Why Read Old-School Marketing Books in a New-School Category?

TikTok hacks fade; human psychology doesn’t. These five titles are your mini-MBA—minus the tuition—and every tactic below is translated for the plant-based aisle.

Influence — Robert Cialdini (1984)

Big idea: Humans run on mental shortcuts—master them and you can guide behavior without a megaphone.

Plant-Based Power Moves

Reciprocity – Ship a free “BBQ Survival Kit” recipe e-book; track sampler-to-purchase lift.
Commitment & Consistency – Launch a #FridayFauxRibs hashtag; posting once nudges shoppers to defend their new “I grill vegan ribs” identity.
Social Proof – Promote cafés that default to oat milk—nobody wants to order “the weird option.”

Case in point: Oatly’s barista roadshow flipped 65 % of partner cafés to default oat lattes in under a year.

Made to Stick — Chip & Dan Heath (2007)

Big idea: Ideas that survive are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Emotional, and Story-driven.

Simple: “Eat plants, save your 5 K time.”
Unexpected: “This burger bleeds beet juice—not beef.”
Concrete: “10 g protein, zero cholesterol—no chickens harmed.”
Emotional: Show an athlete smashing PRs on mushroom protein.
Story: Cast your brand as the rebel toppling Big Beef.

Contagious — Jonah Berger (2013)

Big idea: Viral ideas follow STEPPS—Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories.

Social Currency: Content that makes fans look smart.
Triggers: Tie your creamer to the daily latte ritual.
Emotion: Awe beats guilt; optimism converts fence-sitters.
Public: Packaging built for the fridge-shelf cameo.
Practical Value: “Swap-one-ingredient” reels.
Stories: People repeat narratives, not nutrition panels.

Purple Cow — Seth Godin (2003)

Big idea: Being remarkable beats being better—plain vanilla never trends.

Unleash a limited-run spirulina-blue sausage that begs for an Instagram shot.
Court early adopters (flexitarians, foodie influencers) first—let them spread the gospel.
If your carton whispers “sustainable,” repaint it to shout “What is THAT?!”

This Is Marketing — Seth Godin (2018)

Big idea: Serve a niche first; empathy scales faster than ad spend.

Weekly founder AMA livestreams build trust through transparency.
Tell unpolished stories—real people, real struggles, real wins.
When marketing feels like “marketing,” you’re doing it wrong.

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 audiences repeat at dinner.
Stand out on purpose—different > better.

Classic Marketing Books Every Plant-Based Brand Should Steal From