When Moral Appeals Backfire and Discourage the Adoption of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

Public campaigns use moral appeals to promote a plant-based meat diet, but such appeals can also backfire. We found that the animal welfare appeal prompted higher purchase intention only among individuals with lower meat attachment and was damaging among consumers with higher meat attachment, with meat attachment moderating the pathway from meat-related cognitive dissonance to the adoption of plant-based meat. The best strategy to appeal to consumers with higher meat attachment was a description that did not contain any messages. Our study clarifies when and why moral appeals may backfire when promoting plant-based meat, delineating the limits of their persuasiveness.