The Ask

In early 2025, Beyond Meat approached Colossal at a moment of crisis. Once one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world, Beyond had suffered a dramatic collapse in stock value fueled by sustained misinformation campaigns from the meat and dairy industries. Despite clinical studies with the American Heart Association showing the health benefits of incorporating Beyond products, the brand was losing ground in the cultural conversation. When Beyond came to Colossal, the company was already operating with a skeleton crew and scaling back operations. Even in this moment of upheaval, their leadership engaged us to help reshape messaging strategy, rebuild consumer trust, and reposition the company for resilience against two of the most powerful industries in the world.

The Answer

Working closely with Beyond’s executive team and food scientists, Colossal uncovered a key insight: Beyond products offer comparable protein levels to traditional meat—without the negative health side effects.

Instead of continuing to position Beyond as “meat alternatives,” which invited unfavorable comparisons and fueled skepticism, we recommended a bold shift:

• Reframe Beyond as “plant-based protein,” not “plant-based meat.”

• Elevate protein as the hero benefit, tapping into the cultural surge around protein-rich diets.

• Highlight clean, high-quality ingredients in contrast to processed snack foods often mislabeled as comparable.

• Support messaging with science, drawing on partnerships with nutritionists and health organizations to validate claims.

We also developed video concepts and communications campaigns to amplify this pivot, ensuring Beyond’s message could cut through industry noise with clarity and authority.

The Result

By shifting the narrative from “meat replacement” to clean, healthy plant-based protein, Beyond established a foundation for its long-term renaissance—one rooted in science, consumer health, and cultural relevance. This reframing gave Beyond the tools to rebuild credibility post-bankruptcy, appeal to protein-conscious consumers, and re-enter the conversation on its own terms as the food industry continues to evolve.