Plant-based meat aims to appeal to consumers as a healthier, more sustainable, and ethical alternative to meat while providing a similar sensory experience. Although the number of plant-based products continues to grow, many consumers, including in China, are still reluctant to try them due to their attachment to meat and the uncertainty they feel about new foods outside the mainstream.

Researchers were therefore curious about different ways of influencing Chinese consumers’ intentions to purchase plant-based meat. Across four studies, they investigated how people’s choices were affected by social influence, message framing, and default nudging. A total of 483 individuals participated in all four experiments via an online survey administered between June and July 2023.

The Role Of Social Influence

In the first study, the researchers examined whether public opinion about plant-based meat would influence individuals’ purchase intentions.

Participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group was told that three out of 10 Chinese consumers would choose to buy plant-based meat (i.e., a minority), while the other group was told that seven out of 10 Chinese consumers would do the same (i.e., the majority). Participants were then asked whether they would purchase plant-based meat.

The analysis revealed that 41% of participants in the first group would buy plant-based meat, compared to 68% in the second group — a statistically significant difference. This suggests that public opinion may play an important role in swaying Chinese consumers towards plant-based meat. When it was popular with the majority of people, purchasing it became more normal and acceptable.

For the second study, the researchers explored whether positive or negative opinions on social media about plant-based meat would affect individuals’ purchase intentions.

Participants were randomly split into two groups and shown one of two sets of made-up social media comments expressing people’s opinions about plant-based meat. Each comment was based on an environmental, health, or animal welfare concern. The comments were either all positive or all negative, depending on the group the participants were assigned to. The positive comments had more “likes” than the negative ones. Participants were then asked to rate how likely they were to purchase plant-based meat on a five-point scale ranging from “not at all” to “extremely.”

Again, there were statistically significant differences between the groups. Participants given positive comments were more likely to buy plant-based meat than those given negative comments: 41% of the former selected “extremely likely” or “very likely,” while 37% of the latter chose “slightly likely.” Thus, opinions expressed on social media may be effective in influencing Chinese consumers’ views on plant-based meat. The positive comments along with their greater engagement potentially created a bandwagon effect.

The Role Of Message Framing

The third study looked at whether messaging about the price and quality of plant-based meat would impact individuals’ purchase intentions.

Participants were again randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups were told that they would receive a discount on a hypothetical plant-based meat menu. One group was told that 90% of customer feedback on the menu was positive, while the other group was told that 10% of customer feedback was negative. Participants were then asked to rate how likely they were to try the menu on the same five-point scale.

As before, the differences between the groups were statistically significant. Over half (60%) of participants who saw the positive customer feedback were “extremely likely” or “very likely” to try the menu, whereas 43% of those in the negative customer feedback group were only “slightly likely” to try it — even with the offer of a discount. The positive framing was therefore more effective than the negative framing, and suggests that Chinese consumers may be willing to try plant-based food when they know that others have enjoyed it.

The Role Of Default Nudging

In the fourth and final study, the researchers tested how presenting individuals with a default option of a plant-based meal would affect their decision-making, and whether they were willing to pay extra to switch to a meat option.

All participants were shown two identical images side by side, with one labelled as a meat dish and the other as a plant-based meat dish. This helped reinforce the idea that there was no visual difference between the dishes. They were asked to imagine being at a restaurant where the chef determined whether they would be served a meat-based menu or a cheaper, plant-based meat menu. Participants were then told they’d been served the plant-based menu and asked whether they wanted to switch to the meat menu for a fee.

Around a third (33%) of participants chose not to switch, suggesting they were either satisfied with the plant-based meat option or didn’t perceive the value of meat to outweigh the cost of switching. However, nearly half (45%) of participants expressed willingness to pay the additional fee to switch to meat, indicating that many Chinese consumers still value meat and may even be willing to pay extra for it. The remaining 22% were unsure.

Advocacy Takeaways

Together, these findings reveal that there’s promise when it comes to persuading Chinese consumers towards plant-based meat. Advocates could consider using positive framing that emphasizes the growing popularity of plant-based products to help encourage open-minded people to try it.

At the same time, this research also highlights that many people in China still have reservations about plant-based meat. For these consumers, it would be useful to dig into their specific concerns, such as whether they perceive it to be less tasty or less healthy compared to conventional meat. Doing so could help advocates understand the main barriers that prevent meat-eaters from being open to trying alternatives, and may present an opportunity to help inform Chinese consumers about the benefits of plant-based meat.