Listen to the full episode of this Vegan Bytes podcast episode here:
https://veganbytes.podbean.com/e/the-nudge-effect-impact-of-vegan-vegetarian-labels-on-food-choices/
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to Vegan Bytes, your go-to source for all things vegan. Today, we're diving into a fascinating study from Faunalytics, which explores the impact of vegan and vegetarian labels on menus.
Picture this: you're at a restaurant, scanning the menu, and you see a dish labeled as 'vegan' or 'vegetarian'. Does that make you more likely to order it? According to this study, the answer might be no.
Researchers used a technique called 'nudging', which is all about subtly encouraging beneficial behaviors. In this case, they were trying to nudge people towards plant-based options. They tested this by placing 'vegan' or 'vegetarian' labels next to certain dishes on online menus.
In two real-world experiments, participants were asked to pre-order meals for university events. Half of them saw menus with vegan labels, while the other half saw the same menu, but without the labels.
In a third, online experiment, participants were asked to choose from a menu that included vegan, vegetarian, and meat options, all priced the same. Some menus labeled the vegan and vegetarian dishes, while others didn't.
The results? In both real-world experiments, participants were more likely to choose vegan dishes when they weren't labeled as such. The online experiment showed similar results.
Interestingly, men were more likely to order meat, regardless of labeling. And removing vegan labels didn't negatively impact self-identified vegans.
Now, before we start ripping labels off menus, it's important to note that this study was limited to the Northeast U.S., and there are many factors that could influence these results.
But it does suggest an intriguing possibility: if we want to nudge people away from animal products, maybe we should stop labeling plant-based options as 'vegan' or 'vegetarian'. It's a simple, low-cost strategy that could have a big impact.
That's it for today's bite of vegan wisdom. Remember, whether you're a vegan enthusiast, a business owner, or an animal rights activist, our goal is the same: a world that values veganism and animal rights. And remember, VEG3, our vegan AI marketing tool, is here to help you achieve that goal. Until next time, keep living the vegan dream!