Dairy Industry Takes on Plant-Based Challengers
Source: The DairyNews
The dairy industry is actively engaging in a competitive stance against the growing plant-based milk alternative category, aiming to redirect consumers to traditional cow milk. While the plant-based milk industry has experienced a 48% growth since 2018, its expansion has slowed down in the past year. Dairy milk, with $15.8 billion in sales last year, continues to dominate the market compared to plant-based milk, which generated $2.5 billion in sales.
In an effort to maintain market share, dairy milk producers are lobbying for the removal of the term "milk" from the labels of plant-based products, arguing that milk should only refer to products from lactating animals. The FDA proposed allowing plant-based beverages to be labeled as milk but recommended additional labels explaining the nutritional differences compared to cow milk.
Both dairy and dairy-alternative companies are employing marketing strategies to gain support. An advertisement featuring Queen Latifah promotes dairy milk, addressing the phenomenon of "milk shaming." On the plant-based side, brands like Califia Farms have used characters such as the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street to endorse almond milk as a viable alternative.
Both dairy and dairy-alternative companies are employing marketing strategies to gain support. An advertisement featuring Queen Latifah promotes dairy milk, addressing the phenomenon of "milk shaming." On the plant-based side, brands like Califia Farms have used characters such as the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street to endorse almond milk as a viable alternative.
