1. Design Brief: a branded flexitarian movement
Good morning, my name is Tessa Jonson and I’m here to present to you my brief outlining my masters project
and the research behind my decisions.
“A diet that is primarily vegetarian but includes some meat or fish on occasion” is a flexitarian diet, one that
could easily be maintained by everyone across the globe. Right now, at a time of mandatory change due to the
current economic and environmental situations, a brand identified flexitarian movement is wanted and needed
to bring a diet consisting of less meat into the mainstream. The campaign and its success will rely solely on
how well the brand is portrayed; meaning the entire image of the campaign must be well thought out and dis-
tinctive.
During my research, I recalled this brand, (RED). They work with huge labels, such as Apple, Nike, Gap, Star-
bucks, and so on to create unique (RED) products. Then, up to 50% of the profits from those products is
donated to HIV and AIDS programs in Africa. This brand really inspired me because of their noble issue and
their simple, very recognizable identity, which mostly consists only of the color red, the word red, and two pa-
renthesis. Here you can see three of their products, a (RED) shirt from Gap, an American Express (RED) card,
and a book from the Penguin Classics, (RED) edition. This has been an incredibly successful campaign, already
raising over $150 million since it’s 2006 launch. It encompasses everything I hope to achieve in my own, such
as the strong brand image, widespread acceptance, and the great cause to bring attention to.
The first part of my design plan is to build the brand.
Commiting to a lifestyle change can be difficult and sometimes even scary. But by showing the options that a
flexitarian diet allows, people will see that it is much easier to adjust to than other limited meat diets. This proj-
ect should also be successful because there really is no other large scale, well branded campaign in this field. If
I get it out for people to see, there really won’t be any competition.
The biggest obstacle in this type of project is getting people to support the campaign. There is a vast amount
of competition for people’s attention, money, and commitment so getting and keeping them will be difficult.
To do that, the brand image and the marketing strategy, both being developed in the first phase, will be para-
mount to the success of this campaign. The brand needs to be uniquely identifiable and well crafted; the mar-
keting strategy will be primarily online and must be exceptional to keep their attention. It will determine when,
where, and how all promotion for the campaign will appear to the public.
Another example I found in my research was President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign which is prob-
ably the most successful in history, mostly because he utilized every online resource possible. He was the first
presidential candidate to do so, especially in such an effective manner. “The integration of technology into the
process of field organizing … is the success of the Obama campaign,” says Sanford Dickert, a chief technol-
ogy officer. The online communities provided a platform for people to find other supporters and get together
to campaign for Obama. This sort of self-organization was a first in American history and something I hope to
mimick. Also, as you can see from these examples, his logo and website were integral to his campaign front
and could be seen everywhere. Anything that Obama put forth to the public had a uniform look that fit with
the rest of the campaign, which is also something I’ll strive for.
The second part of my design plan is to establish an online presence.
This campaign will first target an audience that responds to trends, so that hopefully it will take off and spread
to larger audiences. The initial audience will consist of teenaged females who are beginning to make their own
life decisions and then be elaborated to include the university and family markets. So, who is this market?
Meet Eccentric Ella: She is a younger teenaged living with her single mom and younger brother. She’s enjoyed
an upper-middle class American upbringing but still works regularly at local coffee house to earn her own
spending money. Ella has a few close friends and attends local high school and, to describe her in three words,
she is a bit eccentric, definitely independent, and sometimes temperamental.
The primary objective of this project is to develop a successful brand image and campaign, in hopes of con-
verting as many people as possible to a flexitarian diet. The secondary aim is to build strong brand support
by doing two things: first, by informing as many people as possible about why it is critically important to eat
less meat and, second, by creating a community environment for flexitarians, both on- and offline. This would
include such aspects as connecting flexitarians, sharing recipes, and reviewing/recommending restaurants. The
final goal is to generate a profit through the community’s brand support, by producing a product range, includ-
ing clothing, shopping bags, stickers, and books as possible retail items.
Finally, the last two parts of my design plan are to encourage the community’s development
And, lastly, to continue the growth.
So, that is the plan for the remainder of my masters. Are there any questions?