A protein journalist and communicator is encouraging participants in the food supply chain to work together to create products and marketing strategies that resonate with the growing social media audience. When it comes to food buying decisions, the introduction of the internet and the growth of social media have widened the gap between the generations.
Lisa Keefe, a protein journalist and communicator with LisaMKeefe.com, observes the rise of the internet and social media have changed how younger consumers get information about food and, while they are getting more information, they aren't always gaining more knowledge.
Quote-Lisa Keefe-LisaMKeefe.com:
The generational differences are really key, more important now than I would have said 30-40 years ago. The differences are that stark and it has to do with the rise of the internet and social media and how the younger consumers who are in their 20s, maybe early 30s at this point are getting their information much differently than their elder brethren did.
This affects the way that they feel about the world around them, about the institutions that they deal with, about the food that they eat, the cultures and the cuisines that they interact with every single day. These are younger consumers who are going to be taking these attitudes with them as they get older, so it's very important to pay attention to how their attitudes and behaviors are different from the older generations because they're going to become more and more important as they get older and have kids and have more disposable income and are shopping more.
Keefe says forward-thinking food processors and retailers have responded by changing their product formulations or adjusting their marketing approaches.
She suggests the entire supply chain would benefit if the different elements were to work together to create products from birth to plate that meet these changing consumer expectations.
Source : Farmscape.ca