While its CEO says engaging in an increasingly heated debate over the merits of plant- vs animal-based meat can be a “zero sum” game, Beyond Meat plans to go on the offensive this year with digital and media campaigns that celebrate its ingredients and processes.
Speaking on the firm’s Q4 earnings call …. CEO Ethan Brown referenced a recent wave of “industry-funded” ads from The Center for Consumer Freedom (founded by former tobacco-funded PR exec Richard Berman) attacking plant-based burgers as ‘ultra-processed’ products hiding scary unpronounceable ingredients.
While rival Impossible Foods recently turned the tables on Berman with a witty riposte to its latest ad (which implied there’s something sinister about plant-based meats because they contain ingredients 10-year olds can’t spell), Beyond Meat could do more to demystify its products to shoppers, said Brown.
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“Because of the confusion that can result from industry funded campaigns targeting plant-based meats, you will see our brand raise the profile of our ingredients and our process. We are proud of both and believe that far from being a liability, our ingredients and our process represent important strengths.”
