Five Ways to Get Creative with Your Food Marketing
Everyone loves to eat and everyone loves food. What does that mean for farmers and agricultural-based businesses? It means that they need to get creative with their marketing techniques.
While everyone can tell you the food they grow or sell is healthy, delicious and a great value, today it’s all about how you say these things. Want to get heard in the crowded food-based marketplace? Here are some fun and different ways farmers, grocers, restaurants and any other foodies can get noticed (heck, you might even become a viral sensation).
- Inject a little humor. Food doesn’t have to be a serious issue. Sure, you can scare Americans into believing they won’t survive without the vitamins and minerals in your food but they’ll respond better to a little humor.
- Do some good deeds (and make sure people know about it). Does your farm, dairy or restaurant donate leftovers to the local food bank? Post about it on social media. You’ll still be doing a (very) good deed but you’ll get credit for it, as well. Consumers want to know they are supporting organizations that are making a difference in their community.
- Let your customers get to know you. Are you a restaurant that gets its food from local farms? Make sure that information is printed on the menu. Do you hire veterans? Anything unique about your food-based business should be celebrated.
- Pay attention to packaging. Earth-friendly packaging is huge trend and so is vintage wrapping. Today’s consumers are environmentally conscious and frown upon waste. Vintage wrapping and packaging gives consumers the feeling that their food is made in small batches and is more personalized.
- Know your target market. How you market your food will depend a great deal on your target audience. Mothers of young children want to know that everything that goes on their children’s plate is pure and natural. Millennials want to know they are purchasing food from environmentally-conscious companies. Families on the go want quick, healthy options that don’t break the bank. Make sure your marketing messages tell your target audience what they want to hear.
When you are selling food you are selling a feeling or idea, as well. Make sure your food product doesn’t get passed over by a particular market segment because it wasn’t marketed to attract those unique consumers!