Marketing & Social Media

How the Internet has made the vegan lifestyle more accessible

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Via the Internet we have access to a plethora of information at a moment’s notice.  In essence, this makes everything easier - from gaining extra math help to learning about the latest celebrity breakups. In today’s technological world, online encyclopedias, such as Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org/), have taken the place of more traditional information sources, like the Encyclopedia Britannica. Just turn on a computer near you, fire up your favourite web browser and a world of information awaits. No matter how niche the market, or how obscure the item/idea you are researching, you will find it via Google. These days, it’s difficult to imagine what the world was like before the World Wide Web. It has made the world a smaller place, helped us to create networks we never would have had access to before, and opened up a whole new and varied marketplace. The Internet has become a source for people searching for lifestyle changes or different cultural aspects of existence.  For the vegan movement, the effect of this change is immeasurable. Because with this burst of new and free information, the vegan lifestyle has become much more accessible to people.  

What is a vegan, anyway? 

For starters, the Internet has raised awareness about what a vegan is, and what veganism means.  Before the Internet existed, people had to research their interests in hard copies of books, newspapers and journals.  This took time, and perhaps more importantly, a deep and sincere desire to initiate the research.  Now, search engines can provide any answer with the click of a button.  Open door number one: when information is easier to find, more people will find it.  Now, anyone who is the slightest bit interested can explore the benefits of a vegan lifestyle with ease. 

Is casein vegan? 

The Internet has also made it easy to find out what you can and cannot eat as a vegan. Dietary restrictions and substitutions can be found on many vegan-friendly websites.  Baking a vegan cake is as simple as opening a Betty Crocker cookbook; just find a recipe online for a vegan cake and follow the steps.  Finding out specific ingredients that are used in foods without a label is made possible (and easy!) by the Internet. Need some cooking ideas or tips? There are scads of delicious and healthy vegan recipes posted on blogs and websites every day! If you have access to the Internet, there is no excuse for not knowing (or learning) how to cook a vegan meal.   

Let’s go shopping! 

In the same way cooking is easier because of the Internet, so is grocery shopping.  There are sites that are uniformly created to help people shop for food on a vegan diet.  There are similar sites that are set up to help tell the difference between organic and non-organic produce, as well as what secret non-vegan ingredients are snuck into items at the last minute. 

Vegan shopping sites, like Vegan Essentials, have also made being vegan a lot easier. Even if you live in a town or city that does not boast one vegan store, you can find vegan items by shopping online. From a business owner’s perspective, the increased exposure that the Internet provides to the global marketplace has made it possible and more lucrative to set up shop – anywhere – as a vegan business owner. 

Watch your garden grow 

Want to be certain about where your food is coming from? With local food movements an increasing number of people are looking to grow their own fruits and vegetables these days. But if you’re not a gardener already, where to start? Well, the Internet of course. All the information you could ever need about gardening can be easily found by a few hours of online searching.  Now all the secrets to magical soil and healthy vegetable and fruit gardens are yours to discover! 

Growing awareness for compassion 

The ugly truth about animal cruelty and abuse has become more widely known because of online technology. The web is a great disseminator of information – it not only allows us to find information easily, but it allows us to share it quickly and widely.  Because of videos and photographs that have been shared via the Internet, information about factory farming, animal cruelty and many other issues to do with health, compassion and the environment have been brought to the attention of the general public.  This has affected the vegetarian and vegan movements across the globe, and directly relates to the purpose and existence of veganism.  

The world is an ever-changing canvas, as are vegan campaigns and efforts.  As new technologies and strategies emerge, the Internet helps to raise awareness for them.  New and veteran vegans can investigate relevant projects online, or get involved in organizations or programs that are working toward a particular goal that speaks to their heart. Information is a powerful thing, and with it comes expandable education.  People never stop learning, and the Internet is helping new generations to be more astute and passionate by tapping into the world’s knowledge bank.

Ten Dangers of Commercializing Non-Profits

Non-profits and their causes are created out of the existence of a problem in need of a solution, usually political or cultural in nature. Veganism is a cause that has developed because of animal cruelty and oppression. Vegan non-profits seek to educate people about the issues, without focusing on giving back to the organization with profits. Herein lies a dangerous grey zone. When followers of a cause increase, demands on organizational resources increase, and eventually some form of business model is needed to reach out to growing numbers of members. But there is a fine line between successful promotion/expansion of a cause and commercialization. Below are ten dangers I’ve chosen to highlight. You may agree, disagree or find this list isn’t inclusive, so feel free to leave comments below.

1. Cannibalizing other causes. I recently wrote a blog post about PETA’s advertising and how, in this particular campaign, their strategy has taken the focus away from animal rights and put it on Pamela Anderson’s body. The commentary surrounding this “edgy” ad has been redirected to whether or not women’s rights are in question. Commercializing animal rights as PETA has done has possibly led to the cannibalization of one cause for another. Women’s rights for animal rights. People shouldn’t have to choose one belief; polarization occurs when too much effort is put into being progressive instead of targeting the true message. Amnesty International is another cause-related organization known for over-the-top advertising. You decide if Amnesty compromises the human rights plight for something else entirely.

2.Wishy-washy messaging. The opposite of the PETA approach is to avoid targeting anybody in hopes of achieving the highest mass audience. An attempt to reach “everyone” by not taking a strong stance could water down the message you are trying to send about the animal rights cause. Trying to reach the masses with bland promotions leaves the message too broad; it doesn’t convince anyone of the urgency in the issues you’re peddling. It won’t strike an emotional cord, leaving inaction as the best possible choice.

3. All About the Benjamins. Following the lead of high-profile corporations by getting bogged down with the bottom line is the quickest way to become a for-profit. If all your strategizing and creativity funnels into the “books” and staying afloat - i.e into efforts that pull in more revenue - before you know it, the friendly grassroots organization you once were could be a fond memory. Corporate sponsorship can also ruin non-profit ideas by having too much influence on the decision making.

4. False Idols. Copying non-vegan culture in advertising is tricky. The practice of following standard marketing prototype needs to be monitored and evaluated constantly or you may end up projecting false images. Your organization won’t want to nurture a negative/unattainable ideal related to envy or appearances, or encourage a lifestyle of materialism by trying to compete with the top brands of today.

5. Consumption. Turning animal rights into an excuse for consumption, mass production, and capitalism could lead your company to an output of lowered environmental sustainability (in the production of your vegan goods). The idea – which is healthier for us, the animals, and the world in general - is to consume less, and to consume more ethically; it’s important not to lose sight of that.

6. Legislation. Although it can be very helpful to the vegan cause to get politicians involved, it is wise to step cautiously in this arena. Commercialism can deter politicians/lawmakers if there is any association with advertising scandals or radicalism that may have the potential to hinder re-election. We want to change legislation, not get tied up in red tape.

7. Values. The Media Awareness Network (from Canada) says that “Commercialism may erode values – such as sharing, co-operation, and frugality – fostered by families, religious institutions, and schools.” Costs, especially commercial costs, get in the way of charitable aspects which could dissolve community outreach efforts, ties to co-ops, neighborhood relationships and educational endeavors. The effects of a decrease in charity range from cannibalizing other sister-organizations, owing favors to corporations and losing sense of the original cause for which your non-profit was founded.

8. Too evangelical. With a lot of power and a big name, an organization will fall hard if they can’t keep up. A vegan organization should be careful not to imply that veganism will end all troubles, which can happen in lofty advertising messages. All eyes will be on your name for the key to weight loss, finding a spouse or becoming an overall happier person. If you preach large, your organization will be expected to deliver.

9. Erosion of artistic freedom. Mass targeting leaves no room for tailored messages as mentioned above, and by commercializing the vegan lifestyle you could leave the impression that it is a one-size-fits-all program. In reality, beliefs and practices are (and should be) different for each person. Veganism isn’t as simple as one-two-three. Artistic freedom to express the multifaceted nature of veganism goes out the door when deadlines and budgets become gods.

10. Elitism. Advertising emphasizes a sort of elitism and encourages capitalism. In combination with all the dangers listed above, a vegan organization that capitalizes on the commercialization of their cause will leave in the dust all but a small circle of well-knowns and have-it-alls. And then who will spread the word on behalf of animal welfare if they want to keep their tight circle closed?

TALK TO US: Now’s the time to chime in. What do you agree with? What do you disagree with? What is left out?

Interview: Young Filmmaker Nadia Masoudi Takes Action for Animals

Photo courtesy of Nadia Masoudi.

No one is too young to make a big change in the world. Filmmaker and animal activist Nadia Masoudi has been proving that for a long time. Masoudi started as an early teen and now, at 18 years old, she is anticipating her first animal rights documentary, which is set to release in the summer of 2011. Through her compassion for animals and filmmaking talents, she is beginning on her journey to bring about positive change in the world. Vegan Mainstream recently had the chance to sit down and talk to her about her efforts.

Vegan Mainstream: Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you became vegetarian at the young age of 12.

Nadia Masoudi: …I am an animal rights activist and the filmmaker of the upcoming documentary film “Don’t Eat Me.” I became a vegetarian at the age of 12. Before then I was always contemplating being vegetarian, [it] was something I did on and off again…Me and my dad always saved a lot of [animals]. For example, if there was a spider in our  house, we would set it free as opposed to crushing it. Or if we found a turtle in the middle of the road, we would bring him to a forest or pond area. So I’ve always loved animals and not until I was 12 years old did it really hit me that being vegetarian was something that I needed to do if I really loved animals.

Also, I  had a bad experience when I was with my dad. We went to the store and we picked up…some ribs - I wasn’t eating red meat then but he was. He asked me to go and get them a couple days later from the freezer, and it was the most disgusting sight I’ve ever seen. The ribs resembled human flesh so much, and it just grossed us out so badly that it turned me off completely from all meat…I became vegetarian that day and so did my dad…

VM: What prompted you to transition to a vegan at the age of 16?

NM: …I never really ate or drank milk or ate eggs or dairy products — I wasn’t big on them. But I would eat stuff like cake that had milk and egg products in them. [Then] at the age of 16, I learned more about dairy cows and egg-laying hens and what they actually undergo. [I learned that] eating dairy products and egg products [contributes] to the slaughtering of them, as well as to factory farming. I learned about how they live in horrendous living conditions, and they’re injected with hormones that are bad for the animals as well [for] us. It’s something that I didn’t want to partake in anymore, so I became vegan at that age.

VM: What is the main vision behind Animal Freedom Day (July 24)? How successful was it this year? What are your hopes for next year (July 23-24, 2011)?

NM: …We created it to try to promote our cause further, and it’s also the climax of the film “Don’t Eat Me”. With Animal Freedom Day, there is a whole concept behind it of how we can bring about a vegan world. [During the] first year of Animal Freedom Day, we asked everyone to go vegan for one day. In the second year [we will ask people to go vegan for] two days, third year three days and so on. So, by the year 2375, we hope that the world will be fully vegan, since [we] would have gone a full year of being vegan. I know it’s way out there in the future, and I would obviously love for the world to be vegan sooner, but it’s a set time that we’ve put out there so we at least have somewhat of a goal to accomplish by that time. We have different goals around how you can help animals and help yourself, help world hunger and the environment — it’s all part of Animal Freedom Day.

This year it was very successful, I think, for the first year. It’s the year we’ve launched it and it got a lot of media attention. A lot of people became members even on the Facebook page and the social media pages for it. There’s a lot of people attending and liking it and following it, etc. I’d say in total we had over 500 different members for the first year, and I was really impressed with that, and a lot of people did watch it online too. It was a success for the first year. We worked hard at it, so I’m glad it paid off.

For next year, as I mentioned, it’s going to be two days. And next year also we’re planning, hopefully, to release the film “Don’t Eat Me” on Animal Freedom Day… But until then, I have lots of plans.

We are releasing a new campaign. It’s been linked with the Veg Pledge, which is what Animal Freedom Day promotes, and it’s called “What’s Up Doc?”. I’m going to be [approaching] different, more political people and asking them to take the Veg Pledge for one day. In doing so, they have to go vegan for one day and try to promote it to their city, town or country to do the same thing. The whole “What’s Up Doc?” — it’s a carrot that they take, which signifies that they’ve taken the Veg Pledge…We already have a few political persons behind us, and now we’re reaching out to more. I’m trying to reach out now to [Canada's Prime Minister] Stephen Harper to try to get him to take it, as well as the Queen, and hopefully either Michelle or Barack Obama. And eventually I’m planning to go to the United Nations and get them to take the Veg Pledge. All we’re asking is just one day to promote veganism…

VM: Who are some of your celebrity supporters?

NM: …We started off very small contacting Karen Dawn, she’s the author of “Thanking the Monkey“, and that book was really inspirational to me. So I asked her if she’d come on board and give an interview for “Don’t Eat Me,” and she was very interested. So from there, I had her support, and I contacted more people, and I started building up more and more.

Then I thought, ‘it’s time to reach out to the celebrities now, because they would definitely help to get this movie more attention’.  So I reached out to their agents, and I provided them with the synopsis, the intent of the film, what I planned to do with it when it’s released, and how I would need their help. A lot of celebrities were actually very intrigued by it, and they thought it was a great idea and they wanted to help out. Either they helped out with supporting it or providing us with an interview or even a voice over for one of the animal characters  for the story part of the film, “Don’t Eat Me.”

VM: What can people expect from your upcoming film “Don’t Eat Me”?

Photo courtesy of Nadia Masoudi.

NM: They can expect a very unique documentary, a lot different than all of the other animal rights and vegan documentaries, in my opinion. It doesn’t just show the negative side of everything. It shows the positive side… I want to show that, you know what, I used to eat meat too. We all once did, and if not, that’s great, but I’m sure most of us did. So I want to show that there are alternatives, there’s solution and a way to help the world and to help the animals.

It’s very unique, because people can expect a story from it…We went to South America and filmed tons of footage of animals. Each of those animals has a different story, and a personality and characteristics. A lot of them are voiced by some of the celebrities that we have on board. Each story kind of segues into an interview that I’ve conducted with different people from around the world. So it’s a very unique documentary, and it’s going to be very emotional — it’s going to make people laugh, cry, feel angry — all of those types of feelings it will hopefully bring about.

VM: How can people get more involved and improve the welfare of all living creatures? Tell us about your 10 guidelines.

Photo courtesy of Nadia Masoudi.

NM: [First, what] I would tell people about how to get involved is to go vegan. I think that’s the most important thing you can do to help yourself, the animals, the environment, world hunger and all of those things - is to go vegan…

But going vegan is not just about your diet – it goes with all of the other guidelines. It goes with not wearing animal clothing or using products that were tested on animals. People have to be more conscientious and start reading the labels of what they’re buying and just make an effort to try to better your own life and the lives of the animals.

One of our other guidelines is that we’re trying to pass legislation to [ban] advertisements of raw flesh and meat appearances. So to help us with that, we need more people to sign up. I encourage people also to go to Animal Freedom Day’s website and sign up and become a member…that’s one step forward to a vegan lifestyle.

VM: For those people who can’t seem to go fully vegetarian or vegan, what is your advice to them?

Photo courtesy of Nadia Masoudi.

NM: My advice to them is that everything takes time. For some people, it’s a lot quicker than others…everyone is different. So [my advice is to] take it one step at a time – even if you want [to take] one month to cut out all red meat, and then the next month chicken, and the next month fish, and the next month seafood, and then dairy and eggs. Hopefully by then, you can adapt to a vegan lifestyle. If not, I encourage people at least to follow Animal Freedom Day, and to be a part of it, because all we asked this year is one day and next year is two days. That’ s something that anyone can accomplish.

VM: How do you use social media outlets to spread the word about your cause?

NM: We are on Facebook right now, both Animal Freedom Day and “Don’t Eat Me.” “Don’t Eat Me” also has a Twitter page, so I encourage my friends and family to help out and support it. From there, it’s kind of like we pay it forward. I ask them, and then I ask them to ask their people and they do the same. It just gets bigger and bigger. With the media helping out and getting involved, that’s really been helping it spread even more. It’s getting there, it’s definitely growing.

Check out Animal Freedom Day on Facebook and “Don’t Eat Me” on Twitter.

Masoudi is an ambitious 18-year-old woman. Along with launching Animal Freedom Day and debuting her upcoming film, she incorporates her beliefs and passions into her personal life. Her cats Pink (orange cat) and Floyd (black cat) are lucky to have a responsible owner who is working hard to help the world transition to veganism.

Connecting Your Vegan Business to Your Community

Businesses are an important part of any community.  To a large extent they demonstrate the true local culture.  For example, New York City is saturated with local mom-and-pop shops, as well as major Fortune 500 companies, representing a wildly diverse population with a high-speed lifestyle.  Los Angeles maintains high-end fashion boutiques and public relation firms to represent the high-society lifestyle that is associated with the city.  The heart of smaller towns can often be found in local soul-kitchen restaurants.  No matter the size of the town or city, each is represented by its businesses. For this reason it is highly advisable for businesses to get involved with their townies.  Here are ten ways vegan businesses can get active in their communities:

1.  Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to update the public about your business.  Newsletters can also help unite your business with the local community, by publishing community activities as well as specialty vegan news. 

2.  Store Parties, Why Not Invite the Locals?

Whether your vegan business is a retail store, a restaurant or a marketing company, you can always have social gatherings at your place of work.  Make it public knowledge that (for example) once a month your store has free coffee and a pancake breakfast for customers – or fresh free lemonade breaks every Thursday for an hour.  Customers love to get involved with local businesses, and this is an easy way to make that happen.

3.  Home Grown Food Extravaganzas

Growing your own garden can be gratifying, as well as appetizing!  There are endless benefits of home grown food, so if it fits with your business (eg. a vegan restaurant), why not participate in teaching people how to grow their own gardens, and educating them about the advantages of local food? 

4.  Support Community Events

Get your employees involved in community events.  Local activities or special attractions are overlooked regularly; try to get your staff involved with farmers markets or street fairs that are happening in your community.  This can get your business name out there as well as help you to tune in to your customers’ needs.

5.  Get Active with the Local College

Colleges are great vessels for activity; they have constant art shows, student- and community-project-based contests, so if there’s a way for you to support/get involved with your local college, tap that resource.  This is a good way to find potential employees too.  Universities have a plethora of young bright minds eager to join the work force and change the world; this could be exactly what your business needs.  Keep an eye and ear out for special productions that are occurring at your local college campuses and see how you can get involved. 

6.  Get Politically Involved

Local city governments sometimes give the impression of being impervious and unreceptive.  However, attending local government meetings will help you gain familiarity with local political news, and show that you are interested in your community as a whole. Getting involved in general elections and showing up at city council meetings can have a great impact on your businesses relationship with the community.

7.  Support City Cleanups

City cleanups are not only important to the environment and our welfare, they are a great way to demonstrate that you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work for the benefit of the community. So sign up for the clean up and get your employees involved if you can (be sure to offer some kind of incentive) - it’s also a great team-building experience! 

8.  Recipe of the Week

Advertising a special vegan recipe of the week could be a good way to connect with your community, especially if your business is food oriented. Give the recipe out to interested customers – you may even entice a few non-vegans in to take a peek at your business if you make it appealing enough!

9.  School Fundraisers

Elementary and middle schools are infamous for throwing bake sales.  Why not volunteer your business to raise money for a local school with a vegan bake sale?  You’ll raise awareness about veganism, and with the current school budget, local education systems can use all the money they can get.  Try raising money for new books or new computers for classrooms.  Every little bit will help.

10.  Advocate for Ecovillages

Ecovillages are communities that aspire, as a whole, to become more sustainable.  This is a perfect fit for any vegan business.  Even if you aren’t a part of a specified ecovillage, you can always encourage community members and locals to become more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable.  Spreading the news of fossil fuels and factory farming can help locals become more aware of the environment and how they can protect it.

How you get involved in your community will depend on what is happening in your community. Get out there, talk to people, keep your ear to the ground and your finger on the pulse of the community. Once in a while hold a brainstorming session with employees and/or friends for unique and innovative ideas about how you can engage the community with your business. Keep it small and keep it friendly. It will benefit not only the community, but your business as well!

Summer Vegan-Friendly Business Promotions

Whew, it’s hot! I don’t know about your customers, but mine (kids and their parents) are chillin’ poolside, going on vacation, and planning for autumn. As an author/publisher, what are the business promotions I use to reach them?

1. Go where they are.
   

   Lisa at a Book Fair

   While I didn’t have a booth at any vegan, vegetarian, or other fairs this summer, I have in the past. What I did do this summer is offer my books at special rates to various homeschooling gatherings (since my main characters are homeschoolers). I reached out to the coordinators well in advance, asked them to spread the word, collected one bulk order, and shipped the discounted books directly to the coordinator (or to the conference itself). This worked out nicely for all! At the fairs and conferences I do attend, I’m always sure to give out vegan goodies. A current popular one is organic lollipops.

2. Give them things that will help them in their lives.
   

   Flat Aidan from Wright on Time books

   Parents love for their kids to have activities while traveling on vacation. I have a handful of fun printable coloring pages on my site, including a “Flat Aidan and Flat Nadia”–these are much like the popular Flat Stanleys. Kids print them, color them, and then take them on their summer vacations. I’m starting a business promotion with the release of my third book, Wright on Time: Wyoming, where the first kid from each of the U.S. states to send in a photograph of themselves in a state will receive a coupon for 50% off their next order. I’m very excited about this!

3. Appeal to their desire to “go green”.

Also with the release of my third book, I’m having trees planted. Each book purchased through my website in the months of June, July, and August is resulting in a new tree!

1. 4. Offer your services in new and unique ways.

Teagan with the book she made at my Creative Writing Camps

This past summer, I saw that many kids were wanting something extra to do. So, I offered Summer Creative Writing Camps. With these camps, I reached new readers, discovered a new editor for my independent publishing company, and, most of all, had a really fun time! Never discount fun, it’s what inspires everything! I’ve been shocked at all the new ideas these camps have given me!

5. Get personal! Over the summer, I’ve had a variety of interviews (including a news report). In each, I’ve opened up more and more and have told people about my life. I’ve discovered that my customers, and future authors, really love this. Whenever I read about a business owner and how they got started, it makes me feel more connected to that business. Open up. Put a bio on your company’s website.

Reach out to your customers. Get to know them. Find out where they are, what they are doing, and what their desires are. Once you reach them through a few successful business promotions, they’ll be happy to become fans of your company!

What can you do today to further your company, fuel your passion for your business and vegan outreach, and have fun? Pick ONE thing and DO IT! Nothing is too small. You never know who you are affecting by what you say, do, and wear.

What Do Pamela Anderson’s Lady Parts Have To Do With Me?

Banned PETA Ad with Pamela Anderson. Photo credit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Sex sells. We’ve all heard this adage, maybe more frequently now thanks to the Mad Men series on AMC. Scantily-clad models adorn everything from billboards to commercials to soda bottles - and if you think America is explicit, try traveling outside our borders. Other countries like Brazil are much more open to racey advertising. And what’s so wrong with that?

In my opinion, there is an important difference between expressing oneself in a way that exudes confidence, i.e. dressing in a way that makes one feel sexy, and perpetuating an image of submissive women who need to fit an ideal body type to be accepted socially. (The same goes for men).

Pamela Anderson’s new campaign with PETA has gotten some mixed reviews in publications around the world. And PETA is no stranger to less than stellar press for radical protest tactics. Hey, all press is good press, right?  Maybe not. Montreal banned the ad (shown) and labeled it “sexist”, right before it was pegged to be unveiled. This might be taking a more puritanical approach, but do they have a point?  Ms. Anderson has this to say:

“In a city that is known for it’s exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest. In some parts of the world women are forced to cover their whole bodies with burqas- is that next?”

I’d like to point something out. Nowhere in this media controversy are animal rights mentioned. The “progressive and edgy” advertisement has distracted, not focused, the media’s attention on the real issue at hand. PETA and other similar organizations may need to look further than the “all press is good press” concept for the main fact that it is only applicable to celebrities and brands who just want citizens talking about them. But in order to get people to support - or at least not despise - the vegan cause, these extreme tactics are not working – they are in fact the fastest way to alienate potential converts. The animal rights movement is supposed to be about empathy, not shock value. It’s not “progressive” to trade one cause (animal rights) at the expense of another (women’s rights). Do you think a person attracted to Pamela Anderson is going to drop their meat-eating ways just because she drops her pants (and everything else), or is it just more material for the ole’ spank bank?

PETA’s imagery in ads take on the personification of a “mainstream” and oftentimes god-like body image in association with a vegan lifestyle/diet. It’s a dangerous game to associate unattainable body images with any sort of lifestyle that has an already restrictive diet at its core, regardless of the good intentions behind it. In a world where obesity is at an all-time high, and highly reported on, there is a quiet problem still lurking:

• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)   Source: http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm

These may be the new associations with hot models–girls “going veg” and thinking that “only if I stop eating meat/dairy can I be good looking enough to be like Pamela Anderson.” That is not at all in line with the values of a vegan lifestyle. Perpetuating unhealthy eating habits for the sake of social acceptance goes against the holistic approach that should be the promotional tool to attract new vegans. It’s not just a diet, it’s a way to cleanse the body and feel better about your footprint on the earth. And it’s a liaison to giving up all animal products for human consumption, which would be lost on the person struggling to be a size 2 to make it onto the cover of a magazine.

I’m not professing that all people who go vegetarian based on extreme advertising would do so for the wrong reasons. I’m not saying all people with eating disorders do so out of conscious decisions based on advertising. And I’m not saying progressive advertising is unnecessary to reach a new demographic. I disagree with PETA’s choice of advertising methods because their campaigns contradict certain vegan values in order to be edgy and shocking, and they exploit the mainstream ideals of beauty that women in America deal with daily. I don’t advocate the ban of these ads or any others, but I do suggest a change in strategy. Just think about the implications.

TALK TO US:  Does using sexy women (or men) to advertise a cause cheapen the issue or is it a good marketing tool to help reach the masses? Does a movement like animal welfare need to be associated with sexual images of models and celebrities in order to make Main Street feel compassion? Should vegan businesses hold themselves to a higher standard than beer brands and men’s cologne?

Top Five Online Tools for Vegan Businesses

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We are all currently living and interacting with the “Information Boom” that has erupted since personal computers became attainable.  Since then, people have had access to email exchanges and a plethora of information from search engine sites such as Yahoo and Google.  The Internet has also created a great amount of success for businesses.  With anything imaginable at your company’s fingertips (literally with a keyboard), the possibilities are endless.  There is prospective growth, potential for new target audiences, and the ability to increase networking contacts.  Here are five online tools for vegan businesses that you won’t want to miss out on:

1.  Prominent Vegan Blogging Websites

Websites that are regularly updated by high profile vegans are great tools for keeping your finger on the pulse of the vegan community.  Examples such as Alicia Silverstone’s www.thekindlife.com, www.susannichole.com  and www.veganmainstream.com are great sources.  When vegan businesses stay up-to-date with the desires of their targeted community, growth and prosperity are likely to follow.

2.  Social Media Websites

Social Media websites such as Twitter (http://twitter.com/), Facebook (www.facebook.com), LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/) and MySpace (www.myspace.com) can help launch or advance your vegan business.  These sites are specifically set up for people to create and maintain relationships.  These relationships are not only with friends, but can also be used for business purposes. Social media sites are a great way to stay in touch with your customers, and get to know them on a personal level, and they can be used for multiple purposes, such as keeping customers updated about special events or promotions you are hosting.  If you can get your business name out and advertised on these social media websites, the networking possibilities are endless!

3.  Online Reviews

When people are looking up your vegan coffee shop or retail store online, it’s inevitable that customer reviews will pop up.  Ideally you would like all of these to be positive, but either way, it’s definitely to your advantage to be aware of what is being said about your vegan business.  Besides getting the chance to respond and letting your customers know that you care, keeping on top of reviews will indicate to you if change is needed, or if praise should be welcomed in certain areas.  Remember you never want to fall out of touch with your consumers.

4.  Craigslist

Craigslist (www.craigslist.org)  is a great way for people to show their classified advertisements online.  It is a centralized networking space for communities based on location and other forums.  This is a great tool for your business regarding hiring employees, finding office furniture, or even discussing what the local vegans are talking about under their “vegan” discussion forum.

5.  Quickbooks Online

Every business requires capital – some means of funding that can either get your business off the ground, or essential profit required for staying afloat.  Every strong, organized business has a way of maintaining their income and outcome, and now Quickbooks has made it easy for you online.  With a touch of a button (as well as a small fee) your business can have Quickbooks to update your accounting department (http://quickbooksonline.intuit.com/).

These are just five of many great online tools that you can tap into as a vegan business owner. Stay tuned to this website for more tips and advice on tools and more for your vegan business.

TALK TO US:
Are you a vegan business owner with a great tool to share? Let us know…post it here! Or do you have a specific need, and haven’t found a tool that you love yet? Let us know…our readership may be able to point you in the right direction…

Techie websites invaluable for vegan business owners

You have quit your day job and built your dream vegan business from the bottom-up. All the start-up business basics are covered–inventory, accounting reports, employees and sales plans. However, if the word blog sounds like another language to you, tweet brings to mind the morning chorus sung outside your window by yellow finches, and you assume ‘facebook friends’ refers to a special book club, you may need some technology tips to get your vegan business out into the virtual marketplace. Luckily, the Internet provides an abundance of free (or almost free) advice, services and programs for business entrepreneurs.

1. Lynda.com

Created by Lynda Weinman, a well-known web design author, Lynda.com provides online software training tutorials. The site offers more than 800 online training courses in a wide variety of software, including web design programs, video editing programs, print design programs, spreadsheet programs, and online social media outlets. The tutorial videos provide the convenience of pause and rewind buttons. They also allow you to see the software interface on their screen as you are walked through the project steps by experts in the field. A subscription to the unlimited tutorials is $25/month or $250/year. Also valuable for small companies, Lynda.com provides training resources for new hires or current employees being trained on new software.

2. WordPress

If you have not heard of WordPress, you are not a blogger. WordPress seems to have recently taken over the blogging world. It is a free web-based software program that allows individuals to easily build and maintain their own blog or small website. The program has likely gained so much popularity because of its ease of use, open-source structure and commitment to two-way communication between the blogger and the reader. WordPress is essentially a Content Management System, meaning the website owner may change the word, pictures and layout without knowing web design code or specific web publisher programs. WordPress blogs provide great exposure for individuals who want to be seen as an expert in their field, are looking to promote a product or service, or just want to rave about great vegan products.

3. Google Analytics

Regardless of whether you hired a professional web designer, created a website in Google Sites, or used WordPress, registering your website with Google Analytics is a great way to track your website hits and return on investment. It is a free service and takes only a few minutes to set up. Once it’s ready to go, Google Analytics tracks and provides reports for the website owner on the number of unique website hits, returning visitors, average time spent on site, visitor location and popular dates. For e-commerce sites, Google Analytics can get more in-depth to provide campaign and return on investment reports.

4. Google AdWords allows you to target a specific audience by creating ads that link to a website or landing page. You choose what keywords you would like the ads to show up for, and your ads are displayed along with search results when a user searches Google using the specified keywords. A variety of parameters may be set, for example, to make ads only appear to individuals in certain geographic areas or time zones. Google Adwords is a powerful tool that is worth doing some research into before you start spending money – it can get expensive, quickly! Nevertheless, used properly it can help to drive very targeted traffic to your vegan business website or blog, and has the potential to increase sales if used well.

Blogging for Vegan Business…Part I

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let’s face it. As a vegan business owner, you are BUSY. You have dipped your toes into the world of technology – you have a website and a blog, and you may even have several social media accounts. But are you making time to maintain all of these things? And if you’re not, are you doing your business more damage than good?

Well, we’ve opened a big can of worms. Let’s narrow things down a bit and talk about blogs. It takes a lot of work to build and maintain a really good blog that will bring benefit to your business. If you do it right, it can elevate your business’ online presence, and become a valuable way for you to communicate with your current customer base – as well as attract the interest of new customers, partners, providers, etc. But if you do it wrong, you’ll be pouring your precious time down the toilet. Blogging is not something that you can do by halves. It’s all or nothing baby!

Set up a posting schedule

If you are serious about your blog, and you want to make it work for you, it’s crucial that you set up a posting schedule and stick to it. This doesn’t mean that you have to do all the posting yourself – it’s a great idea to invite guest bloggers to write, and give your readers a fresh voice once in a while. If you’re not a writer, or you don’t have time to doing the writing yourself, hire someone to do the writing and/or management for you. The worst mistake you can make is thinking – oh, I’ll get to that eventually. It ain’t gonna happen, and we both know it.

Plan your posts

A little bit of planning goes a long way when it comes to a blog. Think a month ahead, and jot down ideas as they come to you. Think about what your customers are interested in. Do you sell vegan shoes? Why not blog about what’s hot in vegan fashion this season and invite your readers to tell you what they are most excited about right now (this type of information can also be handy for you as market research). Do you run a vegan restaurant? Why not write a series of articles featuring local foods, and what you can do with them in your kitchen? If you put out some awesome vegan recipes, you can guarantee that people will want to come in and check out what you have to offer for eats. http://urbanvegan.net/ is a good example of this. Note the regular posting schedule, a shared recipe to interest you in the cookbook, and other general, interesting foodie info.

Don’t make it all about you

Your blog is a place where you can get your name out there, but it’s a soft, long-term sell. In order to attract faithful readers, you need to provide INTERESTING, USEFUL content that attracts your niche audience, but doesn’t constantly try to sell your product/service. It’s a fine balance you’re looking for here…a blog can be a great place to spread the word about upcoming events or new products – but if it’s all PR, your readers will quickly tire of the content. You have expertise – don’t be afraid to share it! Your readers just might think…hey, this person really knows what he/she is talking about – I’m going to look into this further.

And that’s how the perfect business blog works. Really? It’s that simple? No…there’s a bit more to it, but that’s good advice to start with. Watch for Blogging for Vegan Business: Part II in the weeks to come…

Emma Levez Larocque is the blog editor and manager for Vegan Mainstream. Watch for more tips and info on vegan business and blogging at www.veganmainstream.com/veganblog…we post daily! Questions? Contact Emma at editor@veganmainstream.com.

Top 10 Vegan Stereotype Myths

In my recent travels to the Los Angeles area, I noticed something striking. The vegan restaurants that screamed “crunchy vegan” didn’t have nearly as many customers as the “mainstream vegan” stores. Wonder why? I think it’s the myths surrounding veganism.

If your vegan-friendly shop or restaurant caters to these myths, you might consider trying to break a few. Your sales just might enjoy the increase in activity!