Do You Know What to Say to Inspire More Vegans?

By: Caryn Ginsberg   From: Vegan Mainstream


Last week I talked about three keys to motivating behavior change: make it fun, easy, and popular. I shared ideas on how we can overcome the more-common-than-we’d-like perception that vegan food tastes lousy, makes people sick, would be a mystery to prepare, and is only for people on the fringe of society.


Whether you’re new to this lifestyle or a veteran, you’ve found enough inspiration to overcome potential challenges. The Humane Research Council (HRC) reports that vegans, who are disproportionately under 35, ranked concern for animal suffering as their leading driver for altering their diets. Is this the best message to attract more vegans?


Compassion Over Killing appeals to empathy in its MTV campaign to reach teens and young adults. One ad shows a young woman ordering at the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant.
The voice through the speaker box repeats her order, but with a twist, “Meat from a pig who can’t even turn around, an egg from a bird kept in a cage so small she can’t spread her wings, and the milk of a cow whose calf is taken at birth to make veal.” Sample feedback on the COK website suggests that the approach resonates:


I saw your commercial on MTV … It made me cry but in a good way. It made me realize that becoming a vegan is worth it…


However, research findings show that compassion may not always be the best enticement to move people away from animal foods, especially if they’re just starting out. HRC found that
non-vegetarians cutting back on flesh foods, which was over a quarter of the population and skewed older, rated health well ahead of animal issues as the cause.


Older people are more concerned about health. A 16 year-old boy doesn’t even know he has a prostate. But a 76 year-old man is thinking about cancer. - Neal Barnard, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine


These examples show that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to the best message to achieve more plant-based eating. In other research, HRC found that combining messages in a single appeal was less effective than using one reason.


Fortunately, there are many ways to match the right message to the right audience.


Ask! When talking to people one-on-one, pose a question such as, “If you were considering eating more veg food, what reason would you find most motivating?” Listen carefully, then share other information that makes that benefit seem bigger, more important, and more likely to occur.


Target your outreach. When I first got involved in animal activism, I helped at tables including on D.C.’s national mall, at my town’s county fair, and at health events. Not only was there a better response at the health events, but also it was clear what people wanted to discuss. Look for opportunities where people devoted to health, weight loss, the environment, or animals come together and focus on the corresponding message.


Close the deal. Of course, we need to reinforce the benefits of veg. But as people get closer to making any behavior change, they concentrate more on the barriers. Consider how much effort you spend trying to engage people on why they should be veg, and see if you can do more to help those that are already interested to see how fun, easy, and popular veganism can be.
Share your thoughts! In what ways have you given people what they needed to hear to eat more plant-based food?


Win a free copy of Animal Impact, Secrets Proven to Achieve Results and Move the World! See how more than 80 leading advocates get better results increasing veganism, expanding farm animal protection, and advancing other animal issues. You’ll learn a simple, seven step system you can use to transform your advocacy and the world.
Find how to enter the giveaway for this book, recommended by Peter Singer, Wayne Pacelle, Gene Baur, and more, at Animal Impact. Ends Friday December 9th at noon U.S. Eastern.


Are you looking for other ways to be a more effective vegan advocate or animal activist? Animal Impact, Secrets Proven to Achieve Results and Move the World provides a simple, seven step system you can use to get better results. Author Caryn Ginsberg shares stories, quotes, and tips from more than 80 advocates from around the world. Find out more at Animal Impact, including what leaders in the field are already saying about the book.