The Rise of Plant-Based: What Social Data Reveals About F&B Preferences

Summary

The rise of plant-based eating isn’t just a dietary trend—it’s a data-driven revolution transforming how the food and beverage industry understands its customers. Traditional research methods can’t keep up with the speed of digital conversations, where real-time social data now reveals shifting preferences long before they show up in sales reports. From viral TikTok recipes to Reddit debates about oat milk vs. almond milk, online chatter holds the earliest signals of market change. RILA Global Consulting harnesses this dynamic digital pulse through AI-powered social listening and consumer intelligence, enabling brands to anticipate trends, innovate faster, and connect authentically with values-driven consumers. In an era where insights move at the speed of the scroll, listening is no longer optional—it’s the competitive edge that defines market leaders.

Introduction

Industries are undergoing a seismic shift in how they understand customers. Traditional surveys, focus groups, and quarterly reports are no longer enough to keep pace with rapidly evolving consumer behavior. Today, digital signals—ranging from social media posts to forums, product reviews, and community conversations—paint a real-time picture of what people truly want. In fact, the modern consumer journey often begins and evolves online, long before the purchase decision is made.

In the food and beverage (F&B) industry, this shift is especially pronounced. One of the clearest examples is the explosive growth of plant-based products. According to recent industry reports, the global plant-based food market is projected to surpass $90 billion by 2030, driven by consumer interest in health, sustainability, and ethical sourcing. Consumers are voicing their preferences online long before those shifts show up in sales numbers. Viral TikTok recipes, Reddit ingredient debates, and YouTube reviews of new vegan products reveal demand trends early.

This is where RILA Global Consulting stands apart—turning both online and offline conversations into actionable market intelligence that drives strategy. By leveraging social listening, consumer insights, and AI-driven analytics, RILA helps brands stay ahead of trends like the plant-based revolution.

From Traditional Research to Always-On Listening

Traditional market research once relied on quarterly or annual surveys, focus groups, and static reports. While valuable, this model simply can’t keep up with the speed of consumer conversations in 2025. Today, over 80% of consumers research online before making purchasing decisions—and in the F&B space, that often means exploring nutrition forums, plant-based recipe communities, and product review sites.

Without always-on social listening, brands risk missing critical signals that can shape their market position overnight:

• Early indicators of changing brand loyalty, such as preference shifts between oat milk and almond milk brands.

• Frustration around product availability or pricing during seasonal demand spikes.

• Excitement about new ingredients, flavors, or sustainability claims shared by influencers.

Plant-based trends can surge or shift within weeks. A viral post about a new dairy-free cheese or protein alternative can shape entire category sales. For example, the buzz around mushroom-based meat alternatives grew 47% in online mentions within just three months. Brands that rely only on lagging research data can find themselves reacting too late—missing opportunities for early leadership.

Why Social Listening Matters Across Industries

Social listening reveals authentic, unfiltered consumer voices—insights that traditional research often misses or uncovers too late. While this approach is relevant across multiple industries, its impact on the food and beverage sector is especially powerful.

Food & Beverage (Plant-Based Focus)

• Product Innovation Signals: Online chatter about ingredients like oat milk, pea protein, and mushroom-based meats often precedes mainstream adoption. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok often act as trend accelerators, with early adopters driving mass interest.

• Pricing & Availability Perceptions: Consumers express frustration or excitement about product costs, discounts, and in-store availability long before it reflects in sales data. A single Reddit thread on pricing can quickly spread across communities and shape perception.

• Taste & Experience Feedback: Real conversations reveal whether a product delivers on flavor, texture, or cooking performance. Food bloggers and micro-influencers often become trusted sources.

• Ethical & Sustainability Drivers: Environmental impact, sourcing transparency, and animal welfare concerns often drive purchasing decisions and brand loyalty.

• Regional and Cultural Differences: Social data uncovers nuanced preferences—such as flexitarian trends in urban U.S. markets vs. eco-conscious choices in parts of Europe. This allows brands to localize campaigns effectively.

Takeaway: Digital-first touchpoints—social media posts, influencer content, community forums, and product reviews—shape offline outcomes like grocery purchases, dining trends, and brand loyalty. For plant-based brands, listening to these signals provides a competitive edge in both product innovation and positioning.

The Role of Market Research + Social Data

The smartest organizations don’t replace traditional market research—they enhance it with real-time social data for a 360° view. By blending survey-driven insights with AI-powered social listening, brands can unlock deeper, faster, and more actionable intelligence.

• Detect emerging consumer trends before competitors (e.g., identifying early buzz around pea protein-based cheeses and functional food blends before they hit mainstream shelves).

• Identify regional differences and niche markets (e.g., understanding how plant-based yogurt trends differ between U.S. coasts and European markets).

• Track brand sentiment during product launches (e.g., monitoring conversations during the rollout of a new vegan burger to anticipate adjustments in messaging or distribution).

• Discover unmet needs and innovation opportunities (e.g., spotting rising demand for lactose-free, nut-free, or low-sugar plant-based products).

• Map the customer journey in detail, from first exposure to repeat purchase, including which platforms drive the most influence—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or review forums.

This integrated approach allows brands to act on signals faster, validate hypotheses with real-world conversation, and continuously adapt their strategy. It also enables more precise targeting and more resonant messaging.

RILA in Action: Turning Signals into Strategy

Consider a recent surge in online discussions around plant-based affordability. A thread about rising prices for vegan protein products went viral, sparking thousands of comments. Sentiment analysis revealed growing frustration among price-sensitive consumers.

Using RILA CORE, RILA’s proprietary framework, analysts:

1. Captured conversations across social platforms, forums, and product reviews.

2. Applied AI-driven analytics to identify key themes: affordability, quality, and ingredient sourcing.

3. Synthesized these signals into actionable insights for the client’s marketing and product teams.

4. Developed messaging strategies emphasizing value, multipack promotions, and local sourcing.

Outcome:

• 24% increase in engagement rates across campaigns.

• A measurable lift in conversion and loyalty.

• Competitive positioning that resonated with real consumer concerns.

This is the power of listening—not reacting after the fact, but leading with insight.

Another example involved a plant-based dairy alternative launch. Social listening identified early concerns about shelf stability and taste consistency in warm climates. RILA’s team synthesized this feedback before the product’s national rollout, leading to packaging tweaks and targeted regional messaging.

The result: improved consumer perception scores and a smoother nationwide launch.

What This Means for Organizations

Brands that embrace social listening combined with market research unlock significant strategic advantages:

• Proactive strategy, not reactive scrambling. This allows leadership teams to act early on trends rather than chase competitors.

• Early detection of risks and opportunities, such as spotting negative taste sentiment or packaging issues before they escalate.

• Campaigns that resonate with authentic consumer concerns and values, increasing engagement and loyalty.

• Competitive differentiation and stronger ROI, powered by smarter decision-making.

• Ability to anticipate rather than follow market trends, giving brands a measurable first-mover advantage.

For the plant-based sector, this means identifying flavor preferences, pricing sensitivities, and ethical expectations before the market moves. It also enables teams to build lasting trust with consumers who increasingly expect brands to be responsive, transparent, and values-driven.

About RILA Global Consulting

At RILA Global Consulting, we combine advanced social listening, consumer research, and AI-driven analytics to decode what communities are saying — and not saying — about plant-based food and beverage trends. Our expertise in high-impact consumer engagement, brand trust-building, and strategic insight generation enables F&B leaders to turn digital conversations into market opportunities.

We’ve supported global food brands, CPG leaders, retailers, and innovators in understanding and shaping public sentiment around emerging dietary shifts, ingredient trends, and sustainability narratives. Whether launching a new plant-based product, responding to affordability conversations, or designing campaigns that resonate with evolving consumer values, RILA equips organizations with the intelligence and strategies needed to lead.

👉 Ready to understand and shape the plant-based conversation?

Contact us RILA Global Consulting to start driving results today.