Plant-based dairy alternatives are more than just a dairy replacement

Consumers who want to avoid dairy no longer view plant-based beverages as dairy replacements. They’re looking beyond products that mimic dairy to discover delicious beverages that support well-being and health. This opens up new possibilities for brands to create plant-based beverages that are inspired by the flavors and nutritional benefits of alternative proteins.

Plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives are moving from being a shared product within a family, to a personalized product for individuals—one that’s often bought alongside dairy.

If you’d like help in identifying a strategy to cater to the ever-changing tastes of this consumer group, get in touch today.

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Source: Motive Quest’s social listening of English-speaking consumers in online conversation from 2016 to 2018, and 2018 to 2020.

-22%

32%

54%

Almond Coconut

+6%

27%

21%

Soy

-1%

16%

17%

Oat

+2%

9%

7%

Cashew

-2%

4%

6%

Pea

+0%

1%

1%

Grass

+1%

1%

0%

Protein Types: The popularity of almond milk has declined significantly. This could be due to consumer concerns about its sustainability.

2019–2020 Study 2016–2018 Study

Most-Mentioned Dairy-Free Plant Bases1/1/2016 – 11/30/2018 vs 12/1/2018 – 3/21/2020

Fashionable proteins come and goConsumers fall in (and out of) love with hero ingredients. By combining plant-based ingredients with a robust, versatile base like soy or pea, brands can respond to trends without having to reinvent the wheel.

Vegans

Shar

e of

con

vers

atio

ns

Dairy Reducers Plant-based

3%

12%

8%

15%

19% 17%

3% 2% 3%

26%

16%

7%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Veganism

Meat

Reducti

on

Vegetaria

nism

Plant-B

ased

Dieter

Flexitar

ianism

Reduction

/Elim

inat

ion

Consumers' self-identification1/1/2016 – 11/30/2018 vs 12/1/2018 – 3/21/2020

As the market grows, consumers are becoming more aware of what they want to achieve with plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives.

Consumers are becoming more discerning More consumers are identifying as ‘plant-based dieters’ than before.

Neg

ligib

lesh

are

0.2% 0.3%

Shar

e of

par

tici

pant

s in

the

dis

cuss

ion

2019–2020 Study 2016–2018 Study

24%Dairy Reduction Elimination

from 2016-2020

Significant drop in the share of consumers who choose plant-based diets to avoid dairy.

Motivations: Motivations are shifting rapidly, with a pronounced increase in share of vegans who say they are focused on wellness and a decrease in vegans citing animal welfare as a primary priority. Self-described "plant-based consumers" are strongly motivated by wellness.

Broad discussion topics—relative share1/1/2016 – 11/30/2018 vs 12/1/2018 – 3/21/2020

Wellness/Feeling Better

Environmental Concerns

Animal Welfare

Allergies/intolerance

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

Jan 16

Mar

16

May

16Ju

l 16

Sep 16

Nov 16

Jan 16

Mar

16

May

18Ju

l 18

Sep 18

Nov 18

Nov 17

Jan 17

Mar

17

May

17Ju

l 17

Sep 17

Comparisons of plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives with the taste of dairy1/1/2016 – 11/30/2018

Comparison with dairy taste

Consumers are less likely to compare the taste of plant-based alternatives to dairy. They seem less interested in beverages that mimic the flavor of dairy, and are more willing to experiment with the growing flavor options across plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives.

Consumers don’t care about whether products mimic the taste of milk Plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives can have their own unique taste and texture.

The changing tastes in plant-based beverage and dairy alternatives

There’s a lot of buzz around plant-based beverages and dairy alternatives right now. The sector is benefiting from the meteoric rise in the popularity of plant-based diets. But identifying new consumers, understanding how they identify themselves and what they want is tough.

That’s why we commissioned 16 months of social listening (up to March 2020) on more than 1.6 million unprompted, anonymous English-language online conversations from forums, blogs, message boards, review sites, public Facebook pages, and YouTube comments. We’ve also included findings from a similar study in 2018 so you can track any trends.

So, what did we find out?

Learn how consumers identify themselves, what they want, and why they want it.