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5 min read

Feeding the Digital Age: How Technology Reshaped Food Marketing

Picture of Priya Pandit Priya Pandit : Oct 9, 2024 12:01:12 PM

Small Business Guides Social Media Management

 

Throughout this blog, we dive into food marketing and how technology has progressed through the years, specifically talking about how social media embraced food marketing. As with our previous blogs, we won't be adding any 'jargon', so it's understandable for anyone. Let's get started! 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. THE PRE-DIGITAL ERA
  2. THE DIGITAL AGE EMERGED
  3. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
  4. LEVERAGING DATA - THE MISSING LINK
  5. STILL HUNGRY?
  6. WHAT NEXT?

THE PRE-DIGITAL ERA

Let's take a trip back in time...way back in the 1800s, food brands traditionally advertised locally using illustrations such as murals and word of mouth. Consumers had no choice but to use their local shops due to the short life span of products. Skip forward a hundred years and the first shift in marketing began. With the arrival of radio and TV, brands found a new way to stand out, using catchy jingles and slogans that etched into the minds of consumers. In 1973, the UK's first commercial radio (London Broadcasting Company) was funded predominantly by advertising and was the first to broadcast an advert for Birds Eye Food. 
 
We saw billboards showcasing fast food promotions and TV adverts that made household names out of brands selling their products, such as cereal, snacks and drinks. Magazines containing mouth-watering recipes were showcased with elegant images to entice readers. Flyers were even delivered straight to your door, tempting you to try something new. This marked a new era where brands were becoming more creative and reaching a larger audience.

These methods were effective in their time and reaching a large audience built brand recognition and trust. However, they needed something more crucial - Personalised messaging and direct consumer engagement. This means that marketing was a one-way street, and consumers only engaged with the brands through word of mouth or at the point of sale.An old advert of a girl holding up two Stollwerck products with the logo above her. This is to give a visual of what adverts typically looked like in the pre digital era.

Above are the types of adverts you would typically see in the pre-digital area. These would be found in newspapers, posters, and on billboards. 

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THE DIGITAL AGE EMERGED

By the 90's, we saw the second and the most significant shift in marketing with the birth of the internet. As people started to go online, food brands had to step up their game and adapt. It was no longer enough to rely on traditional marketing methods, and they had to go digital. Websites began popping up, offering everything from recipes, articles, products, and so much more! Then came email marketing, bridging that much-needed gap connecting directly with consumers.
 
At this point, marketing had already spanned illustrations, TV, radio, billboards, magazines, websites and email marketing. As we started to learn more about the art of digital, our appetite grew, and this wasn't going to stop. By the early 2000s, the rise of social media and mobile phones had really started to shape and unleash what digital marketing would become.
 
One stand-out moment that happened in 2012 was when Coca-Cola launched its first major social media campaign on Facebook. It was a great example of how the gap in personalisation was eradicated. This campaign was one of the most effective, so for the first time, the focus was not just on Coca-Cola as a brand. It was about you, the individual. After all, you can't get any more personal than having your name on the famous Coca-Cola bottle...or can you? Here's the full story.
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THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

As platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (to name a few) emerged, food brands had a whole new way to connect with consumers and provide personalised and interactive ways of marketing their products. This marked the start of two-way communication, which was lacking up to this point. People could engage, interact, ask questions and share reviews with their favourite brands in ways that were not possible before. Fun fact: Food-related content is the most watched content on social media. As social media evolved, brands started going beyond just posts. They began partnering with influencers, food bloggers and YouTubers who could reach highly targeted audiences. This had a considerable impact, shaping consumer buying decisions in a whole new way.

A graphic of a business person on the left, followed by popular social media app icons, ending in a person. All are connected through swirls to display how businesses can now connect with a consumer through social media.

Above is a graphic that displays the connection between a business and a consumer through social media. It is now easier than ever for a business to connect directly with its customers.

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LEVERAGING DATA - THE MISSING LINK

So, what was the missing link until digital marketing came along? The simple answer is the extent of data that became available! The art of digital marketing opened the door to a wealth of information, giving food brands the power to really understand their consumers. Through the use of platforms such as Google, Facebook and Instagram, food brands can now use precise targeting, reaching people based on their demographics, location and interests. Marketing strategies are heavily shaped based on data, meaning food brands can deliver the right message, tailor their marketing messages to the right audience at the right time and continuously enhance campaigns to improve performance further.
 
A prime example is local restaurants running ads targeted at their audience within a set mile radius (show image) who have an interest in their cuisine.
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STILL HUNGRY?

When you compare the events above, so much has changed over the years, But is this enough? The marketing activities so far are illustrations, TV, radio, billboards, magazines, websites, email marketing, social media, paid online advertising, targeted local marketing campaigns and activities. With advances in the digital world, food brands have further amplified marketing efforts to incorporate e-commerce platforms and food delivery apps, such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat. This gave food brands and restaurants an entirely new channel to reach their customers. With the creation of online orders, consumers can now order groceries such as snacks, soup, milk and bread, takeaways, and easy-to-cook meals - bypassing traditional grocery shops and encouraging consumers to go directly to their website. Examples of this are brands such as Hello Fresh, Gousto, Amazon Groceries, and food delivery apps. These brands have used digital marketing to create a seamless customer experience right from the start to purchase, resulting in delivering personalised meal solutions or products right to the consumer's front door.
 
These brands saw their revenue skyrocket during the Covid pandemic, and Uber Eats reported a turnover in 2021 of over £60m.
 
"66% of surveyed Uber Eats users say that food delivery apps made it easier to access high-quality food, and 68% to discover a new restaurant in their local area. 83% of Uber Eats users told us that they were satisfied with their experience of using the app":  https://ubereats.publicfirst.co.uk/
 A photo of an old advert from a newspaper advertising Foster Clark's Soup in focus and series of other foods. On the right is somebody holding a phone over a laptop, both devices displaying UberEats to display how digital advertising is now. Separating the images is a paper tear.

On the left, you will be able to see a series of ads from the pre-digital age, whereas on the right are current ads. Having these side by side showcases how far advertising has come over time. 

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WHAT NEXT?

Digital Marketing signifies a fundamental transformation in the way food brands engage with consumers. Yet, traditional marketing efforts are still essential for the food industry. Consumers nowadays expect food brands and restaurants to give a personalised and engaged experience. The art of digital marketing has made this possible. They are able to create a deeper, meaningful connection with their audience through digital marketing on numerous platforms, from social media campaigns, influencers, apps, targeted ads, search engine optimisation (meaning people can find them online), websites and the list goes on. Adapting to digital marketing is a necessity for long-term success. 
Thanks for joining me on this journey through the evolution of food marketing! I hope you found it as fascinating as I did. If you’ve got any thoughts, questions, or just want to chat more about this topic, feel free to reach out - I’d love to hear from you.
If you're in the food industry and need help with digital marketing, give us a call or book a free consultation with me to see how we can help elevate your online presence.
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