How Social Media is Revolutionising the Food Industry

by Emma Pauw • 0 Comments

Last month, Waitrose boss Mark Price concluded that social media has led to dramatic changes in the way we now perceive food, which in turn has sparked a dilemma for food industry giants. If like us, you love social media and food then the Waitrose’s Food and Drink Report 2014 is certainly worth a read!

The report has found that Britons have recently developed more cosmopolitan taste buds, born out of the sharing of food images online. As social media provides a way for the globe to share images and ideas, it’s no wonder we are now taking food inspiration from people all over the world.

According to the report, exotic fruit saw an 81% surge in online sales and the Italian aperitif Aperol saw an increase in sales of 800%. So why this change in our food habits? Well, Instagram has a lot to answer for when it comes to the posting of food images. With popular Hashtags such as #FoodPorn, #Foodie, #Foodgasm, #Instafood, people are being encouraged to share their meals online. The sharing of food on Instagram is a trend that is certainly on the rise, eating good food has become ‘trendy’ and people feel proud to share gourmet food that they’ve either bought or made themselves. Chefs are increasingly sharing their food online, as well as sharing tips and recipes…just look atJamie Oliver! In short, Instagram provides an easy way for people to share their food love with people from all over the word.

So how is this affecting the supermarket giants? Well in light of the report, Waitrose is attempting to take advantage of this trend by introducing a wider variety of exotic fruits, free-range products and healthier produce. With the rise of the #Instafood trend we are also seeing a rise in the popularity of local Delis. These stock local, unique produce that can’t always be found in supermarkets and with the race to post images of the ‘flashiest’ food, people are looking for more exotic and original produce…enter the Deli!

Waitrose state that “because of social media, people are very aware of what’s in products”. This is leading to a rise in high-quality food produce, such as free-range, as people are increasingly taking interest in where their food is actually coming from. This is great news for local food producers!

The report also reveals that Twitter followers of @Waitrose have increased by ¾ while their Facebook likes have increased by 50%. Perhaps the most significant trend however is that in July, for the first time ever, the number of customers getting in touch with the company through social media overtook the number sending emails for the first time. This increase in social customer service is one that has been on the rise throughout 2014, and this is a trend you can expect to see more of.

According to Waitrose, the most popular Waitrose-related topics on Twitter and Facebook include Heston, gluten-free, cheese, Mother’s Day and coffee. These trends reflect the increasing love of ‘gastronomy’ and perceiving food as art. Many people are now increasingly seeking ‘food theatre’ and Heston-like meals as the food industry continues to inspire and entertain.

With people increasingly turning to blogging, social media has provided a fantastic way for food bloggers to share their images, recipes and unique ideas (Quinoa features in 540,000 posts on Instagram alone!). And as people continue to share their foodie-posts online then the search for unique and creative foods will continue to rise.

So not only is social media changing the way that we perceive food by making us more creative and adventurous, but it is also working to help food businesses too. Like with any other business, social media provides food companies a hugely powerful way for them to market their business. As social networking sites are accessible to everyone, this has put smaller businesses on the map, allowing them to compete with industry giants with big budgets. Social media provide these smaller businesses with a free way to promote their business to a global audience. And it looks as social media continues to influence consumer food choices, making us search for more unusual and quirky foods, the popularity of smaller, niche food stores looks set to continue.