Tag Archives: consumer

Whether you’re managing a top national brand or working to promote a commodity, the same influencers are affecting consumer perceptions of your product.  Maybe you’re seeking to influence food trends, or maybe you just want to capitalize on them at the right time.  Either way, understanding the influencers will help you make smart decisions about the strategy for and timing of your launch or new campaign.

In parts one and two of the food trend influencers discussion, we identified wildly creative, independent chefs as the top-level trendsetters and discussed why foodservice distributors need to please them.  We talked about how rapidly those chefs influence the food media and how their ideas become  movements with consumers.

It is at that point that chain restaurants tend to act on the trends.  They, too, have been attuned to food media and realize that the trend has really caught on.  They tend to wait longer to accept a trend simply because they are less nimble and making changes is a much bigger (and expensive) process.

Once on board, these chain restaurants reinforce the trend with consumers—often in all service categories and price points.  Consumers typically try to re-create restaurant experiences at home, driving them to seek out appropriate ingredients and supplies.  Read more...