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prodUced BY
TAKING A BITE OUT OF
THE FOODIE PHENOMENON
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FOODIE CULTURE,
PLUS TOP TIPS FOR ACTIVATING AT FOODIE EVENTS
sprinG 2012
e v o l U t i o n o F
t H e F o o d i e
ah, food. We need it. We crave it. and we frequently overindulge in it. But for a certain
segment of the consumer population, the food we eat is about so much more than
mere sustenance and guilty pleasure. For a group popularly referred to as “foodies,”
food has become a lifestyle, a cultural currency, a hobby and for some, an obsession.
Inside
This Issue:
1
evolution of the
Foodie
2
Foodies at a
Glance
3-4
3
tips for activating
at Foodie events
Must see Foodie
resources
The evidence of our food-obsessed culture is hard to miss. From the cable networks
like Food network and the cooking channel and the TV shows like Top Chef and
Chopped to the magazines and food blogs that grow in number every year, the passion
for food knowledge and discovery—about its origins, flavors, aromas, preparation
techniques, and history—appears to be insatiable. and the quest for knowledge
doesn’t stop there. Those who are shaking up the food world with their pairings,
recipes, restaurant concepts and innovative ideas are also driving the average food
aficionados’ thirst for information. as a result, chefs and even food writers have
assumed a level of celebrity status never seen before.
driving this groundswell of passionate food fans, in part, is a concept called “experiential
Wealth.” in the wake of the 2008 recession, luxury consumers in particular began
changing or re-thinking their purchasing habits and instead of acquiring trendy or
more conspicuous goods, they began paying more attention to experiences. This
new value set gained momentum as upscale consumers traded in the bold statement
pieces they used to buy to signify wealth and status and started taking a stronger
interest in dining experiences. “it was no longer just about acquiring items,” says Mark
solotroff, planning director at legacy Marketing partners. “it became more about
how your wealth could be determined by the company you keep, whether it’s family,
friends or business contacts, and the memorable things you do together, like unique
restaurant visits, dining al fresco, travelling and other shared experiences.”
since then, the trend has quickly trickled down and across a broad segment of
consumer demographics. Mainstream consumers from all income brackets now also
revel in the cultural caché of learning and speaking about food, and can be found in
just as equal measure as their higher-income counterparts. indeed, regardless of their
social or financial status, all foodies love to savor the experience of what they eat,
from farm to table and everywhere in between.
For marketers of food brands and non-consumables alike, foodies represent a largely
untapped and lucrative demographic that’s well organized, highly passionate, growing in
number and ripe for the kinds of multisensory experiences they crave. While many foodies
flock to food events, restaurants and tastings, there are few who have been exposed
to a more strategically savvy and highly immersive brand encounter that goes beyond a
tasty sample and becomes something memorable and worth sharing with friends. The
opportunity to make a meaningful connection, for food brands and non-endemic brands
ranging from credit cards to cars to travel, is growing as quickly as the craze itself.
Here, we arm you with just a taste of the knowledge you need to make the foodie
connection and feed their appetite for more. n
to learn more about connecting to Foodies and other top consumer segments, visit legacymp.com or call 312.799.5477
1
F o o d i e s
a t
a
Within the world of foodies there are three distinct subsets:
upscale foodies, mainstream foodies and industry
influencers. They all have a passion for the culinary scene
and in-depth food knowledge, but represent three unique
sub-targets for marketers. Here’s a snapshot of each:
Mainstream Foodies
Mainstream foodies are less focused on high-end cuisine
and are instead heavy consumers of popular TV shows,
magazines, blogs and websites dedicated to learning
about different types of food. This do-it-yourself consumer
has a voracious appetite for gathering new ideas that they
can integrate into their own at-home meal planning. They
actively seek out recipes that mix mainstream ingredients
with more exotic items, and they like to infuse their weekly
repertoire with a bit of international flair. Many mainstream
foodies are writing about their experiences on personal
blogs and some are even gaining reputations as popular
food bloggers. These are the consumers who are paying
the most attention to mainstream celebrity chefs with TV
shows and books, and collectively make up a very powerful
segment of the foodie demographic.
Upscale Foodies
In the months after the recession, affluent consumers
began to seek dining excursions that centered on the
type of restaurant, the quality of the food, who was
cooking the food and the atmosphere and setting. Onehour dinners suddenly became two or three-hour culinary
journeys. And the cultural currency for the rich and very
rich expanded to include conversations about eating at
certain restaurants as a declaration of status, income level
and taste. In essence, the rising foodie culture collided
with the post-recession affluent buyer and created a firstever opportunity for luxury marketers to bring the two
together in new and interesting ways. “If you’re working in
Mainstream Foodies
• All HHI levels
• Watches the Food Network
• Reads the Food Network
Magazine, Cooking, Gourmet
• Seeks out new food
experiences online
• May blog about food
• Admires celebrity chefs
G l a n c e
this upper tier of the food world, you’re demonstrating a
sophistication that goes hand in hand with luxury vehicles,
apparel, furnishings and more,” Solotroff says.
Industry Influencers
This group of established chefs, restaurateurs, writers,
publishers, bloggers and industry entrepreneurs who
are creating and designing restaurants and restaurant
“concepts” are a very influential and trendsetting bunch
that should not be overlooked for any foodie campaign.
Food writers especially have very loyal followings and
can wield a lot of credibility to your program if there is a
genuine connection that can be leveraged at a live event.
“As influencers they’re really important people because
they’re sending people in different directions to experience
food and to taste and to learn,” says Solotroff.
The key to making the connection? Showing upscale,
industry and mainstream consumers that you’re more
than just an opportunist with a platter of tasty samples.
And for non-food brands, proving that there’s more than a
faint dotted line connecting your brand to their passion for
food. Read on for seven strategies you can use to show
the foodie tribes that you belong—while still standing out.n
Upscale Foodies
Industry Influencers
• 30+, affluent, world traveler
• Quality-driven, pays more
attention to types and sources
of ingredients
• Attends chef demos and
upscale tastings
• Takes foodie classes
• Admires elite restaurant chefs
(not household names)
• Celebrity and up-and-coming
chefs
• Restaurateurs
• Established food writers, critics,
bloggers
To learn more about connecting to Foodies and other top consumer segments, visit legacymp.com or call 312.799.5477
2
T i p s f o r A c t i v a t i n g
a t F o o d i e E v e n t s
Food events are a fast-growing and vibrant sponsorship
platform for engagement with foodies of all types. From
the mountains of Aspen to the beaches of Miami, each
food festival attracts a large and diverse subset of foodies
that are hungry not only for exotic flavors, but information
that will boost their social currency. Here are seven tips for
activating at food events:
Go Beyond Grazing
Food events are literally overflowing with food booths
offering little more than samples served in tiny plastic
cups. Differentiate your brand by creating an immersive
on-site experience with multiple touch points. For GREEN
& BLACK’S Organic Chocolate, Legacy developed a live
and digital Discovery Tour that visited top food events like
Chicago Gourmet, the Food Network New York Wine &
Food festival and the James Beard Foundation Awards.
Consumers visited tutorial stations in a highly tactile
environment where they could sample all 13 GREEN &
BLACK’S flavors and learn about the brand’s Fair Trade
certification and organic ingredients. They could take a fun,
interactive taste quiz on iPads (or on the brand’s Facebook
page) to determine their “chocolate personality” and
receive a flight of three chocolate flavor recommendations
best suited to their taste. Participants could then email
themselves their results.
Talk Passion, Not Selling Points
Whether you’re activating for a chocolate brand or an auto
brand, craft your message so it adds incremental value to
the attendee experience. Don’t just roll in with the same
activation you used at your last event. Cater and customize
every detail of the experience so it enhances the passion
points foodies already possess. One way to ensure
this happens is to provide in-depth training for brand
ambassadors that enable them to talk in the first person,
Want to
get a taste
of Foodie
action
without
hitting all
the usual
suspects?
1. The Fashion of Food Conference
Check
out these
morsels:
5. Weekly Farmers’ Markets
i.e. “When I was at the test kitchen,” or “When I was in
the cocoa field.” Foodies are savvy and will know if your
on-site staffers are parroting selling points back to them.
Build credibility and provide a platform for the exchange of
real passion and excitement by bringing in the experts. For
a Glenlivet activation at several marquee foodie events,
Legacy brought in an elite group of brand ambassadors
that had been trained extensively in Scotland on product
attributes and how to conduct Scotch tastings, among
other things. For another activation at the New York Wine
& Food Festival, New York’s top Chivas brand ambassador
was brought in to sample and educate guests about the
different Chivas marques.
This one-of-a-kind conference provides unprecedented access to the people, places and ideas shaping the collision of food,
fashion and media.
2. The James Beard Foundation Awards
The nation’s most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries.
3. BlogHer Food Conference
This two-day conference brings food bloggers together to learn, share, inspire, and eat.
4.RoadTripsForFoodies.com
A robust website with great details on Foodie tours, Foodie events and cooking classes across the country.
Chefs, everyday home cooks and travelers are developing an appreciation for farmers’ markets. Our favorites include NYC’s
Union Square and Chicago’s Green Market.
6. Culinary Institute of America
Hosts weekend long boot camps and culinary travel excursions to explore and learn alongside many of country’s most renowned chefs.
To learn more about connecting to Foodies and other top consumer segments, visit legacymp.com or call 312.799.5477
3
the experience must be scalable to fit their commitment,”
says Chris Kapsalis, General Manager at Legacy. “We call
that ‘Depth of Engagement,’ and we purposely develop
tactics that appeal to short interactions all the way up to a
lengthy engagement.”
Bring ’Em Back for More
If you’re sampling the same products all day long, foodies
have no incentive to come back to your booth (other than
to snatch another sample). Create a “curriculum” that
gives attendees multiple reasons to come back to the
booth again and again, to learn more, discover more and
boost that level of food currency they so desire. GREEN &
BLACK’S created a series of 10-minute on-site seminars
on “How to Taste Chocolate” that took place throughout the
day. In the “Constructing Taste” experience, for example,
they competed in small groups to build chocolate tiramisu.
In “Two Truths and a Lie,” they tested their knowledge
of chocolate. Prizes such as wine charms and tote bags
sweetened the offer, and a lead capture tool on their first
visit offered a texting service that would remind attendees
when another seminar was starting.
Cater to the Nuances
Every foodie event draws a diverse crowd of attendees
ranging from the super snacker to the serious gourmet,
but the demographics can vary greatly. Develop your
activation strategy so it speaks directly to the base (i.e.
mainstream foodies in flip-flops and shorts at South
Beach versus upscale foodies sporting the Ralph Lauren
collection in Aspen), while remaining consistent with your
brand message. One way to appeal to a diverse audience
is to give consumers multiple ways to explore, learn and
go as deep as they want, in the time that they want.
“You have to realize that consumers will invest different
amounts of time with your brand at a foodie event, so
Offer Rare Access
We know that bringing something to the party that foodies
can’t get anywhere else is one way to stand out in a crowd.
So consider bringing in a chef, expert, blogger or other
luminary that foodies will be clamoring to see or meet.
Maybe it’s the chef at the restaurant no one can get into.
Or the organic farming guru that started the movement.
Upscale foodies are even more intrigued by these offers
of rare, one-on-one moments—it only adds to their quest
for status. At Chicago Gourmet 2011, ABSOLUT Vodka
brought in mixologists from the city’s top restaurants and
bars to prepare proprietary cocktails, and provide custom
drink recipes. Nearly 4,000 consumers took part.
Leverage at Retail
Extending your program from the food festival to the local
grocery outlet not only endears local retailers to your
brand (and may even earn you some better shelf space
in the process), it helps drive measurable ROI. Foodie
events can also be a more effective sales platform than
other, non-endemic events because the context is so
much more powerful. A coupon for chocolate at an event
is nice, but a great offer for chocolate after consumers
have tried several samples and learned something new
about fair trade organic chocolate closes the loop and
more effectively drives consumers straight to purchase.
Follow Up and Integrate
You’ve piqued their passion and fed their appetite for
knowledge. Don’t let your foodies walk away! Strategize
before the event how you will generate meaningful follow-up
after the event is over. How does the lead generation data
fold into your CRM plan? What about your social media
mix? “Make sure they’re not a standalone island in your
marketing mix but really integrated into everything else
you’re doing,” suggests Kapsalis.
GREEN & BLACK’S leveraged social media sites including
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr to support the tour.
Consumers could enter the Taste Discovery Sweepstakes
for a chance to win dinner for two at the James Beard
House and a trip to New York City. n
About Legacy Marketing Partners
Legacy is one of the top Engagement Marketing agencies because we create Brand Love for our clients. Our programs have won numerous
EX, Reggie and PRO awards. Specializing in Branded Platforms, Consumer Outreach, Sponsorship Activation, Stakeholder Experiences and
Digital/Social, we pride ourselves not only on the strength of our service, but the length of our partnerships with such clients as ABSOLUT,
Chivas, L’Oreal Paris, GE, Negra Modelo, Cadbury, and Keurig. Headquartered in Chicago, we have an active presence in 76 U.S. markets,
plus Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. Our recent Foodie programs include GREEN & BLACK’S Taste Discovery Tour and Pernod
Ricard’s presence at NY Wine & Food, Chicago Gourmet, and South Beach Wine & Food.
To learn more about connecting to Foodies and other top consumer segments, visit legacymp.com or call 312.799.5477
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