Breakfast bites to snack hacks, when it comes to food – consumers increasingly trust and are influenced by those they choose to interact with online. Recipes that were once closely-guarded secrets, only to be passed down between generations, are now shared en mass across social media networks.
A study on consumer behavior on Pinterest determined that the four things that impact U.S. millennials’ decisions about food are: tempting pictures, recommendations from friends, reviews from other consumers, and inspirational ideas from brands. As such, your influencer marketing strategy should incorporate all four. With more marketers investing in influencer marketing and relations as an always-on marketing strategy, partnering with the influencers of target audience segments to inspire, create, or co-create content for the growing diversity of marketing needs across campaigns is key to accelerating consumers’ path-to-purchase.
Never has this been more transformative than for the food industry, where increased transparency and content around packaging, nutrition, and lifestyle benefits on social media are helping drive double-digit category growth – and reviving entire categories in the process (hello, meat snack revolution).
A recent report from Facebook IQ identified three shifts in food culture and people’s food preferences in the U.S., which present significant influencer marketing opportunities for consideration and insights to inform your next influencer campaign brief.
1. More Snacking Means More Opportunities for Marketers
The lines between ’meals’ and ’snacks’ are blurring. Consumers’ preferences for ‘snacking-as-a-meal’ are creating new opportunities for consumers to talk about, capture, purchase and consume food and emphasize snacking experiences – and as such, more opportunities marketers to fill this void. To take advantage of this trend, influencer marketing briefs should emphasize products’ portability and pre-portioned options, and position nutritional benefits as a meal replacement.
See who’s leading the snack pack and learn key takeaways from influencer marketing leaders in our Energy Bar IGC Share of Voice Report.
2. Convenience, Leisure and Luxury are on a Spectrum – but Connected
Consumers are more willing than ever to buy time, and convenience buys the luxury of time on busy weeknights and weekends alike. To meet this demand for convenience, food delivery apps, meal kit delivery services, and online grocery shopping services are increasing as new options to meet consumers’ needs throughout the week. Leverage influencer relationships to determine their meal prep habits and reliance on these services in order to understand where your brand falls on this spectrum, as well as identify opportunities to be relevant or form new partnerships with these services. The time saving benefits that result from using your product(s) should also be emphasized in influencer marketing briefs.
Get key takeaways from influencer marketing category leaders in our Meal Kit Delivery Services IGC Share of Voice Report.
3. What is Your Food’s ‘Superhero’ Story?
Superfoods are the new superheroes. Take a page out of Marvel Comics’ playbook and create ’origin story’ narratives around your key products and ingredients. Transparency around where food comes from – from the source ingredients to the nutritional power they deliver as a result – matters. It works both ways – find an ingredient with a story, and you have a derivative product category that could set you apart from the competition. If you want to reach ‘superfood cult status’, focus your influencer marketing campaigns around demystifying the origins of your products and the superhuman benefits they offer to your consumers.
See how key ingredients can transform ordinary products to superfood powers in our Yogurt Brand IGC Share of Voice Report.
