Veganuary reflect on the success of their 2020 campaign. Toni Vernelli, Head of Communications at Veganuary, will be speaking at our Not-for-Profit Spotlight webinar on 23 July. Register here to secure your spot.
If we had a pound for every time we’ve been asked “what do you do for the other 11 months of the year?” we’d be one of Britain’s richest charities!
Most people only see the fruits of our labour in January so are unaware that we’re working year-round to achieve our charity’s vision: a vegan world. A world without animal farms and slaughterhouses. A world where food production does not decimate forests, pollute rivers and oceans, exacerbate climate change, and drive wild animal populations to extinction. And the huge success of this year’s Veganuary campaign is proof that this world is possible!
Founded in 2014 by Matthew Glover and Jane Land, this year the campaign has seen its most impactful year yet – with 400,000 people signing up to try vegan with us in January, over 1370 media stories published internationally, and hundreds of companies launching new plant-based products and menus on to the market or using their advertising budget to shout loudly about vegan options and promotions.
Originally founded in the UK, the charity recently underwent some changes – we took on a new CEO and a Board of nine Trustees to help us govern the charity, and then we spent the beginning of 2019 strategising and rebranding the organisation. We set a new vision and mission and decided on four strategic objectives that shall guide our work in the future.
Our first objective is – and will always stay – at the very heart of our campaign: inspiring people to sign up to our 31-day pledge and try vegan with us for the month of January and beyond. To create the biggest visibility for a plant-based diet and its benefits, our second objective focuses on media reach and creating the campaign buzz that leads to many of the most important media outlets in the world reporting on the topics of animal agriculture, veganism, and environmental protection.
Objective number three is what we call “the Veganuary effect” and it is where the true impact of our campaign lies. Our work around corporate engagement leads to many of the biggest companies in the world joining Veganuary, and increasing the visibility and availability of plant-based foods.
And last but not least, our fourth objective focuses on internationalising the campaign to multiply the impact we can have for animals and our planet. This year, we decided to add an additional four regions/countries to the already existing Veganuary chapter in the UK, and so we officially started Veganuary campaigns in the United States, in South Africa, several Latin American countries as well as the German-speaking area.
To make the Veganuary phenomenon truly go global, we also worked with 24 partner organisations around the world to bring the campaign to 13 additional countries, including Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, India, Australia, and Singapore.