‘Animal Freedom Movement’: Are our messages as persuasive as we think?

Animal Think Tank launched a most ambitious public opinion study, testing 60+ of the most commonly used messages from the animal freedom movement – from ‘Be kind to every kind’ to ‘Go vegan” to ‘Someone not something’ – with over 3,000 participants. 

ANIMAL THINK TANK: As a movement, do we really know the effect our messages have on different audiences? Do some spark curiosity, evoke empathy, or influence action? Or do some land differently to how we expect?

Animal Think Tank launched the most ambitious public opinion study so far, testing 60+ of the most commonly used messages from our movement – from ‘Be kind to every kind’ to ‘Go vegan” to ‘Someone not something’ – with over 3,000 participants. We’re then diving deeper, through focus groups, to understand the why behind the numbers.

Two weeks ago, we ran the pilot focus group with five female non-vegans. None of the messages included a call to action, yet participants immediately filled in the blanks, assuming it was ‘go vegan’, causing negative reaction in some. They also read the design as a cue: a black-white-red colour palette was quickly tagged as “animals rights” and “harsh”.

Participants’ pre-existing assumptions about the messenger (i.e. the animal freedom movement) and its intentions and agenda shaped their interpretation of the messages. These initial reactions paved the way for deeper insights as we tested three distinct message approaches.

Message concept 1: Who animals really are: The first message concept highlighted the emotions, interests and experiences of animals who are farmed, like comfort, affection and friendship…

Message concept 2: Animals’ voice: The second message concept highlighted animals’ perspectives from their own point of view. The aim was to show what it’s like to be trapped in the food system, and convey their fear, distress, and desire to live…

Message concept 3: A hopeful vegan future: The final concept we tested painted a hopeful vegan future, where action brings positive change for animals, humans, the planet, and society as a whole. This was the only message concept in the focus group where the word vegan was explicitly used…

Early insights suggest four shifts for more effective messaging:

Let people get there themselves – Through various research studies and public testing, Animal Think Tank have consistently found that people are more open when they feel invited to consider something, not pushed to change their mind. This was reflected again in the pilot focus group: subtle messages spark curiosity and give space for the audience to connect the dots, making conclusions more likely to stick.

One size doesn’t fit all – Resistance and pushback varied between participants. Different approaches will reach different people at different stages of their journey to supporting animal freedom, from curious newcomers to those already considering dietary change.

Beyond ‘better welfare’ – Many people default to ‘better welfare’ as the only realistic change. Showing how animals farmed for food once lived freely, sharing examples of co-existence, and illustrating what a new kind of human–animal relationship could look like has the potential to help people move beyond limited thinking and imagine a future worth striving for.

Be bold and keep evolving – People already have strong assumptions about animal rights messaging. Experimenting with unexpected formats, messengers and contexts could sidestep these preconceptions and invite people to engage in new ways. SOURCE…