Recently, the Tmall Plant Protein Alliance Summit sponsored by Alibaba and hosted by OATLY was held in Shanghai. During the event, Tmall brought many leading Chinese vegetable protein brands and top experts to attend the meeting, focusing on the innovation trends and industry standards of vegetable protein drinks, and exploring the future of Chinese plant protein diet.

The participants discussed and shared various innovative marketing trends, consumer demand, industry standard definition, etc., and expressed their unanimous optimistic view on the future development of plant protein category. OATLY spoke at the summit and advocated to the members of the Plant Protein Alliance: take nutrition, health and sustainable development as our mission, uphold the purpose of creating, sharing and win-win, promote better consumption. Jointly promote the development of plant protein category and benefit the environment.

Tmall Plant Protein Alliance Summit

Photo: OATLY

01 Tmall Plant Protein Beverage Innovation Trend Release:

1-2 line city consumer preference oat base

In recent years, with the health awareness of residents rising, consumption upgrade led to the beverage industry revolution, Chinas plant-based beverage market began to develop rapidly, 2020 into the first year of Chinas plant-based beverage market. During the event, Tmall New Product Innovation Center (TMIC) shared the 2020 Plant Protein Beverage Innovative Trends, The report pointed out that the vegetable protein beverage market will develop rapidly in 2020, especially in the sales growth, which will far exceed other beverage categories. Among them, 1-2 lines of urban consumer groups have the highest preference for oat-based. OAT milk brand OAT WHEAT into 1-2 line city consumer preference of the highest vegetable protein beverage brands.

The popularity of oat-based products also reflects the growing consumer demand for healthy eating. 2020 Plant Protein Beverage Innovation Trend shows that from the market search hot words, dietary fiber and low calorie concept heat growth rapidly, consumers for plant protein beverage health concept gradually refined the demand.

Tmall new product innovation center release trend pointed out that OATLY into 1-2 lines of exquisite choice

Photo: TMall

OATLY also mentioned when talking about category development: “In the post-epidemic era, Chinese consumers will form a more comprehensive view of health. Consumers are becoming more and more concerned about nutrition, product quality and immunity. From this perspective, plant-based products and brands will receive more attention. This also gives a new category of new track products such as plant-based new opportunities.”

02 Benchmarking: standard industry standard,CooperationGuide to Building Consumer Choice

With more and more plant-based players into the game, how to help consumers choose their own plant protein products, has become the focus of industry experts and enterprises. In China, different consumers have different cognition when they buy vegetable protein drinks. Many consumers are not able to distinguish the difference between milk and plant milk, for different raw materials plant milk, and its nutritional value, understanding is not comprehensive.

In order to help consumers solve the problem that plant protein drinks can only be selected according to taste, Tmall, the giant of the plant protein drinks industry in the United Nations, and experts in the food and beverage industry, discussed the establishment of plant protein drink standards. Experts work together to create guidelines for the selection and purchase of plant protein drinks for consumers on how to define plant protein drinks and how to standardize nutrition standards.

Pan Yingjie, president of Shanghai Food Society, said: “At present, plant milk still belongs to the delicate crowd consumption, the rapid development of the industry also needs to form a consensus. Major enterprises should start from their own products, the establishment of plant milk production standards, the products do a good job, so that people like and accept, the industry can benign development.”

OATLY pointed out at the meeting that Chinas plant protein has entered an era of good consumption, and the plant protein beverage industry still needs to deal with risks on the way to a better life. Based on the strict requirements for the quality of its own products, OATLY calls for the establishment of industry standards, strengthening industry management, guiding orderly competition, starting the standardization process, strengthening the construction of plant protein alliance, and realizing sharing, co-creation and win-win among members.

03 Plant Base Expansion: Plant Milk vs.Meat Egg Complicity to Escalate

While the market of vegetable protein drinks is booming, plant meat and eggs are also rising rapidly, setting off a trend of healthy eating. On the spot, Tmall brought the representative brands of meat, egg and milk to discuss more possibilities of plant-based food in the future. Facing the opportunities and challenges of the current plant-based market, the troika of meat, egg and milk will go hand in hand, which will greatly promote the vigorous development of plant protein in China, and seek to upgrade the plant protein diet.

04 Future Prospect of Plant proteinsOat expert OATLY leads the future track

Head enterprises continue to increase the code, Tmall and industry experts on the industry standardized, innovative development of vigorously promote, will further accelerate the popularization of plant protein drinks class. Category promotion will drive brand growth, brands with forward-looking technology and brand power will outperform in the plant protein beverage category.

As one of the sponsors of Tmall Plant protein Alliance, OATLY brand uses a special enzyme to decompose oats into liquid with a special enzyme, while efficiently retaining its essential nutrients: soluble dietary fiber-β-glucan, creating a high-quality milk alternative drink-oat milk. In addition, OATLY has succeeded in talking to consumers in a value-oriented and healthy lifestyle-oriented manner, building strong brand identification and occupying the minds of target consumers.

OATLY and other brand plant-based products

Photo: OATLY

Tmall shared the future innovative marketing plan and said he would strengthen support for plant-based enterprises and the development of the enabling industry next year. At the meeting, Plant Milk signed a strategic cooperation intention with Tmall on behalf of the brand OATLY, which also foreshadowed the brands confidence and determination to vigorously promote the vigorous development of plant protein products in China and promote good consumption in China. In the future, OATLY and Tmall Plant protein Alliance will work together with more plant protein leading brands to stimulate plant protein innovation and vitality, keep up with the consumption trend of the times, and empower consumers to live a sustainable and healthy life.