Marketing Food to Millennials: Smart Brands Turn to “Hack” Mode

Offer Easy, Mobile-Friendly Solutions when Marketing Food to Millennials

Paul Rowton, vice president, GES/Edwards Food Giant in Arkansas, has a telling quote at the very end of a recent Supermarket News article, Millennials at the Meat Counter that says: “They want to cook, they just have less time than their parents did.”

Googling “Millennial Grocery” will result in all sorts of articles offering research, trends, and advice and for food brands looking to attract this growing market. Some of the information is great. For instance, this article from the New Hope Network: Millennials spending more money eating out, less time preparing food at home, points to a core trait that seems to spell bad news for food industry brands.

Brand Loyalty?

Speaking of food brands, check out this stat from Acosta’s The Why? Behind The Buy report: This generation is not yet brand loyal — 48 percent agreed they don’t care which brand they buy, and will switch when they find a better deal. 

Are all the data on Millennials shopping and cooking habits lousy news for food brands?

What can a brand do to attract the coveted Millennial?

Promote Positive Company and Brand Attributes

An excellent place to start is right at home.

The same Supermarket News article notes a brand can influence Millennials’ shopping behavior by demonstrating transparency, sourcing and animal welfare in corporate responsibility as well as good old fashioned authenticity. Give yourself a pat on the back if your brand can claim or promote any of these areas in your food marketing. We’ve reported on this before with Snacking Millennials Target Ethical Food Brands. Check out this slide show from Ethics On the Go from Culinary Visions Panel’s Mindful Dining Initiative project. You’ll find some useful data to help position your brands to align with Millennials. In short, Millennials are voting with their wallet and giving their attention to ethical brands.

Convenience is King: Switch to “Hack” Mode

So let’s pull this together and revisit Mr. Rowton’s, quote at the very end of a recent Supermarket News article, Millennials at the Meat Counter that says: “They want to cook, they just have less time than their parents did.” According to a study by The Spoon, brands need to proactively create great, easy-to-prepare recipes that use only 2-3 ingredients and be prepared in under 30 minutes.  But the recipe alone isn’t enough. Just like everyone else with a smartphone, Millennials need to be able to easily find the recipe on their mobile device and have a series of distinct steps to follow. In other words, brands need to provide Millennials with dinner hacks. It pays to offer simple, mobile-friendly solutions when marketing food to millennials.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can create a dinner hack, please reach out to the NewPoint team — interested in more food marketing topics? Please visit our “Intel” page or check out my book: Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain.