Good morning. (Beyond Meat's) strategy to move past polarizing conversations about plant-based food includes removing "Meat" from its name on packaging and creating a universe of "Beyond" brands in new categories, the WSJ Leadership Institute's Patrick Coffee writes.
Its product portfolio now includes Beyond Starmatter protein powder, Beyond Starcut beef-jerky-style bars and Beyond Immerse, a line of protein-heavy carbonated beverages fresh out of testing. The beleaguered company plans to rebuild its brand around the notion of a "phytosphere"-a plant-based ecosystem-founder and CEO Ethan Brown said.
"Beyond is going to be the anchor for anything that's plant-based, center-of-the-plate protein, but then we're creating these other brands...and they all have a story line," Brown said.
The company is talking with marketing agencies about a new campaign next year to frame the brand as part of a health-focused lifestyle that Brown described as "thrive mode"-while avoiding political debates about meat.
I asked Patrick what's in play with the name on the label.
Dropping 'Meat' from packaging could give up some hard-won brand equity, but keeping 'Beyond' still ties the company to past plant-based backlash. Is this rebrand in a sweet spot or could it turn out to be a double negative?
Patrick: They're trying to simultaneously transcend the Beyond brand name and expand the range of products associated with their brand. It's a tricky thing to do.
They're attempting a similar balancing act with the corporate name, which remains Beyond Meat Inc. but now gets supplemented in press releases and earnings with the note, "otherwise known as Beyond The Plant Protein Company." The awkwardness reflects the challenge at hand.
But the reasoning is unassailable: Demand for plant-based meat alternatives is shrinking and has been for some time, while the market for protein powders and beverages is growing.
They have to hope that (Gartner) analyst Emily Weiss was right when she told me that the cycle of hype and backlash around plant-based food has quieted down, giving them an opening to tap into the protein craze and find new consumers adjusting their diets because of GLP-1s.
But they've tried a number of turnaround strategies in recent years and nothing has worked so far.
Flight Correction
(American Airlines) will stop involuntarily bumping passengers as part of a broader effort to improve its consumer reputation, the Journal's Alison Sider and Rebecca Cadenhead report.
The carrier said it's being more proactive about soliciting volunteers to give up their seats on overbooked flights early, reaching out to travelers through the app and email notifications long before they arrive at their gates. It's also making it clear to employees that no bumping is now a requirement, not a goal.
"We've improved technology and improved process," said Heather Garboden, American's chief customer officer. "And now I think we feel we're to the point where we do not take an 'involuntary denied' boarding."
American is playing catch-up with competitors, though, after rivals curbed the practice years ago. It was responsible for 60% of passengers who were involuntarily bumped last year. Its strategy to polish its premium-travel credentials also includes new lounges, more high-end seating and Thursday's announcement that it's expanding Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire mainline fleet.
The Magic Number
750,000
Organic views over 48 hours on Reddit for Goodwipes' spoof of an OpenAI ad called "Meet (Astra)." Creative agency OK Future used generative AI to take the idea to execution in just four days, a pace that CEO Frank Cartagena said he wouldn't necessarily recommend.
Quotable
"We are kind of in this peak complexity." Rob Montgomery, head of supply-chain operations for Walmart U.S., on the retailer's decadelong, multibillion-dollar quest to automate its warehouses, including seemingly simple tasks like removing items from cardboard boxes to send out individually
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