Saputo Dairy UK’s dairy-free brand, Vitalite, is launching an integrated marketing campaign to support and celebrate Veganuary 2022.

In what is predicted to be the biggest year yet for the annual Veganuary campaign, which saw more than half a million sign ups in 2021, the Vitalite range will be promoted through a range of animated social posts, stories and dark ads across Instagram and Facebook, together with influencer activity.

Running throughout January 2022, the Vitalite campaign is expected to reach 5.5 million consumers, driving awareness and consideration of the full Vitalite range, which now includes both a dairy free spread, as well as block, sliced and grated dairy free alternative to cheese products.

Alongside this digital marketing activity, paper cover-leaves within tubs of Vitalite spread will communicate the brand’s range of dairy free alternatives to cheese, driving awareness of the wider product range amongst the brand’s extensive audience of loyal spread buyers.

Vitalite will also be supported with shopper marketing activity in Sainsburys, Coop and Waitrose during January to drive consideration at point of purchase.

Emilie Grundy, Marketing Controller, explains: “The reach and appeal of Veganuary has grown year on year, and with record sign-ups anticipated in 2022, it will be a key period for shoppers trialling dairy free products, many for the first time. For Vitalite this brings a great opportunity to spread some dairy free joy, introduce more people to our much-loved brand and showcase the great tasting products in our range.

“We know that many trialling a vegan diet during Veganuary find the experience a positive one, 44% of UK consumers who tried Veganuary in 2021 saying they would continue a vegan diet beyond the end of January 2021, and a significant 96% voicing an intent to reduce their consumption of animal products going forward. The opportunity to influence consumers long term product choices at this time of year is clear.”

Appetite for dairy free, plant-based eating is at an all-time high, with 40% of UK households reportedly buying dairy-free alternatives last year. Within Vitalite’s core categories dairy free spreads are now valued at £49.6m, a growth of 66% in the 52weeks to 5th Sep 2021 and are now purchased by 17% of UK households.  Dairy free alternatives to cheese have meanwhile reached £48.3m retail sales value, a growth of 5.5% in the latest year, and are now purchased by 6.9% of UK households.

Vitalite dairy free spread is now worth £12.3m and saw revenue growth of 8.7% in the last year. Launched in September 2019, with a Grated line joining the range in September 2021, Vitalite dairy free alternatives to cheese are now worth £1.4m.