Mercy For Animals’ Preliminary Study Of A Key Demographic
Academics have long been interested in uncovering which demographics are most open to vegetarianism and veganism. Faunalytics has also conducted a number of studies on this topic. The research shows a heightened interest in these diets among the younger female segment of the population. Many studies that support this finding are referenced in the Faunalytics research library—a handful of examples include:
- Advocating Meat Reduction and Vegetarianism to US Adults
- Faunalytics Research Primer: How Many Vegetarians Are There? (PDF file)
- Faunalytics Research Primer: Why or Why Not Vegetarian? (PDF file)
- Vegetarianism: A Blossoming Field of Study (PDF file)
- An International Comparison of Female and Male Students’ Attitudes to the Use of Animals
To further explore the individual preferences of the young female demographic, Mercy for Animals commissioned Faunalytics to conduct a survey on the topic in February 2013. Faunalytics worked with a third party data collection company to gather responses from a representative U.S. sample of 400 individuals.
The movement has an interest in acting as a support for those who are naturally interested in vegetarianism and veganism, and this study relays some insights into how to do so. It touched on the most appealing terminology and public figures for this group as well as online behavior trends and what this demographic looks for in recipes. This study is novel in that it examines a specific veg-friendly segment of the population in order to better understand individual preferences in an effort to inform outreach.
The results of the survey were helpful in informing the design of Mercy for Animals’ new Vegetarian Starter Guide. The private sector (including animal agriculture) has long strategically tailored their materials and messaging to key segments of the population and this is but one example of how the nonprofit sector is following suit.