The growth of the plant-based milk alternative category has caused dairy milk producers to steer consumers back to cow milk, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The plant-based milk industry has grown 48 percent since 2018; however, its growth has slowed in the past year, according to the article. When considering the size of both markets, dairy milk still reigns supreme, due to widespread use. Dairy milk had $15.8 billion in sales last year compared to $2.5 billion from plant-based milk, according to market research firm Circana.
The fight for market share has caused milk producers to lobby to remove “milk” from the labels of plant-based products. They argue that a product cannot be considered milk unless it comes from a lactating animal.
The FDA proposed last year that plant-based beverages could still be called milk but should also carry labels to explain how they differ nutritionally from cow milk.
Both dairy milk and dairy-alternative companies have also recently turned to marketing to garner support.
In a pro-dairy milk advertisement with actress Queen Latifah, she offers support for victims of “milk shaming.”
“Milk. Most Americans have tried it at least once,” the actress says during the video, holding a glass of milk. “But recently, dairy deniers all over America are subjecting them to milk shaming.” The advertisement showed that it is okay to continue to enjoy and drink dairy milk, despite the breadth of alternatives and perceived negative connotations.
On the other end are brands like Califia Farms that used the Cookie Monster, a Sesame Street Muppet, in an ad. The character substituted dairy milk for almond milk in a bowl of cereal and endorsed the modification. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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