Crafting a Winning Story: Plant-Based Universities
In this series, we’ll be analysing successful social movements and recent Animal Freedom campaigns. This month we're discussing the narrative strategy of Plant-Based Universities.
Plant-Based Universities (PBU), an initiative launched by Animal Rising in 2021, advocates for universities to adopt entirely plant-based catering as a solution to the climate and nature crises. Since its launch, this student-driven campaign has secured significant votes for complete plant-based transitions at 12 universities worldwide (11 of which are in the UK), including the University of Cambridge and UCL. Presently, there are active campaigns at over 80 universities in the UK and internationally, all managed by student groups on their campuses.
How they created effective messaging
PBU has a bold, visionary message that clearly frames the problem and the demands of the campaign. It is further strengthened by drawing on the zeitgeist of the environmental narrative and making use of students as strategic messengers.
Persuasion
Values and emotions: The messaging of PBU evokes strong emotions and values. This includes urgency, alarm, hope, love and compassion, and values of social progress, responsibility, morality, health and community.
Ambitious ask: While Plant-Based Universities compassionately engages with the student population, their demand for 100% plant-based food also creates a polarising effect. This ambitious and bold messaging has the potential to create passionate debate, engagement and media attention.
Emphasis on environmental narrative: The focus on the climate crisis sends the message that this is a critical moment and provides a real sense of urgency. The environmental narrative appeals to a shared threat, speaks to interdependence with the rest of nature, and has been shown to resonate deeply with the values of the young student population. As well as having a strong emotional draw, there are also reputable facts and science behind the environmental narrative.
Collective identity and movement leaders/symbols: PBU centres the voices and stories of students, making them messengers and protagonists in this story. Putting a human face to the issue helps other students to see themselves reflected in the story and choose a side (i.e. a plant-based future or the status quo).
Framing universities and students as change-makers: PBU call on universities to continue being beacons of hope and progress, and similarly draws on the aspirational identities of students as being change-makers. There is also a common 'threat' highlighted, which reinforces the need for change: the climate and nature crises.
Use of ‘plant-based’ rather than ‘vegan’: The term ‘vegan’ can hold associations with 'militant' and 'aggressive' communications, while ‘plant-based’ can provide a more neutral and inclusive frame. One study showed that fewer people chose a gift basket when labelled ‘vegan’ (20%), as opposed to when it was labelled ‘plant-based’ (27%). However, the terms ‘healthy’ and ‘sustainable’ resulted in more than 40% of people choosing the vegan/plant-based basket.
Clear framing of the problem, winnable goals, and call to action: There is precise framing of the problem (complicity in the climate crisis) and a clear call to action (demanding 100% plant-based on-campus catering by the next academic year). The goals are also winnable and effective, as student populations are statistically and historically the most open to veganism and vegetarianism, and are also concerned with the climate crisis and social justice issues. Universities also present a promising space for change due to their influential place within society and existing commitments to sustainability.
Pervasion
Memorable logo, typography and slogan: Slogans include: ‘Plant-Based Universities, end the climate crisis’, ‘End the climate crisis’, ‘Meat & Dairy = Climate Crisis’, and ‘Plant-based future’. These slogans and logo are clear, simple and eye-catching.
Areas for improvement and key takeaways for the Animal Freedom movement
1. Have a clear, memorable goal and call to action
Be precise about the problem and the solutions.
Pick a memorable goal that is both ambitious while also being realistic (consider scalability and what is winnable, as victories will inspire more wins).
Consider how audiences can engage and help, and how you frame your call to action.
Make sure messaging is clear, consistent and always references the ultimate aim of the campaign/movement.
2. Play on existing values and slogans
University slogans such as ‘To learn is to change’ (Bournemouth University), ‘Seek truth in the field’ (Lancaster), ‘Knowledge, wisdom, humanity' (University of Manchester) can also be highlighted to show that values of universities are already in line with this change.
3. Bring in key voices and characters
Consider the people behind the issue and make sure messages are inclusive.
Ensure personal stories align with the collective narrative.
It would be valuable if more characters were brought into this story alongside students, such as the voices of university catering staff, local plant-based businesses, farmers and academics studying sustainability. Bringing in these individuals will combat the idea that plant-based universities threaten livelihoods and will help break down assumptions that this change is unnecessary. More individual students endorsing this change might also be given a platform to speak.
4. Foreshadow the future
PBU can utilise greater foreshadowing by showing what a successful plant-based university might look like. This could include images of delicious plant-based food representing the diverse cultures of students and replicating existing popular options, as well as imagery of groups of students happily eating plant-based food together. This will subvert the narrative that plant-based food requires sacrifice and makes the vision feel more vivid and achievable.
5. Make more use of imagery and memes
Though Plant-Based Universities makes use of a striking colour scheme and typography, there is room to utilise more eye-catching imagery and rituals to spread their story. This might include:
A Plant-Based University league table – Create a university ranking table based on commitment to end the climate crisis, playing on classic university league tables that students will refer to when applying (see Figure 1 & 2).
Symbolic green graduation robes and hats – Plant-Based Universities campaigners might don symbolic green graduation robes and hats as symbolism/trademark of the movement.
Showing the environmental crisis (see Figure 3) – Juxtaposing the future of students against the impending climate crisis to subvert the narrative that universities are already doing enough to combat this issue.
Great analysis. You've hit the nail on the head with key strengths being:
- Led by the students of the actual uni
- Climate focus
- Clear ask
I also LOVE the idea of league tables and green graduation gowns.
I also think your suggestion of bringing others in is key. At the end of the day, uni staff in catering and management are the ones that have to implement these committments, so the campaign is strongly dependent on their buy in.
I am also a bit hesitant about this narrative that universities are models of change for the rest of society. I think that university educated people would like to think this is true, but I am not so sure that wider society cares at all what students do at uni. I am sceptical that hearing that Oxford uni went plant based will do anything to convince non university institutions to go plant based too. It may help with creating stable plant based catering infrastructure though; unis are big spenders in many cities!
Cheers,
Richie (Bryant Research)