From Oat So Relatable to Spoiled Milk
Oatly? Oat-who?
Oatly produces sustainable alternatives to dairy products, using oats. Founded in Sweden, Oatly was one of the first producers of oat milk in the 1990s. Thanks to rebranding in the 2010s and the surge in the popularity of plant-based diets, Oatly’s revenue boomed, and so did its appeal to investors especially after entry to the stock market.
#1 Oatmilk Brand by Market Share in the Americas, United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden
Advertisements
So, how did they get here?
Alongside strong physical branding, Oatly released a series of adverts which strongly aligned with vegan ideology, such as Wow No Cow from the Toni TV campaign, and the entirety of the (later partially banned) Help Dad campaign. Help Dad adverts had a storyline which centred around lightly shaming ‘Dad’ for still drinking cow’s milk, framing the consummation of the product to be hidden in the way an addiction would be, since it is meant for baby cows. This strongly aligns with some of the ideas behind a vegan lifestyle.
Persona
Oatly also launched an Instagram, and Twitter as well as regional Twitter and Facebook accounts, frequently interacting and expressing love for their fans who may have been drawn in via advertising or branding. They would specifically share their love for vegans, and those following plant-based diets. They used inclusive language, to make Oatly consumers feel like they belonged.
Alongside the support for vegans and plant-based fans, Oatly also introduced activist imagery and culture, such as the use of public sticker-style magnets and slogans. One slogan in particular which became popular for Oatly…
The posts from Oatly leaned into their new engaging persona, and started to closely resemble a feed you may find belonging to one of your subtle vegan activist or eco-conscious buddies, but with more product placement. Many social posts mirrored each other across sites, sharing concerns for the environment and sustainability.
Social Downfall
However, Oatly’s online parasocial relationship, started to spoil.
The first notable turn was spearheaded what was otherwise seen as amazing growth, by the roughly $200 million investment from global investment business, Blackstone. Blackstone have been accused of holding responsibility for deforestation in the Amazon, and criticised for the CEO’s previous support of the Trump campaign.
Next to clash with their persona, was a lost trade mark infringement claim from Oatly, where they accused small family business Glebe Farm of “passing off” their product as Oatly’s. Once again, their Facebook comments were flooded with criticism, where followers viewed Oatly as bullies.
More recently, a post glorifying part-time veganism received further significant backlash.
For veganism is not just a plant-based diet, it is a lifestyle. Many Ethical vegans but also environmentalists, feel strongly about ensuring every product they consume meets their requirements, conducting research into the practices of the companies they purchase from.
These followers would’ve previously been attracted to Oatly’s persona, but will call out unwelcome actions.
Clearly Oatly pivoted to appeal to the larger omnivorous and flexitarian markets, risking the alienation of their ethical vegan and plant-based followers in the process.
In the words of jeezy27:
