I have been giving some thought to food programmes on TV recently. I don’t watch them very much but so many of my friends and family do, I have always been curious as to the appeal. I will admit to having watched two series of New Scandinavian Cooking but that was because I had a horrible crush on Tina Nordström which I think does account for the popularity of certain well known culinary personalities. What does strike me from looking into this phenomenon is that Foodies are a huge market. The sales of celebrity chef cook books attest to that as well as the numerous hellish spin offs of Gordon the Swearing Scotsman. (No not the former PM)
Why are foodies so numerous? Because nearly 100% of the consumer base cook on a daily basis and they don't want to have the same chicken and potatoes every night. Amateur chefs are moms, dads, young adults, retirees and busy families. With the ongoing recessionary conditions (it can be argued that the recession is over but inflationary pressure is driving up all prices) many people are looking at their kitchens as a way to spice up their lives, pardon the pun, restaurants are suffering slightly as Jack and Jill experiment in the kitchen rather than take that easy meal out.
Given the size of this market, how can brands engage foodies? The obvious answer is through advertising and social media.
If you are selling a directly related product, knives or crockery then the route to the hearts of your clients is through their stomachs. It is easy to see how a brand associated with a celebrity chef like Tefal with Jamie Oliver could use the likes of Facebook and Twitter to great effect to grow a following of Jamie fans and indeed convince them not only to buy Tefal but to promote it to their “Friends”.
Marketing experts around the world are telling businesses to get involved with social media, but many companies are not clear on what to offer to a social network. Cooking and recipe information can’t work for all brands, but for food or cooking supply brands it is an easy fit. This type of information is exactly what their customers are after. Social network features such as recipe of the day or encouraging their fans to add their own recipes can be really powerful loyalty builders.
As far as advertising is concerned, a recent study from About.com discovered that there is a new community of cooks out there who are active online and searching for recipes, tips, equipment and secrets to improve their cooking and meal planning. Companies are presented with an opportunity to reach this group, just as they discover a need for a particular item. This could lead on to a quick sale if there is advertising directly to an e-commerce store or a coupon that offers an in store discount.
Mobile applications are another way that brands can engage with foodies. A food or diet related application could capture useful demographic data. This data can be used to thoughtfully target advertising at consumers. The Advertising need not necessarily be food related as having good demographic data to hand the advertising could be targeting the wider interests of each group.
I hope this has wetted your appetite for marketing to the hungry masses and I have not left a bad taste in your mouth with one too many food puns. Bon Appétit!
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