The food industry is in the midst of a historic moment. COVID-19 has forced millions of consumers to stay at home, and consumer food marketers are rethinking the ideal ways to reach and engage with them. Consumer buying behavior is shifting, social media brand engagement is skyrocketing, and at-home cooks are experimenting more than ever before. While we don’t have a clear understanding of how long these trends will last, one thing remains true: people everywhere need to eat, and food marketers must adapt to ensure that their brands remain relevant. 

Our Food and Beverage team has been working closely with clients to align their marketing strategies to this new world in which consumers are increasingly open to new flavors and online shopping, and are focused like never before on what their favorite brands stand for. This creates space for marketers to reach new customers, capitalize on e-commerce marketing, and deploy clear and concise messaging to articulate how their brand is responding throughout these trying times. At WCG, we look forward to opportunities to help your brand identify the best channels to reach consumers and move forward with resilience. 

Cuisine: Experimenting with Ethnic Flavors

Since the onset of the pandemic, cooking at home has increased by 37%. In addition, more consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are trying new foods and ethnic flavors to spice up the mundane realities of life in lockdown. Marketers are seizing on this newfound consumer interest in specialty ingredients, flavors, and recipes, and capitalizing on a rare opportunity to win over a new generation of brand loyalists. Trend research has indicated global influences are making their way into people’s homes, opening up new opportunities for brands to showcase novel flavors, offer promotions on unique products, and creatively showcase ways to use ingredients in new recipes. 

For example, our client Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently seized the moment to unveil a recipe featuring trending bold Mediterranean flavors. We developed this Za’atar Soft Pretzel with Creamy Tahini Dip recipe, promoted it across social channels and added paid elevation, plus advertised the recipe on our Amazon storefront, which led to expanded customer reach and product trial. 

Comfort is Key When Safety is Paramount

One of the largest shifts in consumer behavior during the pandemic is the massive move to online grocery shopping and delivery services. As of mid-April, U.S. and Canadian e-commerce orders have increased 129% year-over-year (YOY) and Amazon sales alone grew 40% in Q2 YOY. While COVID-19 turbocharged the trend to out-of-store purchases and home delivery, research indicates the pandemic may have permanently shifted consumer shopping behaviors. 

At WCG, we have worked with our food and beverage clients to make sure they are meeting consumers where they are increasingly shopping: online. Honing digital strategies to embrace this change can deliver important long-term benefits. Personalize content where applicable, and look for new e-commerce channels to market and sell your products. Refresh your website content often and ensure your media posts are relevant, tailored, and transparent. All of these tactics can help attract a new cohort of an older generation, first-time digital grocery shoppers in addition to digital-savvy consumers. 

One of our ingredient clients was able to grow its brand recognition in part through a website refresh featuring COVID-19 response messages highlighting ways in which the brand is protecting the health and safety of their consumers and employees. We also launched a coupon on Amazon to encourage customers to safely bake from home during quarantine. This promotion was advertised on the company’s home page, on its Amazon storefront, and circulated through a digital newsletter. This multi-pronged strategy contributed to an impressive 190% increase YOY in Amazon impressions for the brand. 

Conscientious Messaging

In times of crisis, consumers look for honesty and transparency from trusted brands. COVID-19 has presented a unique opportunity for marketers to provide reliable and relevant real-time updates about their organization and its values. Highlighting product availability, articulating brand values (particularly around health, hygiene, and safety), and providing regular and meaningful content updates are important tactics to help maintain and grow customer loyalty. Being consistent in all messaging will demonstrate to consumers your brand’s authenticity, an essential attribute in building brand loyalty and sales. 

As consumers spend more time online, food marketers have never had a better opportunity to stay connected and interact with customers in real-time via social media. Social media channels provide a seamless way for marketers to articulate their company’s COVID-19 response, demonstrate their brand purpose, and share meaningful content. 

The ongoing pandemic has upended traditional food marketing practices, opening doors to new ways of thinking about your business. For help in navigating this new reality, we encourage you to reach out to Wilks Communications Group. Our team has the expertise to help your brand explore opportunities around revamping your marketing strategy, as well as ideate and customize a strategic marketing plan tailored to your brand. To learn more about WCG Food Marketing capabilities, please reach out to hello@wilksgrp.com for more information and visit our YouTube channel to see our food content video capabilities.