“Plant-based” vs “Vegan”
In a conversation with Paul, following our Future’s rotation review, we discussed using semantics in branding.
He mentioned that plant-based is merely a term created to market the product. Many fake meats available in the market are also branded are lab-grown but it isn’t mentioned anywhere on their product packaging. This is because branding is not always about presenting the product exactly as it is, it’s also about presenting it in a way different from what it is.
I believe a good example of this is the use of terms like “plant-based”, and “vegan”. Everyone’s understanding of these terms is not exactly the same, however, it is interesting to learn about why certain terms are preferred over others in the branding of a product.
In the agri-food industry, there is a rise of “plant-based capitalism” (Giraud, 2021), wherein some brands prefer to use the term “plant-based” rather than “vegan”, as it is more acceptable to a wider consumer base (Sexton, 2018; Clay et al., 2020).
However, from an ethical standpoint, this can be seen as the brands being ingenuine by marketing veganism without actually committing to its ethics, known as greenwashing (The Vegan Society, 2022).
On the other hand, brands like VFC, a vegan fried ‘chicken’ brand, do not use ‘plant-based’ and only use vegan, because they want to make a difference for the rights of animals (The Vegan Society, 2022). According to their website, as VFC is “an ethical company, it’s important that we do good as well as taste good.” They are seen as genuine because they are actively taking steps to be better for the planet.
In both cases, using these semantics is a very strategic move that aligns with the brand strategy and this makes me realise the impact of “words” in branding.
The question is, how big of a role do brand designers play in potential “greenwashing” through semantics? Branding is technically a product of capitalism, so can we escape it? And does it really matter?