A new US study shows that consumers are more likely to purchase plant-based eggs if they’re cheaper and served as an ingredient in a dish, rather than on their own.
With the egg crisis raging on in the US, empty shelves and high prices have made consumers rethink breakfast. It’s a golden opportunity for companies making plant-based alternatives, offering a more stable supply and largely great functionality in various food applications.
Eat Just, the market leader for vegan eggs, has already been capitalising on this moment, with sales growing five times faster in January than 12 months prior, and 91% of these customers being neither vegetarian nor vegan.
Still, Just Egg is expensive, as are most such liquid egg alternatives. One new study suggests that for plant-based eggs to truly capture their market potential, they need a rebrand, and a lower price tag.
Using an experimental method known as a vignette design, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University tested how price, product type, and setting influence people’s purchase behaviours when it comes to vegan eggs.
“Vignettes refer to short descriptions of a person or a situation which contain precise references to highlight key factors that are believed to influence the decision-making or judgment-making processes of respondents,” the authors explain in the Foods journal.
Americans prefer vegan eggs in familiar dishes
The researchers surveyed over 1,600 Americans about their perceptions of eggs, both conventional and hen-free. They rated conventional eggs higher on taste, price and appearance, but vegan eggs as better for the environment and animals.
On the nutrition front, average scores were largely similar, with chicken eggs perceived as having slightly higher protein and more calories, sodium and carbohydrates, and plant-based ones scoring better on total fat and cholesterol content.
Instead of asking people directly whether they’d like to buy a plant-based egg, the researchers asked them to imagine they were about to eat breakfast, either at home or a restaurant, and to choose between scrambled eggs or pancakes made from vegan eggs.
“We expected the setting to be more important, as we thought the novelty of the plant-based egg product would lead people to want to eat it in a restaurant where chefs know how to prepare the product in a way that tastes good,” said Brenna Ellison, co-author of the study. “Surprisingly, the location of where you were eating, whether it be at a restaurant versus at home, didn’t have as much of an effect as we imagined.”
They were found to be more likely to buy vegan eggs when they’re mixed into a familiar dish, like a pancake, rather than served as a scramble. The preference gap is larger at home than in a restaurant setting. “Introducing them as an ingredient, especially in a product that consumers are comfortable with, is a way to get people over any ‘mental hurdles’ associated with trying plant-based eggs,” said Ellison.
“Price and product form were found to be significantly related to purchase likelihood; consumers were consistently more likely to purchase plant-based eggs when they were cheaper,” the study stated.
How plant-based egg brands can shape their marketing plans
A third of the respondents to the survey had already tried plant-based eggs, and this is a key factor, since consumers who had previously eaten these products were more likely to buy them than those who hadn’t.
The study further found that people aged 18-34 were more likely to buy plant-based eggs than those over 55, while Black, African American and liberal respondents also indicated a greater willingness than other demographics. Larger households, meanwhile, are less likely to buy plant-based eggs, though parents with children under 18 are more inclined to do so.
“There are still sensory barriers,” said lead author Da Eun Kim. “I’ve tried the liquid version that comes in a bottle, like egg whites. The taste was different, but I was surprised the texture was very similar to traditional eggs.”
Kim and Ellison suggest that the study has important implications for the food industry. “For producers and retailers of plant-based eggs, understanding the factors that influence consumers’ purchase decisions can help optimise marketing strategies. Price sensitivity and product form should be considered when targeting specific consumer segments,” they wrote.
“Additionally, the significance of environmental impact and animal welfare in consumers’ perceptions suggests that highlighting the sustainability aspects of plant-based eggs could be a key marketing strategy,” they added.
“Policymakers can also benefit from this study’s findings, particularly concerning food environments.,” they continued. “The interaction between product form and location implies that interventions in food environments, such as restaurants and cafeterias, could influence consumer decisions to choose plant-based options. Encouraging the availability of plant-based egg options in such settings may facilitate healthier and more sustainable dietary choices.
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