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Classic Marketing Books Every Plant-Based Brand Should Steal From
Why Read Old-School Marketing Books in a New-School Category?
TikTok hacks come and go.
Human psychology? Timeless.
These five classic marketing books are your mini-MBA—minus the tuition—and packed with enduring strategies. We’ve translated each one for the plant-based aisle, so you can steal what works and leave the tofu clichés behind.
1. Influence — Robert Cialdini (1984)
Big Idea: Humans rely on mental shortcuts. Master them, and you can guide behavior without shouting.
Plant-Based Power Moves
Reciprocity: Send a free “BBQ Survival Kit” e-book. Measure how many try → buy.
Commitment & Consistency: Start a hashtag like #FridayFauxRibs. First post = identity shift.
Social Proof: Spotlight cafés that default to oat milk. People copy the crowd.
Case in point: Oatly’s barista roadshow flipped 65% of partner cafés to oat lattes in under a year.
2. Made to Stick — Chip & Dan Heath (2007)
Big Idea: Sticky ideas follow a formula: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Emotional, Story-driven.
How to Make Plant-Based Stick:
Simple: “Eat plants, shave 30 seconds off your 5K.”
Unexpected: “This burger bleeds beet juice—not beef.”
Concrete: “10g protein. 0 cholesterol. No chickens.”
Emotional: Highlight an athlete smashing a PR on mushroom protein.
Story: Frame your brand as the rebel toppling Big Beef.
3. Contagious — Jonah Berger (2013)
Big Idea: Viral ideas follow the STEPPS model: Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories.
How to Go Contagious (Without a Lab Grown Virus):
Social Currency: Make fans feel smart for sharing.
Triggers: Link your creamer to morning rituals.
Emotion: Awe converts; guilt fatigues.
Public: Design fridge-ready packaging that begs for a cameo.
Practical Value: Drop “swap-one-ingredient” reels.
Stories: Narratives spread. Nutrition labels don’t.
4. Purple Cow — Seth Godin (2003)
Big Idea: Being remarkable beats being better. You won’t go viral being vanilla.
Make People Say: “Wait... what is THAT?”
Drop a limited-edition spirulina-blue sausage that screams for Instagram.
Target early adopters (flexitarians, foodies). Let them preach.
If your carton whispers “sustainable,” repaint it to shout it in neon.
5. This Is Marketing — Seth Godin (2018)
Big Idea: Start small. Serve a niche. Empathy outperforms algorithms.
What That Looks Like:
Host a weekly founder AMA livestream—show the humans behind the mission.
Tell unpolished stories. Think real struggles > polished branding.
When marketing feels like marketing, you’ve already lost.
Final Takeaway
Plant-based brands that break the health-planet-ethics echo chamber do three things:
Use persuasion science to invite—not lecture
Tell sticky, emotional stories people repeat at dinner
Stand out on purpose—because different > better
Free Notion Table
Steal this list and customize it for your next campaign planning session.
