Strategic Marketing Brings Focus and Results to Plant-Based Food Pioneer

When Love Seitan needed to move beyond ad-hoc events and social media to scale their wheat-based meat alternative business, Your Marketing Department provided the strategic clarity and systematic approach that increased D2C revenue by 50% in three months.

Love Seitan founder Steve had a clear mission: introduce UK consumers to seitan, a wheat-based meat alternative with superior protein and texture compared to tofu.

But their marketing approach was, in Steve's words, "a bit of a mish-mash of events, social media, and advertising".

After several years of grassroots marketing through food festivals and social posts, they'd reached a plateau. The business generated revenue across three channels but lacked strategic direction to break into mainstream markets or attract investment.

Identifying the Real Opportunity

Your Marketing Department's research revealed Love Seitan needed a change of audience. Instead of committed vegans, the real opportunity lay with busy families wanting to reduce meat consumption without compromising on taste or convenience.

Customer research identified "Tamsin" - an ABC1 mum, household income £75k+, environmentally conscious but struggling with meat alternatives her children would actually eat. She'd tried tofu but found it slimy. Ready-made options felt over-processed.

This insight shifted Love Seitan's positioning from a vegan product to 'the all-natural, meat free meal maker that the whole family will love'.

From Ad-Hoc to Strategic Marketing

The six-month engagement focused on bringing structure to Love Seitan's marketing:

Strategic Marketing Foundation

• Clear target audience definition (busy families vs. committed vegans)

• Competitive positioning emphasising seitan's natural ingredients and familiar texture

• Messaging focused on practical family meal solutions

  
  

Marketing Infrastructure

• Email marketing automation including abandoned basket and retention journeys

• Strategic content planning around recipe education

• Christmas campaign targeting festive family meals

  
  

Team Development 

Significant work with Love Seitan's social media manager helped her move from posting content she personally liked to messaging that spoke directly to the target audience.

"The planning gave us real focus," Steve noted. "It helped us move from ad-hoc marketing to much more consistent and logical marketing. Sophie helped bring order and focus into everything we were doing."

Measurable Impact

The strategic approach delivered concrete results:

• 50% increase in D2C sales over three months

• Consistent messaging across all channels targeting families rather than vegans

• Professional marketing processes that supported investment discussions

  
  

The work transformed Love Seitan from passionate founder improvising to a systematically marketed business with clear positioning in their direct-to-consumer channel.

Professional Partnership

Steve appreciated the collaborative approach:

"YMD demonstrated exceptional communication skills and kept us informed every step of the way. They provided fresh perspectives and designed creative solutions to increase our reach."

While Love Seitan ultimately closed due to distributor and wholesale challenges, the strategic foundation demonstrated how focused positioning and systematic execution could drive meaningful growth even in challenging markets.

"Sophie's expertise and professionalism make her an asset to any company looking to up their marketing game," Steve concluded.

Ready to bring strategic focus to your marketing? 

If you're running a growing manufacturing business but struggling with scattered marketing efforts, we can help you identify your real opportunities and build systematic approaches that drive results.

Contact Your Marketing Department to discuss how strategic clarity could transform your marketing effectiveness.