Supply and demand. For as long as money has been exchanged for goods & services, supply and demand have existed. And for as long as supply and demand have been around, marketing has been intricately connected to this. Whether it’s marketing that influences demand or marketing catering to supply, they’re intertwined. One example, and a big one at that, is Disney and their new plant-based menu.
The Marketing
Marketing has been a huge driving force behind the spread of plant-based menus. Think back to a few years ago – you had to really search for plant-based options. Now they’re popping up everywhere. From Dunkin’ Donuts all the way to Disney’s parks. So let’s take a look at the marketing leading up to this. One of the earliest brands to see this gap and incorporate plant-based options was Carl’s Jr. Instantly, their marketing latched onto this traction. In fact, one of the commercials they produced was released during the Super Bowl. This was, by the way, the first Super Bowl commercial promoting plant-based burgers.
The Demand
All-in-all, that Super Bowl commercial was just the tip of Carl’s Jr.’s marketing initiatives involving their Beyond Meat burger. Almost immediately, the fact that they were offering a plant-based fast food option was at the top of headlines across the Internet. Seeing the traction that this got Carl’s Jr., other brands saw the potential and did the same. Soon, Burger King’s marketing rapidly centered around their own plant-based options. Then Burger King was in the news… See the pattern there? Fast forward to a few days ago when Disney announced they would be adding plant-based options to their park’s menus. Suddenly they’re trending on Twitter.
Of course, these steps forward are smart business decisions in a lot of ways. An entirely untapped market of plant-based customers can now give these brand’s money. Additionally, these moves can inspire conscious consumers to pay more attention to a company that they may have otherwise overlooked. However, the main takeaway from all of this is that marketing and supply and demand are tied together. Very tightly at that. And if you’re still not sold, check out Taco Bell’s “Supply and Demand” campaign promoting their recently returned nacho fries… It’s the real deal.
