Hypes and the birth of new sustainable market categories–a socio-cultural perspective on the emergence of the meat substitute category in Finland

Abstract

Hypes can be a significant contributor in the mainstreaming of sustainable products. Former research on hypes has been supplier oriented, and thus little is known of their effect on new market formation. Our paper contributes to this research gap by examining the establishment of the ‘meat substitute’ category in Finland using press articles, retailer interviews and consumer panel data. We show how the emergence and legitimation of the meat substitute category depended heavily on the hype arising around a single product, called Pulled Oats (PO). This hype was anchored in its association with trendy and socio-culturally relevant values and practices. We further discover that the hype had positive spill-over effects on other novel meat substitute products but not on longstanding vegetarian protein sources such as tofu or tempeh. We discuss the contribution of these findings to the literature on hypes and sustainability transitions, especially regarding socially constructed market boundaries and the fact that the hype on PO lacked a disappointment phase typical of hype cycles.