Veganism, vegetarianism and marketing: how to advertise and sell vegan products?

Veganism is on the rise. There is no question about it.
To give you just a few recent examples…

New vegan product a sales hit

The first example is the British bakery chain Gregg. I first heard of its existence when it released vegan sausage rolls and I read about it on overseas vegan groups on Facebook. News of the company’s expansion spread quickly and British vegans stormed the stores.

The company was not up to the challenge at first, and stores ran out of the new product. However, it quickly ramped up production and the new addition to the range more than paid for itself. This investment, among others, increased the value of the company’s shares by 13 percent.[11]

A post about sausage rolls on one foreign vegan Facebook group

 

When a Polish company Tarczyński released plant-based kabanos sausages, it posted about it on Facebook. The picture was liked by 1,500 people.

Out of curiosity I checked the company’s Facebook page. The average number of likes for the brand’s posts is about 100, while the post about vegetable kabanos was liked by 3,400 people. In addition, it had 1,000 comments and almost 500 shares.

A post on one of the vegan Facebook groups about Tarczyński’s plant-based kabanos sausages. It was liked by 1,500 people. This is just one of many posts on the topic.

 

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Vegan products conquer the stock market

In 2019, the share price of Beyond Meat, a company that produces a plant-based meat substitute, rose 718% in just three months after its IPO (return calculated from the issue price).[2]

The vegan trend can no longer be questioned. The dominant meat companies – Tyson, Smithfield, and Hormel Foods – have begun investing in plant-based meat substitutes.

Interestingly, one of the people who invested in Beyond Meat was Bill Gates.

As of June of this year, Beyond Meat’s shares were up 49 percent.[3]

Hoping to replicate success and find a “second Beyond Meat,” entrepreneurs invested 457 million dollars throughout 2019. In just the first seven months of 2020, more than $1.4 billion was invested.[4]

Meanwhile, a new cash cow has appeared on the horizon. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to write: a cash hen.

The egg substitute market is estimated to exceed $1.1 billion by 2023.[5] According to research center SPINS, the size of the egg substitute market nearly tripled in 2019 compared to 2018.[6]

 

Since Beyond Meat went public in May 2019, the company’s stock has skyrocketed. Source: Yahoo! Finance

 

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Target group

Some say you advertise vegan products like any other product and others say it’s a completely new type of product, and you have to go beyond the usual marketing thinking.

And both are partly right.

– In my opinion, many of the principles of skillful marketing of plant-based products overlap with generally accepted best practices in the advertising industry. From my perspective, consistency, authenticity, and a clear message are key. On the other hand, my attention has recently been drawn to the rather chaotic, point-by-point approach to the communication of new plant-based products implemented by companies that undertake such activities for the first time – at the same time I can fully understand these difficulties, after all, for many brands it is a confrontation with new categories, consumers, and often also the turning of existing marketing activities almost upside down – says Maciej Otrębski from RoślinnieJemy campaign.

 

We have two groups of consumers.

One is vegetarians and vegans who are up-to-date with plant-based news. They want  a clear message that the product is vegan. Hence the popularity of certificates.
The second group is the consumers we want to convince to try a new product. They are less open to it at the beginning than vegans. They need to understand the product, know what properties it has and why it is worth diversifying their diet.

Although there are more and more vegans, the latter group of consumers shapes the market.

– I think that people who limit their intake of meat and animal products are the main drivers of change. Market research shows that vegan products are mostly eaten by non-vegans, omnivores who limit certain ingredients in their diet. They are the ones creating the demand. Companies are responding to the demand: ‘ok, let’s create something really tasty because this product is finally starting to generate revenue’. Flexitarians are the ones who make it profitable for companies and restaurants to launch vegan products and vegan businesses. Thanks to them, it will also become easier and easier to convert to veganism in the future – says Tobias Leenaert, co-founder of the organization ProVeg, trainer of the organization CEVA, and author of the book How to Create a Vegan World.[14]

An advertisement for a plant-based beverage from the company Chobani Oat. “Almost dairy mustaches? Almost milk! Creamy like milk. But without the dairy.”

 

Plant-based or vegan?

Over the past two years, many businesses have introduced plant-based options, including IKEA, Subway or McDonalds.
What is interesting though is how they name their products. It is hard to find names like:

“Hot dog for vegans and vegetarians”, “meatless burger”, “vegan meatballs”…

In advertising, every word matters, and it turns out that the word “veganism” has a deterrent effect for some people, according to a report from the World Resource Institute.

The Institute conducted a study of coffee shop chains in the UK and identified four types of language that the food industry should not use and three that it should use to attract consumers and increase the sale of plant-based products.

 

The four words/phrases to avoid:

  1. “meatless” – can be perceived negatively by carnivores. In the report it reads: “This is because emphasizing what a dish is missing can make people want to avoid missing something”;
  2. “vegan” – people feel excluded and think that this product is not for them;
  3. “vegetarian” – as in “vegan”;
  4. “low-fat” – and generally language that focuses on negative health aspects.[15]

– Health doesn’t sell. People don’t want to eat products labeled as good for them. If you have a delicious roasted zucchini with mint and feta cheese, don’t focus on talking about how good that zucchini is for someone’s health – says Erica Holland-Toll of Stanford University’s Flavor Lab.[16]

 

On the three aspects to focus on:

  1. origin – for example, Los Angeles-based Panera Bread changed the name of its soup from “low-fat vegetarian black bean soup” to “Cuban black bean soup,” which resulted in a 13 percent increase in its sales;
  2. flavor – adjectives that describe how a dish tastes… i.e. not “nutritious bean soup” but rather “flavorful bean soup”;
  3. appearance and texture – these are descriptions of the appearance of the food, including color. Moreover, we can read in the report that “phrases such as ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ are associated with high-fat food and are perceived positively by many customers, so it may help convince them that vegan food is not boring, bland or unpalatable.”[15]

 

Examples of several descriptions constructed according to these principles:

  1. “Japanese-style tofu cutlets” – the name of the product on Typhoon’s packaging;
  2. “Vegan sausages in flavorful curry sauce is a quick and easy dish to prepare,” product description by Peta Zwei.
  3. “Vegetable Ribs are juicy, flavorful and melt in your mouth.” – description of meatless ribs from the company Meatless Meat.

According to a World Resources Institute study, people prefer product names that address satisfying the palate more than health arguments.

 

Words on a censored list

While we’re on the subject of naming of products, we can’t help but think of the bill to ban the use of words like “burger,” “schnitzel” and “sausage” for products that don’t contain meat.

In 2019, European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) expressed concern that they could mislead consumers.[17]

Such provisions in the law are nothing new. In 2017, European Union banned names associated with dairy in the naming of plant products. Therefore, although plant-based milk or butter are commonly talked about, you won’t find them under these names in stores. One must look for vegan drinks or spreads.[18]

According to the manufacturers of these products and pro-vegan organizations, such provisions are bizarre. It is not illegal to use the word “butter” for peanut butter or “milk” for coconut milk. They believe this is a result of the popularization of plant-based products, which greatly concerns the meat industry, who are lobbying for such changes in the law.

“Vegetarian disk?” “Vegan roller?” That’s what the labels of plant-based meat alternatives could soon look like. But in late October of 2020, the European Union rejected the proposal.[19] 

Advertisement for vegan meat substitute Impossible Meat. “Meat made from plants. Wow.”

 

The fact that the meat industry is lobbying to ban plant-based substitute companies from using certain words shows what power words have.

The Swedish company Oatly, which is currently conquering global markets, is well aware of this. In an attempt to popularize plant-based drinks in China, it created a new word and sign for “new milk”. [20]

“New milk” word and sign created for plant-based beverages as part of an advertising campaign in China.

 

Blunt or subtle?

Most vegan producers and venues don’t bother with elaborate company names. Most of them use the word “veg” in various configurations – Vege Kiosk, Vege Kitchen, Vega, Vege Pizza.

All of the “veg” headings immediately profile the place or product. This has its pros and cons – some will be encouraged to try it, and others will turn their backs as soon as they see a restaurant signboard or a logo on the package with the word “veg”.

There are many original names on the market too, such as Field Roast, Tofurky and Meatless Meat.

There are some companies whose name does not reveals what cuisine or product line they specialize in. The advantage of this is that “casual” customers may also find their way to them.

One time while I was waiting in line at Loving Hut, a vegan Asian cuisine restaurant, two men in front of me were debating whether it was better to get shrimp or spring rolls. When it came to placing their order, they were shocked that the items they chose were 100 percent plant-based. However, they did not leave, and from what I managed to hear, they quite enjoyed it. If the place had a signboard, such as “Vegan Feast” , I doubt they would have given it a chance.

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Marketing vegan products is marketing innovation

Vegan products are a bit like the first smartphones for the mass non-vegan consumer. It’s not really clear “what it’s for”. So it’s hard to expect that when such people see a product in a store, they will immediately reach for it.

There are also a lot of harmful myths surrounding vegan products, such as that they are tasteless, that soy is bad for men, and that they don’t have enough protein. Each myth is a barrier that stands between a new customer and a purchase. That’s why many companies address or debunk the myths so that more people are willing to try plant-based options.

Consumers want to know:

  • What is the product made of?
  • How was it created?
  • Why was it created in this way? What does it provide?
  • How can they use it?

Therefore, such audiences must first be educated.

In fact, this is how Apple worked in the days of the first smartphones.

In the first Apple ads there were no close-ups of the iPhone or lofty slogans.

The advertising was focused on showing specific applications of the device, because the average Joe did not know what he could do with a smartphone. So he did not feel any motivation to purchase an iPhone.

A similar move could pay off for veganism. A survey conducted by Pyszne.pl shows that there are 1 million vegans and vegetarians in Poland, and 2 million people are considering a meatless way of eating.[21]

The familiar taste of meat

So, should we compare vegan products to their meat substitutes or the taste of meat or is it better to avoid it?

It depends on which group you are focused on. Some vegans reject animal products for ethical reasons, not taste, so if they get the message that a dish tastes like meat but no animals were killed during its production, they are willing to buy it.

Specific products and dishes or the way they are served often evoke memories that are familiar and people like to return to them.

Some people associate “pork chop” with a Sunday home dinner, and “grilled sausage” with a trip to the allotment with friends. So if a manufacturer offers flavors that evoke such memories, customers will likely reach for them.

Another side of this issue is that the comparison can be perceived as proof that the taste of meat is the ideal that the manufacturer is striving for. “So why reach for the fake?”, a potential customer may think.

That’s why companies adopt different strategies. Some explicitly appeal to flavors already familiar to people. Impossible Burger even boasts that it “bleeds” like real meat.[22] Other companies prefer to emphasize the distinctiveness or unique qualities of their product.

Ethics are at a premium

While some companies avoid as much as possible wording relating to a vegan diet, others go head-to-head with the topic. And, contrary to the research cited above, they’re doing just fine.

The first example: an ad for vegan chocolate made by Katjes. It was shown in German TV.

It features drawings by Gerald Scarfe, who also drew Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

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The spot breaks most of the rules mentioned so far. In the introduction to the advertisement we hear that every being wants to live and cows are not milk machines.

The company puts a lot of emphasis on ethical considerations in the commercial.

Why does this advertisement work?

I think it is a matter of consumers’ readiness for such a message. A lot vegans who chose this diet due to ethical reasons will share it in social media because of its strong message.

This also shows that as customers become more accustomed to veganism brands will be able to be bolder in their messaging.

Oatly also relies on a strong message. The slogan in one ad for its plant-based drink reads, “It’s like milk, but for humans”. After this ad was released in the UK in 2018, sales of the product skyrocketed and exceeded the company’s expectations

– It made quite an impression and we saw an increase in interest in all our products. Obviously we’re excited, the campaign created such demand for Oatly products that we far exceeded our expected sales goals – said Mike Messersmith, general manager of Oatly.[23]

The power of association

Some companies deliberately compare their products to their non-vegan counterparts. Statements are made such as: familiar form, but better taste; great taste, but without animal suffering; and healthier version, better quality.

An interesting example is the Alpro Soya brand campaign. The advertising of plant-based drinks and yogurts refers to the well-known advertising slogan “drink milk, you will be great”. On the brand ads we read: “You are great”.

This is another sign of the times, because just 10 years ago on vegan forums there was a petition circulating addressed to the company to release their yogurts in Poland. They were available in Germany, but not in Poland.

The company remained unmoved by the requests of the then not so large group of consumers.

Today, its yogurts can be found in most major retail chains.

Dialogue with meat eaters

As the example of Oatly shows, controversy sells.

KFC knows a thing or two about it! When it released a vegan “chicken” sandwich in Canada in late 2019, it relied on creative marketing.[24]

Remember, this is a company that built an empire on selling chicken. For many, the words “veganism” and “KFC” do not go together. This is what the authors of the advertising campaign referred to.

In the brand’s spot, a voiceover states: “Everyone will love plant-based KFC. Except Bobby, who writes: [How dare you. Don’t do it]. Chill out Bobby. They’re just plant-based substitutes.”

Shelf placement in stores

The place for vegan products is in … well, exactly where?

– We made a rule that if a chain didn’t want to put us in the meat department, we weren’t going to sell to them at all – said Ethan Brown, founder of Beyond Meat.

It was 2012 and at the time, it was out of the question for vegan products to be sold alongside meat products. It wasn’t until Whole Foods in the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. agreed to do this that the company opened the floodgates to more stores.[25]

It could be said that Beyond Meat paved the path for vegan products from health food shelves to meat and dairy departments.

– Thanks to the fact that we stood in the company of meat, we reached a completely new audience, and these are customers who would never in their lives approach a shelf with hummus. These are just people who went to Lidl or Kaufland to buy a sausage for the barbecue, and their hand probably trembled and they took those meatballs or a burger. We started to get very nice feedback from people who had never had contact with plant-based products before – said Karolina Kubara (Dobra Kaloria) at the 2019 Plant-Powered Perspectives conference.[26]

A meat section in a supermarket with vegan meat substitutes

Trends

What does the future hold? Certainly even more plant-based products.

The vegan food market is estimated to reach $31.4 billion by 2026, with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10.5 percent compared to 2019.[27]

– Retail chains are actively looking for new vegan products. They want them on their shelves. It used to be that you would go to a merchant and the merchant would say: “people don’t know it, small margin, it’s some kind of novelty, I’ll just take some”. Today the merchant says: “give us more, do you have any interesting projects? what will appear in six months, what in a year?”. Now we’re accelerating a team developing a brand of bean-based vegan yogurt, Cool Beans. The girls have actually only shown the product at the Plant-Powered Perspectives conference this year, and people are already reaching out to us with questions about it,” says Piotr Grabowski.

More vegan products means more competition, and therefore higher consumer expectations.

– In 2020, two important trends emerged that were impossible to ignore if the market wants to maintain or increase its growth rate. It will be a big challenge for food manufacturers as products will need to be healthier and healthier, and new formulas will need to be tested, because that’s what consumers want. The second issue is that the market for vegan products will become more “subtle”. There will be a more positive message about plant-based foods as the vege trend is not just for vegans, it is primarily about reducing meat consumption. Already half of UK consumers say they are doing this – says Edward Bergen, Global Food & Drink Analyst.[28]

This is also confirmed by organizations dedicated to promoting a plant-based diet. When asked “what collaboration has surprised you the most?”, Przemyslaw Chojnicki replied:

– We are no longer surprised by cosmetics, clothing or furniture. However, there are sometimes seemingly very exotic applications. One example is the certification of firefighter helmets, which we dealt with last year. This shows how much demand we are starting to see in the world for vegan products.

Educating the market about vege products with ExplainVisually

On the one hand, we want to reach vegans and vegetarians, and on the other hand, we want to reach other consumer groups. These people need to be educated about plant-based products and vege food processing techniques.

I don’t want this to sound directly like an advertisement, because I really believe in what I write….

I believe that we at ExplainVisually can help vegan food producers.

Over the past years, we’ve repeatedly told stories about new applications, industrial IT systems, or restructuring at a rocket engine factory in simple terms. We have created animations, presentations, infographics and websites for startups and corporations such as IKEA, Orange and Pfizer.

That’s why we know the topic of market education inside out.

The topic of plant-based nutrition is close to my heart. I have been involved in the promotion of a plant-based diet for several years and have worked with many companies, with publishing a magazine about the vegan diet, organizing lectures, workshops and trade fairs.

I know how to talk about vegan products and, above all, I understand them.

Research shows explainer videos are a great way to reach customers.Explainer videos allow you to stand out.

If you’d like to see 20 original vegan advertising campaigns, sign up for our newsletter. You will get the promised PDF in your email.

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Bibliography

[1] Warszawa wśród 10 najbardziej przyjaznych weganom miast na świecie: https://www.focus.pl/artykul/10-najbardziej-przyjaznych-weganom-miast-na-swiecie-wsrod-nich-warszawa

[2] O 718% od maja wzrósł kurs akcji Beyond Meat. Producent mięsa z roślin hitem inwestycyjnym na giełdzie w USA: https://strefainwestorow.pl/artykuly/gielda-usa/20190724/beyond-meat-roslinne-mieso

[3] Fake-Meat Startups Rake in Cash Amid Food Supply Worries:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-01/fake-meat-startups-rake-in-cash-amid-coronavirus-food-worries

[4] Fake meat products continue to attract real money: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/fake-meat-products-continue-to-attract-real-money-1.1055372

[5] Industry ARM, Egg Substitutes Market – Forecast(2020 – 2025)

[6] Plant-Based is Booming! “Now What?” for Brands: https://www.spins.com/resources-webinar-plant-based-is-booming-brands/

[7] Errata: Raport GUS – Przeciętne spożycie mięsa na osobę spadło w Polsce o 2,24% w 2019 roku: https://roslinniejemy.org/blog/gus-przecietne-spozycie-miesa-na-osobe-spadlo-w-polsce-o-20-w-2019-roku

[8] Badanie Nielsen: Wege warte miliony: https://www.petrolnet.pl/badanie-nielsen-wege-warte-miliony/

[9] Hot dogi bez mięsa wielkim hitem: https://www.rp.pl/Przemysl-spozywczy/310279959-Hot-dogi-bez-miesa-wielkim-hitem.html

[10] Maciej Otrębski, RoślinnieJemy: zamienniki mięsa to już nie trend a segment rynku: https://www.wiadomoscihandlowe.pl/artykul/maciej-otrebski-roslinniejemy-zamienniki-miesa-to-juz-nie-trend-a-segment-rynku

[11] Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls fuel profit boom: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/14/greggs-vegan-sausage-rolls-fuel-profit-boom

[12] „Nie byłoby Plantonów bez prawie 30-letniego doświadczenia produkcji jogurtów mlecznych” – wywiad z Magdaleną Kubit: https://roslinniejemy.org/blog/nie-byloby-plantonow-bez-prawie-30-letniego-doswiadczenia-produkcji-jogurtow-mlecznych-wywiad-z-magdalena-kubit-ceo-firmy-jogurty-magda

[13] Jogurty Magda. Dobry biznes na jogurtach dla wegan: https://www.forbes.pl/biznes/jogurty-dla-wegan-polski-producent-jogurty-magda/xdmxy7w

[14] Magazyn „Vege” 3/2019

[15] Linda Bacon, Jonathan Wise, Sophie Attwood i Daniel Vennard, The Language of Sustainable Diets: A Field Study Exploring the Impact of Renaming Vegetarian Dishes on U.K. Café Menus, 2019

[16] The dos and don’ts of marketing plant-based foods: https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/13280-the-dos-and-donts-of-marketing-plant-based-foods

[17] Unia Europejska zdecyduje, czy wegetariańskie burgery mogą być nazywane burgerami, skoro nie ma w nich mięsa: https://bezprawnik.pl/wegetarianskie-burgery-unia-europejska/

[18] „Mleko sojowe” i „masło roślinne” zakazane. Trybunał Sprawiedliwości na wojnie z weganami i podszywaniem się pod mięso: https://bezprawnik.pl/tsue-kontra-weganie/

[19] Wegeburger nie zostanie zakazany. Burzliwa debata o… bezmięsne parówki: https://www.msn.com/pl-pl/wiadomosci/polska/wegeburger-nie-zostanie-zakazany-burzliwa-debata-o%E2%80%A6-bezmi%C4%99sne-par%C3%B3wki/ar-BB1an00e

[20] Oatly: Another Swedish Success Story in China: https://www.marketingtochina.com/oatly-another-swedish-success-story-in-china/

[21] Polacy rezygnują z mięsa: https://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1413153-Polacy-rezygnuja-z-miesa.html

[22] Impossible Burger’s ‘bleeding’ ingredient gets FDA approval: https://www.fooddive.com/news/impossible-burgers-bleeding-ingredient-gets-fda-approval/528577/

[23] Vegan Oatly Exceeds Sales Targets After ‘Like Milk But Made For Humans’ Campaign: https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/vegan-oatly-exceeds-sales-targets-after-campaign/

[24] KFC lures flexitarians and curious vegans with Imposter burger: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/kfc-lures-flexitarians-curious-vegans-imposter-burger/1587562

[25] Should Vegan Products Be Sold Alongside Meat And Dairy Items In Retail Stores? https://www.forbes.com/sites/katrinafox/2018/05/07/should-vegan-products-be-sold-alongside-meat-and-dairy-items-in-retail-stores/#40e6f1ff3204

[26] #ppp2019: Karolina Kubara – Pół roku z roślinnymi burgerami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Kpy4cmZ4w

[27] Abel Thomas , Roshan Deshmukh , Vegan Food Market by Product Type (Dairy Alternative, Meat Substitute and others) and Distribution Channel (Offline and Online): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026; 2019

[28] W 2019 roku weganizm wszedł do mainstreamu. Jak trend będzie ewoluował w tym roku? https://www.dlahandlu.pl/detal-hurt/wiadomosci/w-2019-roku-weganizm-wszedl-do-mainstreamu-jak-trend-bedzie-ewoluowal-w-tym-roku,84565.html

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About the author

Oscar Krysik

With over 10 years of experience working with renowned brands such as Lipton, Listerine, and Ben & Jerry’s, I have developed comprehensive communication plans, executed brand launches, and devised effective brand strategies. I am committed to understanding key messages and ensuring they reach the right audience. My experience also includes brand creation, exemplified by the launch of Benji’s Planet, a premium dog food brand. As a brand and marketing consultant, I help businesses craft their brand identity and communicate their value propositions effectively. I regularly update my skills with new certifications and stay abreast of marketing trends to ensure my strategies are cutting-edge. Outside of work, I am passionate about design, graphic arts, and enjoy bouldering in my free time. Contact me for expert brand and marketing consultation.

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How did we help the Sperling TAX&LAW office increase website traffic and attract potential clients?

Who is the Client? Sperling is a renowned legal and tax consultancy firm based in Rzeszów, specializing in comprehensive services for small and medium-sized enterprises. They assist with legal and tax issues, ensuring clients receive professional and trustworthy...

Healthcare in motion: transforming patient education through animation

Introduction: The healthcare industry is changing rapidly thanks to new technologies that make it easier to care for patients and improve their health. One of the most exciting advancements is the use of animation in patient education. Explaining medical information...

Tech Tales: animation’s role in communicating complex IT solutions

Introduction: The Role of Animation in Contemporary Communication and Its Relevance in IT Animation has evolved significantly from its roots in entertainment to become a crucial tool in contemporary communication, especially within the information technology (IT)...

Beyond transactions: building trust with animated content in finance

Introduction In the finance sector, trust is the base upon which businesses build lasting relationships with their clients. Given the complexity of financial products and the significant impact these products can have on individuals' lives, ensuring that customers...

Services unleashed: the impact of animation in the service industry

 Introduction Animation has long captivated audiences with its ability to bring imagination to life, tracing its roots back to the earliest forms of visual storytelling. From the hand-drawn animations of Disney's golden age to the computer-generated imagery (CGI) of...

Lights, Camera, Production – Transforming Industries with Animated Visuals

Introduction In the fast-paced world of business, catching the eye and keeping it is not easy. That's where animated visuals step in, enabling effective communication. Picture this: a world where your message isn't just heard. But seen, felt, and remembered. Animated...

Animation in Social Media Marketing

In today’s digital world, video content dominates online platforms. As people swipe, scroll, and tap through endless content, the need for creating stand-out material has never been more critical. Social media is an ideal space for businesses to connect with their...

Animating Success: Revolutionizing B2B Marketing with the Power of Animation

Animation in B2B – a powerful tool for success. Discover it now!

How we helped SkuteczneRaporty.pl win new clients.

Company representative involved in the project: Academy founder Bartosz Czapiewski. Advisor, trainer and speaker specialising in the field of analysis and reporting. On top of EffectiveReports, Bartosz also runs the blogs SkuteczneRaporty.pl and ExcelBI.pl. Challenge:...

How we helped Bahlsen to educate its employees more effectively?

About the client: Bahlsen is one of the largest biscuit manufacturers in Europe, known in Poland because of brands such as LEIBNIZ, Krakuski and HIT. Size of the organisation: World - 2600 employees Company departments involved in the project: Communications...

How our materials helped Biocodex employees get the most out of their workshop?

About the client: Biocodex is a French pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and distributes world-class pharmaceutical products and health solutions to patients in more than 120 countries. Biocodex subsidiaries are spread all over the world. One of them...

How we helped VIDA demonstrate the competitive advantage of their offering?

About the client: VIDA provides cyber security solutions powered by artificial intelligence. Size of the organisation: More than 20 employees. Company departments involved in the project: Marketing Department, Technical Department, Sales DepartmentChallenge: Many...

How we helped SHARP inform the market about its new air purifier

About the client: SHARP is a global consumer electronics manufacturer originating from Japan. Size of the organisation:  Poland - 500+ employees World - 48,000+ employees Company departments involved in the project: End client: Sharp Consumer Electronics Marketing...

The Manifest Names ExplainVisually as one of the Most Reviewed Video Production Agencies in New York

The ExplainVisually team is delighted to announce that we’ve been recently recognized by The Manifest as one of the most-reviewed video production agencies in New York. We are proud to be part of this list and excited to finally unveil this with all of you. This...

Animation that helped Flobotics get prospective clients to interact with their website

About the company: Flobotics is an RPA (Robotics Process Automation) development consulting company that automates dual and repetitive business processes for companies worldwide, focusing especially on healthcare and finance industry. Company size:11-50 employees...

Visual thinking in business – what it is, how it works and how it can help

What is visual thinking? Imagine this situation... You get up in the morning. You reach for your cell phone and there is a black and white screen and a wall of text. You walk over to your desk and check your planner. A wall of text again! Even the division into days...

Hybrid animation – what it is, advantages, examples

Hybrid animation is, in simple terms, the integration of 2D and 3D animation. This combination of different techniques allows you to take advantage of the benefits of each technique, and thus create a better animation.An example of hybrid animation is combining 2D and...

Communication in change management: how to improve it, and what to keep in mind?

Research shows half of the company's change initiatives fail, and only 34% achieve the intended result. (Gartner, 2020) Where does resistance to change come from? Often workplace changes are perceived as “imposed” and unnecessary. No one likes imposed changes or...

Need help naming a product? Here’s how to find the best name for all your products

What’s in a name? Everything! Whether it’s the product or brand name, getting the perfect name is a critical aspect of product success. And we have a long list of terrible names to prove it.  Nintendo Wii U Drysack Wine  Nokia Lumia (Lumia means ‘prostitute’ in...

How we helped European Rover Challenge make an animation to attract sponsors

About the Client: European Rover Challenge (ERC) is the largest robotics and space event in Europe, organized since 2014. The multi-day event attracts students from universities, professionals working in the space sector and space enthusiasts from around the world...

How to write a script for an animation? 16 practical tips

Explaining how to write an animation script can take up a whole book! But if you are here, it means that you do not have time to go so deep into the topic. Therefore, in this text, I have compiled 16 practical tips on how to write an effective animation script. All...

Animation for Winaico that helped save salespeople time

About the company: Winaico is a German photovoltaic module manufacturer, that has been in existence since 2008. The company operates in Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. Company size: up to 100 people Company departments involved in the project: Country Manager...

How did we help Santander educate employees about the new way of designing the product?

About the company Santander Bank - the largest bank in the Eurozone Company size: Poland (11,000 employees), worldwide (190,000 employees) Company departments and people involved in the project: Service Design & Design Research Department: Head of Service Design,...

Animated video: 6 application examples

Animated video can serve various purposes. For example, it can advertise a new product of a company, help it enter the market, explain regulations to potential customers, or explain socially important issues to an illiterate population. This type of video is becoming...

Promotional Video Production: How to prepare to work with a studio to make your film a success

The stakes are high because the video will be shown at a trade show, a company event or during a video campaign. If the project doesn't make it to the clients, the money will go down the drain and the person responsible for the production may end up without a job!...

6 animation trends that will capture the market in 2022

When we compare animations from a dozen or so years ago with those created today, you can see the difference in the degree of advancement, and also in the style and graphics. This is largely a matter of fashion. Below I will list a few trends that I think will conquer...

How to choose an animation studio? 9 tips

Wybór studia animacji może przesądzić o sukcesie końcowego video. I choć tekst na ten temat pisany przez studio animacji z pewnością nie jest w pełni obiektywny, przykłady własne służą tylko zilustrowaniu poszczególnych kwestii. Niezależnie od tego, na jakie studio...

Brand videos: how they differ from other videos and how to make them… with examples

Perhaps you are wondering how to reach your customers effectively? How to make them see your brand's potential and answer their needs? A brand video may help. It is a video or animation that will:   Build brand awareness Include your logo and other distinctive...

16 interesting animations from 16 countries

The following list of animations from 16 countries worldwide is highly subjective. Each is interesting and unique for different reasons, which we write about in the text.England An animation released in 2018 by the British cookie company McVitie. The campaign...

Promotional videos for businesses – 6 types you need to know

Promotional videos are usually short advertising videos. They are designed to convince customers to buy a particular product or use a company's service. There are many types of promotional videos, but we present six of the most popular. Each can be filmed using either...

Animated ads – types, examples, prices

Animated ads are one of the most popular forms of video marketing. They are usually much cheaper to produce than a traditional film shot on camera. They also allow for greater creative freedom. Below we discuss the types of animated ads along with examples and prices...

Corporate video production – 7 sins not to commit if you want a boring video

Producing corporate videos often comes with high hopes. The company hopes to enhance its image, build trust among customers and excitement among employees. Unfortunately, the truth is that most corporate films are... boring. Why is this the case? And what can you do...

Visual Thinking in Business: 6 levels you can implement in your company [+Examples]

Myślenie wizualne to - w dużym skrócie - używanie wizualizacji, żeby ułatwić dostrzeżenie, zrozumienie i zapamiętanie informacji. Jego przejawy obserwujemy, gdy widzimy na trasie znaki drogowe, oglądamy infografiki czy projektujemy nowe produkty na warsztatach Design...

Podcast Visual Communication For Storytelling featuring Maciej Budkowski

Maciej Budkowski, Managing Directorof our company, got invited to The Business Storyteller Podcast by Piktochart. As we can read on their website: "this is a series of conversations with inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs to share their knowledge and experience in...

Visual thinking in business – what it is, how it works and how it can help

What is visual thinking? Imagine this situation... You get up in the morning. You reach for your cell phone and there is a black and white screen and a wall of text. You walk over to your desk and check your planner. A wall of text again! Even the division into days...

Corporate videos – 9 examples to help you create the best video for your company

You want to create a corporate video. You probably have a lot of questions. What to pay attention to? What is involved in the production of a video? How much do corporate films cost? If you type in "corporate films" in Google  over two million results come up. You...

Pictures vs. illustrations vs. instructional video – when to use what to make our instruction effective

Imagine you are sitting comfortably on a plane, reading a book. Suddenly you feel turbulence that is much stronger than usual. You start to get anxious, especially since you see people around you panicking. Then you hear the captain's voice from the speakers: "Please...

Customer Segmentation: The Cornerstone of SaaS Pricing

Most personas are eye-rollingly useless. Product Managers usually create these personas to satisfy Agile’s user story framework, adding nothing (or even causing harm) to the process of creating breakthrough products and offers. The managers who create these useless...

How to get people to follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, doctors and pharmacists? [Visual Thinking in Medicine]

You have a fever, you feel weak, and your cough is getting worse. Normally this wouldn't concern you, but there is a coronavirus raging in the world so you have doubts. Just in case, you call the hotline. The lady on the other end of the phone patiently explains what...

Sales enablement: what it is, why implement it and how to do it

Sales enablement is primarily about making salespeople's work easier and faster for them to achieve sales targets. How does it work in practice? It is a bit like the organization of a football club. Let's look at Robert Lewandowski. Before the Bayern star steps out...

How did we help 3S Group generate leads using animation?

About the company: 3S Group - Polish provider of telecommunication services, data center and ICT solutions, and part of PLAY operator since 2019.     3S Group supports the realization of its clients' business visions by designing and implementing ICT solutions....

How we helped Israeli startup to win a 1,000,000$

About the company: Seegnature (now Reach): Israeli startup that creates an application for remote discussion and signing of contracts. Department: Company Founders. Problem: Seegnature entered the competition for the best insurance startup in Israel. The company...

How did Michelin sell tires in a country with no cars? Three examples of big brand content marketing that shows the power of good content

Before 1900, there were only 3,000 cars in France. At that time, brothers André and Édouard Michelin decided to start a company that sold tires.[1] Sound like a recipe for failure? Probably many people thought so, as how do you sell tires to people who don't need...

6 things without which your sales support and sales materials will be ineffective

You know the scenario? The conversation is going well, and the customer is interested. Finally, the potential customer says to the salesperson: "Then please send an offer. I'm having a meeting with my boss/team/partner and I'll let you know what the response is." The...

Content marketing that supports sales – what is a content funnel and how to use it

After publishing an article about content marketing of three global giants: Michelin, Pirelli and Guinness, our subscribers were strongly surprised as not many knew the stories.   The artice has not yet been translated to English, but in a shortcut: - When...

How to maximize ROI of your explainer video (22 non-bullshit practical tips)

These are the insights we got after producing hundreds of explainer videos.  Before you start 1) Check if the ROI numbers add up. Sometimes they don’t.   The easiest formula to calculate ROI is: Predicted Reach (i.e. 10 000 people) x Avg. deal size (i.e. 100$) x...

Animation versus illustration: which is more effective [based on research]

Walt Disney said: "Animation can represent anything the human mind can imagine. This ability makes it the most versatile and direct form of communication. At the same time, it is created to be appreciated by mass audiences."[1] Although this quote comes from one of...

Whiteboard animation: Best Business Cases

Whiteboard animation videos are special animated films, which educate customers about a company, a brand or its products. They have been used by marketing, sales and HR departments of the biggest companies for 10 years, but only just starting to gain popularity in...

13 ideas for using animation in business – practical videomarketing

Well-crafted animation can help in many elements of business. Most often, it supports companies in acquiring leads, training employees, presenting a product or service to customers, implementing procedures, or increasing conversions. Since you've already invested in...

How to sell when your product is not much different from the competition?

"If there is no difference, there is only indifference" said Louis Nizer Customers may think the same when your products are not much different from the competition. Of course you can lower the price but this may start a price war. Thousands of companies have faced a...

Vegan food market in Poland

Imagine that you go to Facebook and there are pictures of sausages, kabanos to be exact, everywhere. They are posted by your friends, the fan pages you like, and strangers on groups you belong to. Sounds like science fiction? Meanwhile, it is reality as kabanos are...

How our animation helped the „Wiecej niż LEK” website earn their first 100 000 EUR

About the project:  “Więcej niż LEK” is a Medical Information Portal which is used to run high quality e-learning courses for students and graduates of medical colleges, which prepare them for, among other things, for the Final Medical Examination and the Final...

How to calculate if the explainer video will pay off?

As we wrote earlier in the text about explainer video, the production of such an animation usually costs from 2 000 to 7 000 EUR. How to calculate whether this expense will pay off? And how to estimate the explainer video's possible results?   In this text, we...

7 examples of explainer video, which provided companies with leads and increased sales

Rypple, which provides cloud services, wanted to show that its solution increases the efficiency of managers and employees. The B2B business was showing more and more interest in modern ways of storing data, but the competition was not idle and more and more similar...

Product videos—types, prices, advantages and disadvantages (classic film, whiteboard animation, vector animation, and 3D animation)

Product videos are becoming more and more popular because they help to tell about the product in a few minutes. Thanks to them, the customer does not have to read a wall of text on the website or in the brochure. Sellers also feel relieved because they don't have to...

11 tips and tricks that will make it easier for you to make an explainer video

You want to commission a explainer video production. It is an important project because you need to talk about a strategic initiative, generate more leads, or implement a new procedure. You gave the company a general idea and...wait until they hit your vision? This is...

Our Team

Claudia Together with the late Michael (my fiancé at the time), I am a co-founder of ExplainVisually. At the beginning of the company's existence, I was a creative 3-in-1: I wrote scripts, storyboards, and drew films. This was the case with the first 84 films, but in...

The cooperation between TESCO and ExplainVisually has been extended to the Czech Republic and Slovakia

The shelves of supermarkets bend under the food. But what happens to food that is not bought? The last project in cooperation with TESCO brought us the answer to this question. We got a call from Gosia Tokarz, who asked us if we can prepare 7 by 2 meters infographics...

How did Millenium Bank educate its employees on standards of customer service? [Case Study]

About the company: Millenium Bank – one of the main banks in Poland, part of Banco Commercial Portuges. Department: Department of Quality–responsible for providing equal and high level of customer and sales service in the bank’s facilities.   Problem: Keeping the...

4 unobvious reasons that make your offer land in the basket

Thank you for the offer, we have decided to cooperate with another supplier;At this point we have suspended the project, we will contact you when we get back to it;Unfortunately, we are not interested. Every salesperson has heard these answers. Often, the reason for...

Our video telling a story about the most creative Polish School

Among dozens of projects that we have carried out this year, the film for the Kornel Makuszyński Elementary School in Radowo Małe is one of our favourites. And not only our favourite: the video scored over 1300 shares on Facebook. Why this project is so important to...

How did Orange tell their employees about the Continuous Improvement? [Case Study]

About the company: Orange – the biggest telecommunication operator in Poland and one of the main companies in the world, made it to the Fortune Global 500 list. Department: Customer Experience, trying to design the ideal customer experience and supporting the...

What is Graphic Recording (and Graphic Facilitation)?

When the lecturer starts his speech on the stage, the atmosphere of concentration fills the lecture hall. It is his name that brought the crowd to this conference. The slides complete his words, and hundreds of people are focused on him and try to remember as much as...

What is whiteboard animation (and how your business can benefit from it)?

Whiteboard animation is becoming more and more popular in business because of the clear and transparent way it provides information. Research shows that it has an advantage over text messages, and often also over static images and ordinary films. That is why it is...

What is explainer video (and how your business can benefit from it)?

  Explainer videos are short movies which explain complicated issues in an easy way. Typically they deliver information about companies, products and services. Today, explainer videos are used by thousands of companies around the world, including the largest...

The curse of knowledge: How it affects managers & marketers

Klątwa wiedzy jest efektem psychologicznym, który w ogromnym stopniu wpływa na naszą pracę oraz życie osobiste. W wielu wypadkach niestety negatywnie. Szczególnie narażone na jego skutki są osoby odpowiedzialne za komunikację w firmie – managerowanie, marketerzy,...

Goodbye to the best boss I’ve ever had

“I heard that you quit your job,” the words echoed in my ears. It was a call from Michał. How on earth did he already know?, I thought. It must have been our Lebanese friend who told him. He was the only person who knew. “Yes, that’s true. The message was being...

Klaudia Tolman of ExplainVisually in the jury of 50 Top Creative list

Klaudia Tolman, our Creative Director, is going to be one of the jurors in the 9th edition of the ranking of 50 Top Creative in Business. The ranking aims to honour companies and people: put their money on innovations and out-of-the-box solutions in their businesses,...

We got the results of the first nationwide research on Visual Thinking

Last year we co-created the very first nationwide research on Visual Thinking. Why did we decide to take part in reliable research on the effectiveness of visual thinking? For years now we have been hearing from our clients, that what we do, works. But it’s one thing...

Maciej Budkowski and Klaudia Tolman to host an “Expert” cycle meeting for Brief.pl

For the last 5 years, we have been building and developing our know-how. During that time we’ve carried out over 200 projects in 19 languages for dozens of corporations, startups and GOs. But never before have we publicly spoken about our agency experiences. This time...

Maciej Budkowski and Klaudia Tolman in the #agencja podcast

Just released, there’s an #agencja podcast featuring our managing team, Klaudia and Maciek. In the podcast we’re telling about our daily work. Link to the podcast –...

ExplainVisually’s film about European Funds submitted to Camerimage

In 2015 we made a film with the Mazovian Unit of EU Programmes Implementation in Warsaw. Its aim was to tell in a simple way how to gain European Funds. The project went very well and many organisations associated with European Funds considered it to set a good...

ExplainVisually’s infographics to support Polish Football Association

Maciek, our Managing Director, has been a huge fan of football for over 20 years and he’s always been dreaming about cooperation with the Polish Football Association. So when they actually called us to say that they needed to explain to football coaches complex...

ExplainVisually a laureate of the competition 50 Most Creative in Polish Business!

We are a laureate of this year’s ranking of 50 Most Creative in Business. 50 Creative is the biggest competition in its field in Poland. The ranking is carried out each year by Brief.pl. Amongst former laureates are CD Project, Brand24, iTaxi, LifeTube, Booksy or...

How to spend money to be happy? Our infographic in “Głos Mordoru” (“Voice of Mordor”)

“Money doesn’t bring happiness” or “You cannot have too much of a good thing”? Turns out, it depends on what you do with it. Those are the conclusions of Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, Professors of British Columbia University and Harvard University. In their book...

Summary 2017

Christmas time has passed, so it’s time for some summary. We can’t describe this year with one word. 2017 was demanding, tragic, developing, successful, sad and joyful. In the period of 12 months we made over 70 films, which means we scored almost 200 total since the...

Our video helped to win 1,000,000$ in a Israeli’s startup competition

A week ago Seegnature, an Israeli InsurTech start-up, used our whiteboard animation during a pitch - presentation to the investors. The stake was high. Pitch is a key moment for a start-up. Several minutes of presentation may determine the company’s future. Especially...

HR Case Study: recruitment video

It was the end of May 2016, when we realized we could not put it off any longer. Everybody took their place, and we started the meeting. “We have to recruit new drawing artists! I can’t do it by myself any longer! We won’t manage when the new projects come…!” Klaudia...

Explainer video production process

Explainer video production process typically takes a few weeks (3-8). The production time depends on the film's duration, its complexity, the flow of works, communication between both parties (or three parties if an Agency also takes part in the discussion), work...