What can we learn from Big Animal Ag's narrative strategy?

While don’t have the industry's resources, we can learn from their playbook to build our movement's narrative power...

One of our movement’s biggest challenges is overshadowing the harmful narratives pushed by industries that profit from exploiting animals—narratives designed to make the public believe this is natural, normal, necessary, even nice.

Big Animal Ag spends billions shaping these beliefs through ads, packaging, media and culture. By understanding how their narratives work, and why they stick, we can empower our own narrative strategy, while exposing the lies and harms of Big Animal Ag…

Tactic #1: The industry has co-opted the welfare narrative

Our movement has done an incredible job of making the public care about the welfare of farmed animals. Big Animal Ag saw this as a threat to its very survival—and has worked to spin it in its favour. Over decades, it has strategically co-opted the welfare narrative to maintain public trust and legitimacy.

One clear example is the widespread use of welfare labels like ‘free-range’, ‘humane’, ‘animal welfare approved’, and RSPCA Assured. These labels give the impression it’s possible to make ethical choices, while hiding the violence and exploitation at the heart of farming and slaughter. This tactic—known as ‘welfare-washing’—reassures people that the industry cares, even as it continues to commodify individuals and their families for profit.

Arla Cravendale’s ‘Everybody’s Free’ campaign uses cheerful farmers, open fields and nostalgic humour to sell a feel-good image of ‘dairy’ farming as honest and wholesome. The song—about freedom and happiness—subtly ties cows’ supposed wellbeing to our own values, while glossing over the harsh reality.

In focus groups and interviews we’ve run, we’ve witnessed how much animal welfare matters to people. Many are swayed by adverts suggesting the 'animal products' they’re buying are ‘ethical’—especially when paired with images of farmed animals living natural lives in open fields.

"Perhaps McDonald's are really strict... Perhaps their cows are exactly like what we just saw and Daisy's out there in the field... I don't believe they're factory farmed."

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"It's been important for me to purchase things like free-range meat. I look for things like RSPCA Assured, because I want to know that the kind of meat that I am eating, that the animals that provided that for me and everyone else have been treated in the best possible way."

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"I eat meat, but I buy organically. Farmers around me, they kill only when they need to. The animals live on lovely farms, the hens roam free, fish is line-caught, it's not mass-produced."

So what can our movement do?

A welfare narrative reinforces the idea that it’s the mistreatment of animals that’s wrong, rather than the farming and killing of them. Undercover investigations, while vital for exposing the truth, can sometimes unintentionally strengthen the frame that the problem is cruelty or welfare breaches, not the system itself. But when paired with stories of liberation (like For Charlie) or footage of animals now living in sanctuary, this can help move people beyond a ‘welfare’ frame and into a ‘freedom’ frame.

We need narratives the industry can’t easily co-opt—ones that keep pushing towards animal freedom. At Animal Think Tank, we’re exploring framings like: ‘The freedom to live/thrive/play/be with family’ and ‘The best interests of animals’. We hope these will invite people to consider other animals’ desire to be with their families and friends, to run and play, to live long, happy lives. We’re curious to see whether they can help people reflect on other animals’ best interests, and, in doing so, reveal farming animals as a betrayal of freedom and shared values like care and fairness.

Tactic #2: Big Animal Ag pretends it’s little

The industry works hard to portray the image that it’s made up of small, local family farms, reinforcing the message through misleading advertising and ‘food’ labels that use fake farm names to disguise its factory-farmed origins.

So what can our movement do?

We can learn from anti-tobacco and environmental campaigns, which have exposed how they’re up against harmful corporate industries by framing them as ‘Big Tobacco’ and ‘Big Oil’. We can do the same by framing the industry as ‘Big Animal Ag’, to highlight that this is an industry ruled by a few unethical corporations. As the image below shows, all the major UK supermarkets source most of their ‘animal products’ from just five mega corporations.

Source: Food for the Planet (2024), Stink or Swim: The ten factory farm corporations producing more toxic excrement than the UK's ten largest cities

While Big Animal Ag is quick to frame any challenge to them as an ‘attack on British farmers’, even small-scale farmers are protesting the industry’s misleading tactics of ‘farmwashing’. The public distrusts corporations, and the idea of corporations as greedy and unethical is an already deeply embedded narrative that we can be using more as a movement.

But we need to be careful how we communicate this. In interviews and focus groups we’ve run, people are shocked when they learn that over 85% of farmed animals in the UK are factory farmed. But exposing this by itself can lead to futility, with many participants saying: “I might as well buy cheap meat then, if free-range is a lie”. We need to use persuasive narratives to reduce pushback, by showing alternative solutions as the way forward (Social Progress narrative), highlight social proof (the idea that many people are choosing to boycott this harmful industry—again, Social Progress), remind people how incredible other animals are (Animal Abilities narrative), how similar they are to humans (A Bigger Us narrative), as well as connect with people’s values and ethics (Values & Morality narrative).

To find out more about the persuasive narratives Animal Think Tank has found through our ongoing public opinion research, check out our newly released Communications Toolkit.

Tactic #3: Big Animal Ag frames itself as pro-farmers

The industry conceals its corporate identity and frames itself as being owned and run by small farmers. It strategically positions itself as an ally and advocate for farmers, effectively masking how it exploits farmers, and how many farmers are struggling because of corporate interests.

So what can our movement do?

Stockfree Farming has undertaken research (that will be coming out later this year) that reveals how people who farm animals have worse mental health than arable farmers. As a movement, we need to be sharing farmers’ experiences—both those who are currently suffering in this corporate system, and those who have escaped it. As they are the most trusted messengers who can really pull back the curtain on Big Animal Ag’s deceit and harm.

Tactic #4: The industry taps into our aspirational identities

Another common strategy used by Big Animal Ag is appealing to our aspirational identities and national pride—championing ‘British meat and dairy’, and emphasising the role of locally produced British ‘meat’ in a so-called balanced diet.

This AHDB image wraps British 'beef' in patriotism, using Union Jacks, rustic aesthetics and butcher-style aprons to evoke tradition and national pride. The phrase 'Great British Beef' plays on a double meaning — both a nod to national identity and a claim of superior quality. It also ties eating ‘meat’ to masculinity.

This 'Beef. It's What's For Dinner' image draws on classic American narratives— frontier conquest, the romance of the cowboy lifestyle, traditional masculinity, as well as family values.

Another AHDB ad is a textbook example of industry advertising designed to evoke nostalgia and comfort: a cosy rural kitchen, family bonds and home-cooked meals. It draws on warm childhood memories and romanticises eating other animals as wholesome and traditional.

So what can our movement do?

Connecting with people’s aspirational identities is a challenge for our movement. Right now, veganism isn’t seen as something to aspire to. Those of us who leave other animals off our plates are often portrayed as preachy, isolated or extreme. So how do we shift this and make our movement feel like something people want to be part of?

We need to reframe veganism—not as an individual lifestyle choice, but as a collective act of solidarity. A way of living that reflects who we are and what we stand for. Ethical living isn’t about giving things up; it’s about standing up for all life and boycotting violence. It’s about being the kind of person who refuses to support harm, and instead supports freedom and compassion.

Many people already see themselves this way. Our research found that invoking our shared identity as a nation of animal lovers increased public support for banning factory farming. People want to see themselves—and their country—as kind, caring and fair. We can build on this by telling stories that reflect those values. When ethical actions feel like part of who we already are—a good friend, a caring person, someone who looks out for others—they become much easier to embrace.

Tactic #5: The industry does extensive message-testing

These industry narratives aren’t accidental—they’re the result of careful crafting through focus groups and market research. Advertisers test words, phrases and storylines to find what best deflects criticism and wins public support. Research from the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) found that appealing to shared values is 3–5 times more effective at building trust than presenting facts alone.

That’s why industry spokespeople are trained to lead with emotionally resonant messages—like caring for animals or feeding families—before sharing technical details. By aligning their messaging with public values like compassion, family, and sustainability, they boost credibility and make industrial farming seem not just acceptable, but essential.

So what can our movement do?

We can take a page from Big Animal Ag’s playbook. Just as they lead with shared values rather than facts and figures, so can we. It doesn’t matter that they’re selling a product and we’re standing for a cause—we’re both trying to connect with the same people. The values they appeal to are the same ones we can draw on to inspire support for animal freedom.

But it’s vital that we test our messages before they go public. Whether you’d like help testing messages or advice on how to do it, get in touch—Animal Think Tank can help you refine your message and make sure it truly resonates.

Tactic #6: Big Animal Ag exploits our psychological vulnerabilities

In the US, one of the industry’s most powerful tools is the federally backed ‘Checkoff’ programs—marketing funds drawn from mandatory producer fees. These programs funnel over $500 million a year into promoting ‘meat’, ‘dairy’, and eggs, fuelling some of the most iconic ad campaigns in history.

Take ‘Got Milk?’—a campaign that splashed celebrities with milk moustaches across magazines and TV for two decades. Launched in the 1990s to counter falling milk sales, it used humour and celebrity appeal to make cows’ milk feel ‘cool’ and essential, tapping into our need to belong.

The slogan itself plays on loss aversion—the idea that people fear losing something more than they value gaining it. By simply asking: ‘Got Milk?’, it subtly triggers a fear of missing out, framing cows’ milk as something we can’t do without.

The result? A cultural phenomenon that brought cows’ milk back into the public imagination.

This 'Got Milk? advert blends health messaging with maternal care, featuring a smiling mother and baby to associate milk with nurturing, health and responsible parenting—framing it as essential for both well-being and family life.

So what can our movement do?

Just as the ‘Got Milk?’ campaign used psychology to its advantage, we can do the same with our messaging. Take loss aversion: by highlighting what we stand to lose as a global community if we don’t change how we treat fellow animals, we can tap into that fear of loss.

But we need to be careful not to let loss aversion work against us. Focusing too much on asking people to give up 'animal products' can backfire, making it feel like they’re losing something essential. People tend to resist policies framed as losses. We found that support for banning factory farming dropped from 49% to 35% when linked to higher prices for 'animal products'.

Understanding how messages impact people psychologically is vital. Loss aversion is just one tool—and through our research at Animal Think Tank, we’ve identified several others. You can explore them further in our newly released communications toolkit.

Tactic #7: Big Animal Ag funds biased research

Behind the scenes, the industry quietly funds research to shape public opinion in its favour. When faced with ethical, environmental or health criticism, it bankrolls ‘friendly’ academics to downplay concerns. After a UN report linked farming animals to climate change, the industry swiftly funded studies to challenge the findings. A 2024 investigation exposed major ‘meat’ companies funnelling money into university research centres that effectively function as PR arms for the industry.

These tactics echo those used by Big Tobacco and Big Oil—paying so-called ‘experts‘ to muddy the waters, cast doubt on well-established harms, while shielding the industry’s image.

So what can our movement do?

To counter the influence of industry-funded research, we need to continue exposing where the money flows and whose interests are being served. Groups like DeSmog, Sentient Media, Freedom Food Alliance and Unearthed (Greenpeace’s investigative journalism unit) are doing vital work uncovering how the animal agriculture industry manipulates science, sponsors ‘friendly’ academics, and co-opts public discourse. By supporting and amplifying their investigations, we help dismantle the illusion of neutrality the industry hides behind.

At the same time, we can continue uplifting the growing body of independent, peer-reviewed research that tells a very different story—one where transitioning to a plant-based food system is possible and urgently necessary.

Tactic #8: Legal actions and political lobbying

When marketing isn’t enough to control the narrative, Big Animal Ag turns to legal and political power to suppress dissent. In the US, ag-gag laws criminalise undercover investigations and whistle-blowing, keeping the public in the dark. Meanwhile, industry lobbyists spend millions shaping policy. Between 2000 and 2020, US ‘meat’ and ‘dairy’ groups poured around $200 million into lobbying—blocking stronger environmental and animal welfare laws while downplaying their climate impact. In Europe, a 2023 investigation revealed meat industry groups waging a “hard and dirty” campaign to kill animal welfare reforms.

Through lawsuits, lobbying and strategic misinformation, the industry works to silence critics and protect its interests—no matter the cost.

So what can our movement do?

We need to confront the political power of Big Animal Ag with the same urgency they use to hide the truth. That starts by exposing how deeply they’re embedded in our political systems—and how their lobbying undermines democracy and public interest.

Groups like Open Secrets and Corporate Europe Observatory are tracking how these industries influence policy behind closed doors. Journalists have revealed how agribusiness delays climate action, weakens welfare reforms, and sidelines science at the highest levels—from the UN to the European Commission.

Our job is to amplify this work and make it visible. Most people would be shocked to know that companies profiting from animal suffering are blocking reforms that millions of people support. These revelations can drive public pressure for transparency, oversight and real accountability.

But we also need to go further—by backing bold, practical solutions. That means supporting citizens’ assemblies on plant-based food and farming, lobbying reform, and public investment in just transitions. It means shifting subsidies away from farming animals and towards sustainable, plant-based systems—championed by groups like the Plant Based Treaty, The Vegan Society’s Grow Green and Transfarmation.

Conclusion

It’s easy to feel frustrated when people still buy into the system. But the real problem isn’t non-vegans—it’s the corporations who’ve spent decades shaping the narrative. Most people aren’t complicit—they’ve been misled.

These industries rely on secrecy. Every time someone shares undercover footage, challenges misleading ads, or exposes hidden lobbying, it chips away at the illusion. Journalists and whistle-blowers take real risks to bring this to light—and we must defend their right to do so.

Still, it’s not enough to expose the lies—we need to take control of the narrative. Just as industry polishes its messaging, we can refine ours. We can test what works, tailor how we speak to different audiences, and grow support for animal freedom.

Narrative change takes time—but it’s already happening. And by being smart, strategic and connected, we can speed it up. We can build the narrative power our movement needs…

Got an idea or message you want to test? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at: narrative@animalthinktank.org.uk