Fake meat was supposed to be the big food solution to the greenhouse-gas-belching meat industry, but so far it hasn't been the plant-based savior it was touted to be. Big players are faltering – recently, Beyond Meat revised its revenue projections and announced it would lay off 19% of employees. All this even as veganism and more sustainable eating habits continue to rise. 

But a growing number of business owners believe that the answer to this gap in the market lies in the dusty can that you may have panic-bought during the early days of the pandemic: beans. A slew of brands is giving the low-key legume an overdue makeover, investing in punchy branding and messaging with the aim of sidestepping fake meat's mistakes.

Grow where you're planted

For the climate-conscious eater, beans are pretty much the holy grail. Beans provide cheap healthy protein, can be cooked in myriad ways and are crucial for soil enrichment, which makes them a key part of regenerative agriculture – legume roots produce nitrogen, which is important for all plants. At the same time, there's been a sizable increase in bean and lentil consumption, showing that there's an appetite for this food group – even as the category has gone for some time without an update. That means there's plenty of room for brands to play around.

Bean there, won't do that

Though many of these emerging bean brands are addressing different parts of the market, there's one thing they agree on: messaging is crucial. Beans have long been associated with cheap meals – and while that value is certainly a plus for people dealing with a cost-of-living crisis (not to mention a competitive edge over fake meat's stubbornly high prices), to build long-lasting appeal, brands need to think bigger. Think: sharing recipes that create new cooking habits, hosting dinners to give the ingredient an aspirational feel and sharing farmer stories to get people closer to the source. 

And while most bean brands laud the sustainability benefits of beans beyond just not being meat, one word is noticeably missing from many brands' marketing: vegan.

‘We don't want to imply that beans are something you eat when you're compromising,’ says Amelia Christie-Miller, founder of jarred bean brand Bold Bean Co. ‘We want it to be that you eat beans when you eat meat or don't eat meat. You should eat beans because they're delicious.’

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Don't be spooked, but as soon as Halloween is over, Christmas – and the festive season that makes up around 20% of annual small business sales – officially starts in the world of brand communication. Sarah Lakos is a freelance strategist and founder of Studio Eat, a content studio that works with food, beverage, hospitality and lifestyle brands. With a background in women's lifestyle media, she has more than 10 years of experience creating meaningful content strategies. We asked her about the four essential things that brands need to remember in the lead-up to the holiday season.

01. Remember, Christmas begins now.

‘I know, I know… this isn't what most people want to hear. But small businesses can make more of an impact over the festive period if they start now. [Now] is the time to review customer communication flows, sharpen up SEO, write festive-themed blog posts, strategize a content roll-out and create or brief out your video and photography assets. Consider booking a consultation with a digital marketer if you're thinking about changing your ad spend strategy for December.’

02. Really think about the who, what and where.

‘Don't let the tinsel distract you. Content made for content's sake can be a waste of resources for small businesses. Take a moment to think about who it's for, what you want them to do with the content and where it'll live.’

03. Hone your tone.

‘There's so much same-same messaging going around at this time and the only way to stand out in a crowd is to elevate your tone. Clever copywriting can go a long way in capturing and holding your audience's attention. Invite your audience in, pique their curiosity, be a solution to their Christmas quandaries and don't forget to congratulate them at every turn for shopping or dining with you.’

04. Remember there's an A and B side to the tape.

‘You can't talk to your audience about Christmas for 60 days straight. Remember to turn the tape over. Think of other topics to engage your audience with. I promise they'll enjoy the break from being Santa stalked.’