Report Shows “Mass Appeal” in Plant-Based Products Driven by Celebrities

A new report by market research company Million Insights could explain one of the driving forces behind the steady climb in interest in vegan products and diets in recent years. Turns out, veganism is growing in part thanks to the celebrities who already have adopted the lifestyle, and regularly share their experiences, tips and tricks with their followers and fans.

Vegan Celebrities are Effective Influencers

The report states that, "Increasing consumption of vegan foods among celebrities has created a mass appeal and consumers are increasingly adopting it." Celebrities use social media, entertainment and entrepreneurial efforts to drive awareness throughout their fan bases, in the news, and on their personal platforms. While they all use different channels and tactics to disseminate their message, together, vegan and plant-based celebrities reach millions of consumers every day, and have helped cause a shift in culture. Even Jay-Z is helping to boost the plant-based food industry by investing in vegan cookie brand Partake.

Celebrities' Major Impact

This year, actor and activist Joaquin Phoenix used his Oscar acceptance speech to ask viewers to ditch meat, a message that reached tens of millions of watchers at home. Actress and eco-warrior Maggie Q has launched an activewear line that uses 100% recycled materials and often advocates for a plant-based diet on her Instagram account, which boasts half a million followers.

In an interview with Mirror, popstar Ariana Grande shared a little bit about her fully vegan diet with her fans, saying, "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding. But I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-around happier person.”

Billie Eilish, one of the biggest names in music at the moment, gave away free tickets to her concert to fans who educated themselves about climate change and signed petitions to benefit environmental efforts. She regularly talks about how going vegan is one of the best ways to lower your carbon footprint: An IGTV video that the singer posted starring herself and Woody Harrelson called "Our House is On Fire" has amassed over 15 million views. In it, she urges viewers to help save the environment by "doing what you can to live a greener lifestyle like cutting out meat and dairy in your diet."

Ariana Grande, Maggie Q, Billie Eilish and Joaquin Phoenix are just a few of the celebrities who support a plant-based diet. Check out this list of 21 stars who are vegan to get a better idea of all of the advocates of an animal product-free lifestyle in Hollywood.

The report also highlights that everyday citizens have also had a big part in driving growth in this industry: "Countries such as the United States, Canada, China, Ireland and U.K have a considerable number of vegan populations that in turn aiding in the growth of the market." Even while at home, you can help by spreading the message to your family friends, sharing the positive impacts of your diet on social media, buying from your favorite cruelty-free food and wellness brands, and patronizing local vegan restaurants. And while we might not all have millions of followers on Instagram or media opportunities as platforms, I think we can all agree that if we inspire even one person to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy, that's a huge success.