opportunity

PROTEIN is an MVP of the health and wellness game. From influencers and social media to press headlines, the importance of protein is inescapable, especially for women.

Yet while animal-based proteins dominated the headlines, plant-based proteins were often absent from the dialogue, leaving women uncertain about where alternative options like tofu fit in their protein equation.

With both interest and misperceptions heightened heading into January healthy resolutions, this was a pivotal moment for Nasoya to lead. As the #1 tofu brand in the U.S., Nasoya was uniquely positioned to set the record straight. Tofu is a complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids — just like any animal-based protein.

The brand needed to claim tofu’s rightful place in the protein conversation, expand beyond its educated loyal following, and inspire new consumers by showing that plant-based protein is not just possible, but powerful.

approach

We created the Power of 9 campaign, designed to educate and inspire women by putting tofu at the center of the protein conversation. The campaign was anchored in “9” – representing the nine essential amino acids our research discovered make tofu a complete protein.

With interest in women’s sports at an all-time high, we saw the opportunity to partner with a rising professional female athlete who could authentically tell our story. We identified Aaliyah Edwards, who had just completed her rookie season in the WNBA – one of the fastest growing and most talked-about sports leagues. As a longtime vegetarian fueling her own performance with a plant-based diet, Aaliyah was a trailblazer challenging norms and redefining the game. She embodied exactly what we wanted to show our audience: tofu can power women at every stage of life, from everyday routines to elite competition.

To add credibility, we added advice from Board Certified Sports Dietitian, Kelly Jones, a trusted advocate for plant-forward nutrition who advises everyone from professional and collegiate athletes to weekend warriors.

We brought the Power of 9 campaign to life across earned, owned, paid and shared channels, with Aaliyah Edwards captaining our team.

results

The Power of 9 campaign was a slam dunk, exceeding every objective by expanding Nasoya’s influence, breaking through a crowded media environment and raising awareness with our target audience.

Within weeks, the campaign generated nearly 1 billion earned media impressions, driven by features in top-tier publications trusted by women including EatingWell, Business Insider, VegNews, Spoon University and others. Notably, 96% of stories prominently featured core messages around tofu’s complete protein profile and role in supporting women’s nutrition and Nasoya’s share of earned among competitors jumped nearly 30%.

Aaliyah’s social content resonated with our exact target audience of women 18+, delivering a 7.4% engagement rate – 87% higher than the industry average – and an impressively efficient CPM of $0.04 across video views and earned media. Our micro-influencers added value too – more than 10x the spend and an engagement rate well above average at 5.2%

Website traffic increased 75% month over month, and store locator visits surged 97% showing intent to purchase. 75% of these visitors were new to the brand showing an expanded reach; 24% of Power of 9 page visits returned to the page, signaling sustained interest and the value of our message.

We didn’t just generate reach – we converted new consumers and reframed tofu’s place in the protein conversation. By fusing inspiration with education, Power of 9 cleared up confusion around tofu and empowered women to fuel their health with confidence – proving that plant-based protein is not only possible, but powerful.