The
Future
of food
& Drink
How TikTok is influencing the way we eat
a new era
of Influence
The last big platform to shake up food and drink was undoubtedly Instagram. Its emphasis on the static image (before reels) encouraged creators to be precious with content.
The image needed to be perfect, as it lived a life on our profiles; a curated grid representative of who we are, or more accurately, who we want to be.
Food became incredibly stylized. The perfect poached egg and avocado toast. A smoothie bowl with symmetrical layerings of fruit and nuts on top. A humble brag of just how stylish and considered we are.
We saw a raft of food and drink influencers dominate his space. From Deliciously Ella to Clean Eating Alice.
Brands, restaurants and home interiors also got in on the act, with pastel packaging, marble surfaces, and pretty wall art, all carefully curated to complement the aesthetic.
But now, TikTok, as one of the fastest growing platforms, has an entirely different approach.
✨ It’s diverse
Its focus is on short videos, delivered (seemingly) at random to users on their For You page. You therefore don’t need to actively follow anyone. Instead, you’ll serendipitously stumble upon weird and wonderful communities you wouldn’t otherwise have discovered.
👽 It’s unpolished
The video format means posts are messier. It’s too much for the everyday curator to control every single element of a video.
We also see more of the creator and their life in the content, vs. just a perfected product. We see them in movement vs. posed, appearing much more relaxed in their domestic and personal spaces.
💃 It’s participatory
There’s a huge emphasis on ‘duetting’ (replying to videos with your own content). This means videos ‘riff’ off each other, and the discourse is laid bare for all to see. Influence no longer sits only at the top. We can see a multiplicity of perspectives, with B.S. directly called out where it needs to be.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING THE WAY WE EAT…
The future of Food & drink is freedom
WE’RE MOVING AWAY FROM SELF-CONSCIOUS, CURATED AND AESTHETICALLY-FOCUSSED FOODS, PUSHED BY INFLUENCERS & CELEBRITIES...
…AND SHIFTING TOWARD EVERYONE ‘HAVING A GO’. WE’RE COOKING IMPERFECTLY, AS ENTERTAINMENT. WE’RE PRIORITISING PLEASURE OVER PERFECTION.
Explore the shifts...
HOW WE DID IT
First, we cast our net wide. Our in-house team of Trend Researchers, Cultural Analysts and Semioticians identified hundreds of hashtags and accounts – from viral trends and top creators, through to niche hashtags and the most obscure food-related content. Nothing was off limits.
Then we went deep. Using Ignite AI – our machine learning tool – we analysed a cross-section of TikToks, representing 8,800 individual datapoints, to reveal implicit emotions and hidden cultural codes. Identifying what meaning is being communicated. Next our Semioticians built out the resulting AI clusters, combining it with signals from broader culture and pinpointing how that meaning is being communicated.
Finally, using our Human Values Framework as a lens through which to view and analyse the data, we get beyond viral trends, to a deeper human truth, and an all-important commercial opportunity.
As such, each of the 8 Food & Drink spaces we have identified represent an exciting opportunity for brands, retailers and outlets to tap into changing culture. On the platform, but more importantly, IRL.
Got questions on the topics we’ve covered – or want to find out more about how Verve can help you understand the cultural landscape for your brand?
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