Have you noticed the black ban with salmon sandwiches sold at a known coffee chain? Have you ever order a rainbow sushi platter? Last night I had a Risotto Nero (black risotto) with seafood at one of Limassol’s hotspots. It was actually delicious, but its color is what made it really impressive.
Why is all the food suddenly becoming so colorful? Is aesthetic competing with quality? Does colour impress us more? Is it a way to attract diners? Abive all, what does Colored Food have to do with Marketing? A lot, when you see these numbers:
– There are almost 300 million food photos on Instagram (a number only surpassed by selfies)
– Diners are nearly twice as likely to post photos of their meal/drink (16%) than the people they are dining with (9%)
– 10% of consumers in the Netherlands, Australia, Spain and the US are really influenced by social media when it comes to purchasing foods and beverage, In China the number doubles!
You can say millennials are obsessed with posting food photography!
Its really good too! And it might not be such a bad thing either; photography serves as one of the most universally understood forms of communication and food is something that everyone can relate to. It can deepen the communication as it is something we all have in common. Today’s technology enables us to bridge the gap between our dining experiences and shared lives.
Meals used to be a bonding experience where families or friends would eat together and talk about their day. Today with such a fast-paced lives people eat more outside of home and many times alone. By sharing their food photos, they share the wider moment. Glancing someone’s feed you don’t just see photos of food. What you really see is moments of happiness, celebrations, accomplishments and excitement. What do all these have in common? Food! On occasions as Christmas, birthdays or weddings food is an essential part of the celebration. Food is part of the memory and people want to share it.
“Instagrammable” food
Posting food photos on Instagram is becoming more and more vital to millennials; 69% of Millennials Take Photos Of Food Before Eating; nearly three-quarters (72%) will post about their restaurant experience on social media, including one-quarter (25%) who will post photos of their meal/drink.
Exciting your Brand Ambassadors
This is where vibrant colours come in. Brands now realize the importance of their food photos posted on social media. It is a great form of promotion for restaurants and food products, as people add their location on each post letting their friends and
the world know where they are eating each amazing meal! Of course, photos need to impress, and experts decided to give an extra push by adding colour and making dishes look even more amazing than they are! Just don’t settle on quality for aesthetic.
My advice: Keep the quality high while being creative with the presentation of your dishes, and let your customers do the rest. It is a great way to earn free, authentic and credible publicity through the best Brand Ambassadors possible – your actual customers!
Let them say it with colour!
Yours truly,
Chrystalla