Author: Xiaoshidai
On the just-concluded 55th Earth Day, oat milk brand OATLY once again led the environmental trend with its unique Earth Day activities, and the popularity of oat lattes also attracted attention.
Initially seen as a different choice, after a few years of development, the oatmeal latte has now completed a magnificent transformation and has become a popular coffee drink familiar to the public.
How did the oatmeal latte "get out of the circle", and how did OATLY, the driving force behind it, operate? Let's take a look.
Earth Day's "Sense of Ritual"
On Earth Day, holding a cup of oatmeal latte has become a way for many consumers to express their care for the earth and the green transformation of their personal lifestyles.
There are many reasons why oatmeal latte has become a highly regarded beverage on a global environmental festival like Earth Day, which is mainly reflected in three aspects: taste, brand environmental attributes and corporate sustainability.
First of all, the most direct reason why oatmeal latte can win the favor of consumers is its outstanding texture and taste. Oat milk, with its unique mellow texture and natural slightly sweet flavor, complements the rich aroma and slightly bitter taste of coffee, which not only satisfies coffee lovers' pursuit of rich coffee experience, but also is a new type of drink with healthy and mild characteristics, without losing the refreshing charm of coffee, and adding rich layers and nutritional value brought by oat milk.
Secondly, oat milk has its own green genes, which shows significant environmentally friendly characteristics in the production process. According to reports, the carbon emissions, land use, and water consumption of the production of oat milk are more friendly to the global environment. According to the "2023 China Oat Milk Industry White Paper", oat milk is mainly made of oats and is in the upstream of the food chain, which can alleviate the environmental protection and animal welfare problems in the production process of traditional animal dairy products to a certain extent, and is in line with the concept of low-carbon, green and sustainable development.
Looking at the brand itself, according to the company's information, OATLY is not only committed to providing delicious plant-based milk products, but also integrates the concept of sustainability throughout the supply chain and production process. OATLY's China plant is fully powered by 100% renewable electricity, a move that significantly reduces carbon emissions from production. As the only international brand in the oat milk industry to have its own factory in China, OATLY's one-litre Coffee Master Oat Milk produced in China has a climate footprint of only 0.60 kg of CO2e per kilogram, which is particularly impressive in the dairy beverage industry.
To sum up, oat latte, with its delicious taste, environmental advantages, and comprehensive sustainable practices at the production end, has naturally become an ideal beverage choice for people to express their care for the earth and practice a green and low-carbon lifestyle on the day of "Earth Day". It is not only a pleasure for the taste buds, but also a symbol of responsibility for the future of the earth, which perfectly fits the environmental protection concept and call to action advocated by Earth Day.
Everyday choices
Outside of Earth Day, oatmeal lattes have long been integrated into consumers' daily lives. And the driving force behind this is none other than OATLY.
In the face of lactose intolerance among many consumers, OATLY keenly seized the market opportunity and relied on its research and development of oat enzymatic hydrolysis technology to successfully break the limitations of traditional plant-based milk in terms of taste and nutrition, and create oat milk products with mellow taste, lactose intolerance and balanced nutrition.
This move not only fills the gap in the market, but also opens up a new segment in the field of plant-based milk - oat milk, providing consumers with a new "plant-based" choice.
Six years ago, when the Chinese market knew little about plant-based oat milk, the oat milk brand represented by OATLY, with its unique enzymatic hydrolysis technology, accurate market positioning and all-round product layout, opened up cooperation with major chain and specialty coffee brands, opening up a new world for the coffee track.
As soon as the oatmeal latte was launched, it immediately became a hit. As a result, OATLY quickly opened up the Chinese market and gave birth to its first popular product, Coffee Master Oat Milk, which has become the preferred coffee companion of many coffee shops.
Thanks to its delicious taste and rich layers, oatmeal latte has gradually become an everyday coffee choice. According to the brand, OATLY Coffee Master Oat Milk has covered all levels of cafes in China. ACCORDING TO TMIC'S SURVEY DATA, OATLY'S AWARENESS RATE AMONG HIGH-FREQUENCY COFFEE USERS WILL EXCEED 80% IN 2023[1].
"Everywhere"
OATLY's mission is to lead the shift to plant-based diets that are sustainable for individuals, their bodies, minds, and the planet's environment. In the past few years of entering the Chinese market, OATLY has built a diversified consumer touchpoint.
Through cooperation with major well-known coffee chains and the launch of special drinks such as oat latte, OATLY has quickly made oat milk a new favorite of coffee lovers, especially for consumers who are looking for personalized and healthy beverage choices. These collaborations not only enhance the market exposure of oat milk, but also leverage the popular trend of coffee culture to shape oat latte into a fashionable and avant-garde beverage representative, accelerating its popularity among mainstream consumer groups.
In addition, the brand has also launched a variety of sizes such as on-the-go and family packs to adapt to different occasions and consumer needs, ensuring that oatmeal lattes can become a part of people's daily lives anytime, anywhere.
In just a few years, the term "oatmeal latte" has changed from an unfamiliar concept to a gorgeous transformation from zero to the mainstream of the market under the active promotion of brands such as OATLY. Today, OATLY Oatly Latte has successfully broken through the Earth Day limited environmental label and is deeply integrated into the daily life of modern consumers. Not only has it found its place in cafes, restaurants and even home kitchens, but it has also become a hot topic on social networks and a symbol of a fashionable lifestyle.
It is not difficult to find that OATLY, as a pioneer in this field, has played a pivotal role in the popularization and popularity of oatmeal latte. Oatmeal latte has risen rapidly from being regarded as a part of life now, perhaps it is getting closer to the "sustainable" change that OATLY is pursuing.
1: TMIC survey in July 2023, sample size n=1004, coffee consumption frequency > once a week