Vegan Marketing Success Stories

By Sandra Nomoto and Jomaira Lopes

The vegan marketing bible you’ve been waiting for.

Billions of dollars are being invested into the vegan and plant-based industries, but who’s going to come out on top? Marketing touches almost every aspect of business: messaging, distribution, customer service, sales, and public perception. How do you know what marketing strategies or tactics work? What media or social media outlets are important, and when? And how much should you budget?

Using case studies and examples from today’s vegan industry leaders, this vegan marketing book will teach you:
⦁ Marketing secrets of vegan and plant-based businesses around the world
⦁ How on- and off-line tactics contribute to a cohesive strategy
⦁ Topical issues that few marketing books are talking about

From reviewing the basics to defining the marketing terms you’ve seen but perhaps haven’t implemented, Vegan Marketing Success Stories covers your bases in marketing vegan businesses—all without requiring a million-dollar marketing budget. Learn what vegan brands did to weather the pandemic, and some that transitioned to become vegan. The vegan industry is on the rise, and Vegan Marketing Success Stories is equal parts inspirational, cautionary tale, and the practical manual you’ll need to succeed today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Nomoto Enterprises
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781778052316

Book preview

PRAISE FOR VEGAN MARKETING SUCCESS STORIES

At a time when vegan businesses and technological advances are creating a multi-billion dollar industry, it's vital we have reliable resources like Sandra's book. This is the perfect collection of marketing best practices for entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams and a better world.

—Erik Amundson, Co-Founder, Vevolution

"Whether you have a sustainable business or a vegan freelancer, there's no substitute for effective marketing. But what are the best marketing tactics for you or your business? Sandra Nomoto relates a variety of marketing methods in her latest book Vegan Marketing Success Stories and draws insights from the successes of a multitude of vegan businesses. Learn the exact tools they used to reach and attract their ideal audience and grow your own customer base."

—Claire Smith, Vegan Entrepreneur and Impact Investor, Beyond Investing

"Vegan businesses and even non-profits will find Vegan Marketing Success Stories a massive help in creating intelligent marketing strategies, and find inspiration in the case studies and examples Sandra draws on. It's not only a valuable how-to, it's a fun read from a pro who is passionate about creating a vegan world."

—Kezia Jauron, Co-Founder, Evolotus Public Relations

I believe this book will be a very interesting tool to any business that has a specific niche, and that is looking for real examples of how to develop a marketing strategy and plan.

—Tanya Oseguera, Co-Founder, Benji Vegan Gourmet & Shuka Foods

A very insightful book with many examples of businesses that everyone should have some relatability with.

—Jecks Stone, Founder and Creative Director, Persona Abode

What a gem! Finally, a book on marketing that tells it like it is. Sandra shares insights and real-world marketing examples that represent the diverse world of vegan businesses. If you've ever felt lost trying to navigate the maze of marketing madness, you need Sandra's book! It will guide you with practical, honest information and help you tap into the resident knowledge of your peers, future colleagues, and trailblazing business leaders so you can plan your next successful marketing campaign. This is the book you've been searching for.

—Stephanie Redcross West, Managing Director, Vegan Mainstream

"You can have the best vegan products or services in the world, but if no one knows about them, you don't have a business, just an expensive hobby. Marketing is essential for all vegan entrepreneurs and freelancers. But what are the best marketing tactics for your business? Sandra Nomoto has put together an excellent collection of marketing success stories from a diverse range of vegan businesses, in her latest book Vegan Marketing Success Stories. Find out the exact tools and strategies these business owners used to reach and attract their ideal audience. An invaluable, inspirational and practical guide for all vegan business owners."

—Katrina Fox, Founder of Vegan Business Media & Author of Vegan Ventures: Start & Grow an Ethical Business

"You can have the best product and/or service, yet if no one knows about it, you won't succeed in business. Key to the success of any business is the most effective, high return marketing strategies available. Add to this if you are a vegan business and the stakes are even higher. Enter Sandra Nomoto's book, Vegan Marketing Success Stories. Drawing from the expertise of dozens of vegan marketing experts, Sandra overdelivers with the content. At your fingertips are insights sure to put you light years ahead of where you're currently at. A must-have for anyone serious about growing their business and revenue, get your copy today."

—Kathleen Gage, Marketing Strategist and Podcast Host, Vegan Visibility

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Vegan Marketing Success Stories

Copyright © 2022 SANDRA NOMOTO.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

The publisher specifically disclaims any liability, loss or risk which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any contents of this work.

This book is not endorsed by or affiliated with any other website or organization mentioned in this book in any way.

ISBN: 978-1-7780523-1-6 (ebook)

Editor: Carole Audet

Interior and ebook design, index: Sandra Nomoto

Cover design: Jomaira Lopes

Author photo: Tosha Lobsinger

Published by Sandra Nomoto Enterprises in Vancouver, BC, Canada

sandranomoto.com

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Printed in the USA with vegan ink and distributed by Lulu

1. BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Marketing / General 2. BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Media & Communications 3. BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Entrepreneurship

For all the vegans who run businesses, and the vegans who are employed there, all working for a better world

CONTENTS

Praise for Vegan Marketing Success Stories

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD JINGLES

1 MARKETING BASICS

COMPANY NAMES

THE ONE, THE ONLY

MARKET RESEARCH

NETWORKING

CUSTOMER SERVICE

REFINING YOUR MESSAGE

TAGLINES

2 ADVERTISING AND DIRECT MARKETING

TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING

NATIVE ADVERTISING

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

DIRECT MARKETING

3 SALES PROMOTIONS

SAMPLING

DISCOUNTS

CONTESTS

BONUSES AND REWARDS

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

4 PUBLIC RELATIONS

TRADITIONAL MEDIA OUTREACH

Remember the Follow-Up

Awards

Publicity Stunts and Tours

BE YOUR OWN MEDIA EMPIRE

INFLUENCER MARKETING

REVIEWS

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

5 DIGITAL MARKETING

WEBSITES 101

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Meta Removes Vegan Ad Targeting Options

Turning an Oops Moment Around

EMAIL MARKETING

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

BLOGS AND ONLINE ARTICLES

PAY-PER-CLICK ADVERTISING

VIDEOS

PHOTOS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

CAPITALIZING ON YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

6 EVENTS AND DIRECT SELLING

EVENTS

DIRECT SALES

7 EVERYTHING ELSE

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

WORD OF MOUTH

PIVOTING

MARKETING IN A PANDEMIC

BECOMING A VEGAN BUSINESS

CAMPAIGN REPORT

Contributors

Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

References

INTRODUCTION

THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD JINGLES

I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me.🎵

I grew up in the eighties. Before I entered preschool, my mother and I were home alone often because my sister was in kindergarten and my dad worked. When I wasn't reading or playing with toys, I watched children's programs on television.

Because personal video recorders (PVRs) were not yet invented and you could not fast-forward past commercials, I watched many of them. To this day, I still hear the most memorable commercial jingles in my head.

I had a great childhood, but it was chaotic in some ways. After school, my parents would shuffle my siblings and I to music or dance classes, sports practices, or games. Sometimes information got missed and we wouldn't get picked up on time, or at all. I was never angry with my parents, but I later learned that they could have been more organized or communicated with us better. Between those experiences and doing well in spelling and writing, I took my language skills from AP (Advanced Placement) English in high school through to university, getting a degree in English Literature and Film Studies—a great combination of my love of books and movies. Then I landed my first internship in 2005, which turned into a contract job.

Within a year and a half, I rose from intern to assistant to the partners at a local public relations and events firm in Vancouver. The company produced events, some for the local film industry. This experience taught me how seemingly easy it was to get media to cover these events. We simply emailed a news release to a media list, and reporters and TV cameras showed up, publishing their newspaper article or TV segment on the days following the party. When our clients earned media coverage, they were happy with our work.

The company offered to pay for courses that would benefit me in my job, so I started learning marketing, and later took more courses in public and media relations and electronic marketing, which we'd later call digital marketing.

I knew I didn't want to produce events for the rest of my career, so within a year of leaving that company, I struck out on my own because I wanted to choose the clients I worked with. I created a logo, business cards, and website (in Flash! Remember that?) and did publicity for my first few clients. Although I had success in my early years, it wasn't satisfying me. In my personal life, I wanted to be more eco-friendly. After watching Earthlings in late 2007, I had cut meat out of my diet and wasn't eating much seafood, eggs, or dairy.

I focused on working with socially and environmentally responsible companies. In 2012, I renamed my company and quickly picked up clients whose values resonated with mine. A few years later, I began working with interns and slowly grew a small team, expanding our services to include social media in addition to media outreach. I worked toward earning B Corporation (B Corp) certification and earned it in 2016—we were the fourth public relations firm in Canada to earn this.

Although people tell me I'm good at social media, it's not my favourite thing to do. But aside from earning B Corp certification twice, one of the other milestones I'm proud of is being part of a marketing team in the Vancouver chapter of eWomenNetwork, a women's network with over one hundred chapters worldwide. Our chapter earned the award for Best Social Media and Community Engagement in 2016.

Later that year, I saw that Canadian media outlets were shutting down, or demanded payment to run a story about our clients (what we now call native advertising). More companies used social media and other digital tactics to market their business instead of doing traditional media outreach. I began contacting partner companies, hoping to rebrand my agency (again) and form a full-service communications firm, but for several reasons, it didn't work out and I didn't want to become yet another social media agency in town. I closed the company in 2018.

They say when one door closes, another opens. In my case it was many doors. That same year, I discovered I was sensitive to dairy and finally embraced a vegan diet, reaching the goal I set many years prior. While exploring other career paths, I quickly picked up a few clients who needed administrative help, and they repeatedly asked me to write for them. A year and a half after becoming fully vegan, I researched vegan and plant-based news outlets to see if I could make a career out of writing for them. While some pay writers, I discovered a full-time career as a writer would not be possible unless I applied for a job at one of these outlets. Discouraged, I sat down to meditate in December 2019.

That Friday evening, I received intuitive guidance to start copywriting for vegan businesses, since I identified as vegan. I launched my webpage at the start of 2020, and the rest is history.

In the summer of 2021, I received an intuitive reading from someone who said I would write a book that year. When I thought about my previous experience in public relations and all the marketing that I was paying attention to in the vegan business world, I realized that marketing for vegan businesses would be something I could share. And I could not find a book about it! Even though I have never held an official marketing position, I have done many aspects of marketing throughout my career and now I am more on the front lines, writing pretty much any type of content my clients require.

I believe wholeheartedly that vegan businesses can do good for the world because of the impact already inherent in a vegan lifestyle: saving animals, improving human health, alleviating negative impact on the planet, lifting marginalized workers out of high-risk jobs in animal agriculture, and shifting resources to humans who still struggle to access food and clean water.

If you run a vegan business, I want to help you succeed! And good marketing is a big key to your success.

While I've divided the book chapters according to similar marketing tactics, a marketing strategy and plan encompasses many tactics, often at once. It's like a cocktail that can be made in different ways. No one plan will work for every company, and no marketing strategy is the same. Sometimes you need the right tactic at the right time.

Vegan Business Tribe's David Pannell explains it succinctly: Marketing is rarely about running that one campaign that wins customers. Marketing works by combining lots of different activities, which takes potential customers along a journey with you.

This book is for those of you who are in the start-up stage and are new to running a small vegan business. You may be a solopreneur and are doing all the marketing yourself simply because you can't afford someone to help right now, or you believe marketing costs a significant amount of funds you don't yet have. You might be doing some things but aren't sure if they're working. Eventually, you want to know how to execute and outsource marketing strategies and tactics properly so you can focus on running and growing your business. If that's you, I feel you—I've been there!

Initially, I was hoping to receive stories from companies working with six or even seven-figure marketing budgets all the way down to a few thousand dollars, but most businesses that contributed to this book didn't mention their budgets. So, you'll hear stories from companies who barely spend anything on marketing—although they are still spending time—up to those who executed a campaign costing upwards of $50,000.

Maybe you're a marketer of a company with a few years of marketing experience already, but you are new to marketing for a vegan business specifically. Or perhaps you're now working with a larger budget you're not used to. As a marketing manager or director, you want to level up your work and perhaps try new things to meet the company's sales and growth goals, and this book will give you some ideas about what you can do.

I cannot promise this will be a book of spells that will give you marketing magic in an instant, but what I know for sure is that you'll learn something new that you haven't tried before, and hopefully gain the confidence to try new things or upgrade your existing marketing activities. Like fashion, marketing involves keeping up with the times.

In Chapter 1, we start with the basics: company names, advantages of being the only company or person in your market, market research, customer service, networking, and messaging, including taglines. If you're thinking of changing your company name to have the word vegan in it (or do the opposite), are new to online or in-person networking, or need to refine your message, this chapter will give you ideas and inspiration. It's hard to do more advanced marketing tactics if you don't have the basics down like your tagline and message! You'll learn why the secret to Vegan Business Tribe's marketing is its customers' journeys, some incredibly useful insight into servicing the food industry from author and food safety & allergy specialist Heather Landex, and great tagline examples from Humane Wildlife Solutions and Mandy Gill, in addition to some of my personal favourites.

In Chapter 2, we cover a few tactics that came before the digital era and some that are still used today. I talk about traditional advertising like TV commercials, native advertising that looks like a blog, article, or news segment but is paid, outdoor ads like billboards, and forms of direct marketing. You'll learn some great examples of TV, outdoor, and native advertising, including Blue Tribe's winning partnership with ScoopWhoop, and a truck in Germany that's raising awareness for animals used in experiments. Even if you don't invest a cent in ads, you'll see how they overlap with digital tactics like online articles, videos, and social media.

In Chapter 3, we go through the various types of sales promotions, from sampling to discounts, contests, and promotional items, or free merchandise. Anyone who has