Same strategies – different categories: An explorative card-sort study of plant-based proteins comparing omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans
(A2023-112387)

AUTHORS

Monique van der Meer, Wageningen University & Research; Arnout Fischer, Wageningen University; Marleen Onwezen, Wageningen Economic Research

ABSTRACT

Understanding how consumers perceive plant-based proteins in comparison to animal-derived proteins can support the protein transition. Based on categorisation theory, we investigated how different consumers – omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans – categorise various sources of proteins. 121 Dutch participants sorted 80 product cards (30 plant-based proteins, 20 animal-derived proteins, 5 hybrids (animal-plant) and 25 non-protein products). Our findings show that with decreasing animal protein consumption, omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans become increasingly strict in their categorisations. Omnivores do not separate proteins as strictly as flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans do. Hybrid meat is ambiguous for omnivores and flexitarians. Variations in categorisations give directions to marketers on how to tailor positioning of plant-based proteins in a way that consumers identify and adopt them, to guide and accelerate the protein transition.