Many people see January as an opportunity to adopt healthier routines or try something new. A popular resolution for many consumers is Veganuary, a campaign co-founded by Matthew Glover and Jane Land in 2013 that challenges participants to follow a vegan diet for 31 days. Veganuary’s appeal is partly driven by its time-limited format, which lets shoppers try plant-based alternatives without a permanent commitment. According to Veganuary, 25.8 million people worldwide took part in 2025. As such, January offers a key window for brands to reach consumers who may not otherwise consider plant-based products, says GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
Molly Day, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “A key target audience for plant-based brands throughout January is flexitarians—consumers who don’t identify as vegan or vegetarian but choose to reduce their meat intake for health, environmental, or lifestyle reasons. The popularity of this kind of eating regime is reflected in GlobalData’s Q1 2025 global consumer survey, where more consumers identified as low meat (15%) or flexitarian (8%) than vegan (3%) or vegetarian (5%).”
Health a leading reason to try plant-based foods
According to GlobalData’s Q1 2025, consumer research, the leading reason consumers trial a plant-based diet is health, with 46% of consumers saying they perceive plant-based alternatives to be healthier. Environmental concerns follow, with 39% of consumers agreeing that plant-based alternatives are more sustainable. This signals consumer demand for products that clearly highlight functional health benefits and make clear their positive impact on the environment.
However, reservations about these products persist, despite a significant number of consumers considering plant-based an essential (18%) or nice-to-have attribute (40%), according to GlobalData’s Q4 2025 global consumer survey.
Consumer reservations surrounding taste remain
Taste emerged as a leading concern in GlobalData’s Q1 2025 global consumer survey, with 31% of consumers stating that they are put off trying plant-based foods because they expect not to like the flavor. This was followed by cost, with 22% of consumers agreeing that plant-based alternatives are too expensive. This suggests that plant-based brand innovation focused on taste, health, and better value are essential to appeal to a wider cohort of these consumers.
Functional innovation
French plant-based brand La Vie is capitalizing on Veganuary with its “Pork Is Dead” campaign. The campaign appeals to consumers looking for more sustainable options, with the tagline, “Great for Greta”, which refers to environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The brand also launched a new product in the UK alongside the campaign, La Vie Salami Sticks. The product is positioned to appeal to consumers seeking functional ingredients, with 27g protein labelled clearly on the packaging.
Day concludes: “January is a key ‘reset’ period when many people try healthier habits, and Veganuary captures this behavior at scale. For manufacturers, Veganuary offers a prime opportunity to put plant-based products in front of a receptive, largely flexitarian audience. However, success depends on meeting core consumer expectations of great taste, clear value for money, natural/simple ingredients, and credible sustainability across the supply chain.
“While the category continues to grow globally, adoption is still constrained by concerns around flavor, price, and ultra-processing, with taste being the biggest barrier. Brands that win could appeal to new and previously disengaged shoppers by pairing compelling taste and value with believable health and sustainability benefits.”
*GlobalData Q1 and Q4 2025 global consumer surveys were conducted with 21,000 respondents across 42 countries
