Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 3/20/14

Most consumers under 30 years of age will not pick up a phone or respond to email relative to a product, so food brands must leverage social media not only to promote their brand, but also even to provide those consumers with customer service.

This, according to social media experts speaking at “The State of Food and Agribusiness” conference here hosted by the law firm Mayer Brown.

While still a force, even television is losing its draw, with more consumers ages 18 to 34 getting more information from YouTube than from any television network.

Food and restaurants are the number one topic discussed over social media forums such as Pinterest, noted Paul Rand, who holds the duel roles of president and CEO Zocalo Group and of chief digital officer, Ketchum.  

Elaine Oussoren, founder and managing director of Brand Aid Digital, said that food companies need to capture the food enthusiasts active on social media and proactively build their trust, noting social media can be a critical tool for reaching consumers with relevant information during a crisis such as a recall.
Rand noted that two-thirds of these food evangelists say they want more information than they are getting about food brands.

Land ‘O Lakes is one food brand that has seen success engaging through social media. The company’s Interactive Marketing Manager Lynne Leaf described successful Pinterest and Twitter campaigns that incorporated an alliance with respected social media food personality Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. A Thanksgiving recipe Twitter party generated over 10,000 tweets and retweets and was trending globally within 13 minutes.

Rand said business-to-business companies should not discount social media use and leave it to their customers to promote their products. Rather, it is a terrific tool to reach consumers directly. He noted coupon redemption rates could trend as high as 50 percent.

Social media is also now driving online search engine results, with typically seven out of 10 search results coming from social media sites.

In terms of types of social media content, Oussoren suggested a mix of informational content including “how to” and “why to” information, as well as some humorous content to engage consumers.

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