vegan Product Certificate, which is granted by the Brazilian Vegetarian Society and recognized internationally for reliability. And the Vegan Seal, of course, is an important part of communication on product labels. When it comes to using packaging to communicate purposes, The Body Shop goes further. This is because the company brings to the products an aesthetic that refers to nature and its sustainable proposal, creating a connection with the consumer right in the first contact, which happens in the gondolas. In addition, your entire branding strategy is built with a focus on positive impacts on the environment, and this changes the way the brand packs its products. Not by chance, she has made a commitment to develop and deliver, by 2020, three sustainable innovations for her packaging, rethinking the design and materials used in production. Terruá Talent Well-established brands, such as Garoto, also realized the strength of the sustainable lifestyle and decided to expand their product cards to serve this audience. Therefore, the company created the Talent Terruá line, composed of organic chocolates that value national ingredients. Thus, friendly animal consumers can enjoy chocolates in acai flavors, coconut sugar, cupuaçu and passion fruit. Once again, the packaging proved to be a powerful tool to communicate the proposal and bring to the public relevant information about the product. In this case, stamps that indicate that chocolate is made with natural ingredients and is organic, zero lactose, vegan and gluten-free fulfill this function well. The Boy also highlighted the organic certification, which attracts the attention of vegans and vegetarians and gives more credibility to the product. Not to mention the illustrations representing the nature and organic content of chocolates. An expanding market As we show, especially in the food and cosmetics sectors, the market for vegan and vegetarian products is consolidating in Brazil. And the packaging industry has already realized its importance in this scenario. Consumers, with even more knowledge than before, have become more aware and demanding, and companies need to follow the scenery and adapt to it, thinking about business, products and packaging that truly connect with this new mindset. Did you like the examples we put together? Can you think of others?