Rather than answering a need, Oatly created one. Oat milk was not desired by the general public, so Oatly used coffee culture to establish itself. The brand created a milk that performed uniquely well for high-end coffee, then distributed its products through trend-leading artisan coffee shops using distinctive packaging and branding. The company rode the growing trend of flexitarianism to dominate the oat milk niche. Any brand can look for opportunities to expand beyond its category and look for new audiences to sell to (who might not even be looking for the product).

A case study on Oatly's effective sales copy. Paint a picture of how the product improves customers' lives, beyond the surface-level benefits. Use the same natural writing voice as you use in a blog post so it doesn't come off as salesy. Address objections directly with facts rather than ignoring them. Use conversational words like “we,” “I”, and “you.” Make readers feel good by inviting them in and creating a subtle sense of belonging.

Oatly was founded in the 90s, but over the last 10 years, it has carved out a sizable niche within a saturated alt-milk market. The company uses its branding to stand out, using “weird” but authentic messaging that makes it feel fresh in an old industry. It leverages baristas as the ultimate influencer, tailoring its messaging to speak to them. Oatly's ad strategy focuses on starting a conversation rather than making an immediate conversion. Its holistic marketing strategy has allowed the brand to become the face of a category it created.