The Beef with Meat Consumption: How Consumer Dietary Psychology Can Inform Plant-Based Meat Companies’ Communication Strategies

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the connections between our diet and the environment – specifically, that meat production is an inefficient means of supplying the world with food, that industrial animal farming harms the environment and animals, and that meat consumption can have negative consequences on human health. Yet, despite the expansive amount of evidence that meat production and consumption is both publicly and personally harmful, most people still choose to partake in this harmful industry by eating meat. There does, however, appear to be hope for our food system. The rise of alternative proteins may be one solution to humanity’s climate crisis. Alternative protein companies’ plant-based meats will have a significant role to play in weaning humanity off animal-based foods. My thesis studies the demographics and motivations of meat-eaters and vegans/vegetarians. An analysis of the psychology behind consumer dietary decision-making sets the foundation for understanding how plant-based companies can effectively communicate their plant-based meat products to meat eating consumers. Whether marketers choose to use animal welfare, environment, or health motivations, they should always tie it back to benefits for the consumer by emphasizing the personal benefits, decadence, and normalcy of their plant-based products.