When it comes to food products, standing out is no cakewalk.
With your consumers’ tastes constantly changing and competition heating up all around you, your food brand has to do more than just develop great-tasting and convenient products — you also need creative and laser-targeted marketing strategies that your audience will happily eat up.
So, if it’s creative and targeted marketing strategies you’re looking for, then you’ve come to the right place, food marketer!
Whether you’re a small organic farm, a niche snack company, or a large-scale food producer, we’re diving into the top 15 food marketing strategies that every food marketer should know to boost your brand visibility, encourage brand loyalty, and keep your food brand top of mind for your hungry customers!
Understanding the Food Marketing Landscape
So, what makes food marketing such a challenge? And why is it in a league of its own in terms of consumers and competition?
Here are a few reasons to consider:
- Shifting Consumer Preferences — Today's consumers are more health-conscious, and looking for more organic, plant-based, and sustainable options for themselves and their families (especially the kiddos!). Food brands who want to stay relevant need to align their marketing with these growing trends
- Seasonal and Local Demand — The food industry often has to cater to changing seasons (e.g., summer BBQs, holiday feasts, the rise of pumpkin spice every fall) and regional tastes, which requires targeted campaigns for specific times of the year and local markets.
- Digital Transformation — Social media and digital platforms have revolutionized how food brands interact with their consumers. Influencer marketing, user-generated content, and social media campaigns are now valuable tools for food brands to have in their arsenals.
- Regulatory Challenges — Food marketing has strict regulations it has to keep up with regarding labeling, health claims, and safety standards. Compliance with laws like FDA guidelines is crucial to avoid legal issues and keep consumer’s trust.
- The Power of Visuals — High-quality visuals are key to capturing attention, especially on social media. Whether it’s appetizing food photography or mouth-watering video content, visuals drive engagement and help convert hungry leads into hungry customers.
- Competitive Market — With countless food choices out there all competing for attention, differentiation is critical. Innovative branding and unique product offerings can help you stand out in this crowded market.
The Best Food Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Brand
Now that we’ve explored a little more about the food marketing landscape, it’s time to dive into the main course!
Whether your audience is the locals around you or you’re trying to scale globally, these tried-and-true strategies can help you make your mark and take your brand to the next level.
1. Build a Strong Brand Identity
Your brand identity is more than just a name and a logo — or at least it should be if done correctly!
In a crowded market like the food industry, building up a memorable identity around your brand is what can set you apart.
Chobani, Doritos, Kashi Go, Ben & Jerry’s, Nature’s Valley — all of these food brands have created a memorable brand identity that goes beyond their products. They’ve all developed a unique voice, message, and lifestyle that really resonates with their target audience and, to stand out, your brand has to do the same.
From your logo to your brand voice to your visuals, your brand should convey your values and give your audience a reason to go grab your products off the shelf!
2. Tell Your Story in an Interesting Way
A good brand story is a story that your audience will remember.
Many consumers don’t just buy products after all, they buy into the story behind them. So, why not share the “why” behind your brand?
Did your product come from a secret family recipe? A passion for eating clean? A desire to have a convenient snack that packs all the nutrition and flavor it can into one package?
Whatever it might be, if you can tell your brand story in a way that makes an emotional connection with your audience, you have a much better likelihood of staying memorable and creating loyal customers out of your audience.
3. Get Active on the Socials
Whether we like it or not, we live in a world ruled by likes, shares, and comments.
So, don’t fight it, join in! Build a strong presence on social media and engage with your customers where they spend most of their time.
If you’re looking for ways to get the ball rolling on strengthening your social media presence, here are some ideas:
- Share behind-the-scenes content — Give your followers a peek into your brand’s daily life. Whether it's your product development process, team activities, or how you source your ingredients, showing the human side of your brand helps build authenticity and trust and keeps your customers’ attention!
- Host live Q&A sessions — Engage directly with your audience by hosting live Q&As. This is a great opportunity to answer any customer questions about your products, share your brand story, or just connect on a more personal level.
- Run interactive polls and quizzes — Polls and quizzes are a fun way to engage your audience while simultaneously gathering some valuable insights about their preferences. Ask them to vote on their favorite flavors, products, or packaging designs, and use this feedback to inform any future decisions.
- Post user-generated content — Encourage followers to contribute their own content for your social media, website, and marketing purposes (more on this below!).
- Share recipes or tips — Posting content like recipe ideas, cooking tips, or product hacks offers real value to your audience. It also positions your brand as a helpful resource to keep your followers coming back for more.
- Leverage stories and reels — Short-form content like Instagram stories or TikTok reels are great for quick, engaging updates. Show a product in action, share behind-the-scenes clips, or create fun challenges that encourage followers to participate.
- Engage with your audience — Don’t just post content—interact! Reply to comments, answer direct messages, and engage with followers who mention your brand. Building conversations helps create a loyal and engaged community.
4. Harness the Power of User-Generated Content
Loyal customers are the best kind of brand advocates, so let them tell your story for you!
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to build trust and expand your reach through authentic word-of-mouth recommendations to your customers from their own peers.
And to get this marketing gold, we recommend doing everything you can! Here are some ways you can effectively source UGC from your happy customers:
- Branded hashtags — Encourage your audience to use certain fun, unique hashtags when sharing their experiences with your products to make the content easier to collect and promote.
- Repost customer content — Share UGC on your own social channels to show appreciation to your contributors and build a sense of community around your brand.
- Create contests or challenges — Run social media challenges or giveaways that encourage your customers to get in on the fun and share creative photos, videos, or reviews featuring your products.
- Feature testimonials — Highlight customer reviews or stories on your website, social media, or email campaigns to add credibility and authenticity to your brand.
- Incorporate UGC into ads — User-generated content can be used in paid ads to give them a more genuine, relatable feel that resonates better with potential customers.
*For more ways to source UGC, click here to read our recent blog about user-generated content strategies!
5. Team Up with Influencer Partnerships
Two heads is better than one, they say.
And for brands with an active social media presence, influencer marketing can be your ticket to expanding your reach and getting your food product in front of as many new eyes as possible in a way that digital ads just can’t replicate.
Whether it’s food bloggers, fitness enthusiasts, or lifestyle influencers, these partnerships are perfect for creating authentic connections between your brand and consumers, from a source that they’re already familiar with and trust.
Influencers can showcase your products in relatable ways — through reviews, recipe ideas, or even unboxing videos that feel more like recommendations from a friend than paid promotions!
6. Invest in Your Packaging
First impressions matter and your packaging is the first thing your customers will see.
Whether it’s on a shelf in an online store, attractive and eye-catching food packaging design can make all the difference in a customer’s mind — and can make or break a potential sale!
Investing in a professional packaging designer is key to getting the kind of packaging that not only reflects your brand’s values and identity but grab’s attention on the shelves.
7. The Importance of Local SEO
If your customers can’t find you, they can’t buy from you.
Optimizing your online presence for local SEO will make sure that your brand is discoverable by nearby consumers searching for food products like yours. So, be sure to use tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs to identify region-specific keywords and sprinkle them in your website copy — in product descriptions, blogs, geo-targeted ads, whatever content you have so that your local customers have no trouble finding you when searching for similar products online.
Additionally, if you have a brick-and-mortar store, you should also optimize your Google My Business profile to keep your brand at the top when locals are online looking for their next meal or snack.
8. Stay Up With the Trends
In an industry that’s constantly evolving, your brand must evolve along with it to stay relevant and competitive.
Staying ahead of trends like plant-based foods, fad diets, or the latest viral food challenge is crucial to keep your brand up-to-date and top-of-mind. By quickly adapting to trends and even incorporating them into your marketing, you can showcase that your brand is innovative and responds to its consumers desires!
9. Collaborate with Brands That Complement
When it comes to generating hype, two brands can be better than one!
Partnering with complementary brands (i.e., a cheese brand teaming up with a wine brand, chip brands with dip brands, health food with wellness brands) can open doors to new audiences and boost both your brands’ value and visibility!
No matter what two products you’re pairing, these strategic collaborations will let you tap into new customer bases and offer something fresh and exciting to both sets of followers!
10. Create Appetizing Content
Content is king, so be sure that your brand is pumping out the kind of content marketing your audience wants to see!
If you need some ideas for mouth-watering content your audience will happily eat up, here are some suggestions!
- Professional food photography — Invest in high-quality images that make your product look deliciously irresistible. Lighting, angles, and composition are key to making your food appetizing!
- Engaging video content — Short, dynamic videos like recipe tutorials, “how it’s made” clips, or product demos grab attention and are perfect for social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
- Create recipes featuring your product — Show how many uses your product has by developing creative and easy-to-follow recipes that your followers can try at home! Bonus points if they’re seasonal or trend-driven!
- Behind-the-scenes content — Give your audience a sneak peek into the production process, ingredient sourcing, or even the day-to-day operations of your brand. This humanizes your brand and builds trust with your audience!
- Use customer-generated content — Remember that user-generated content we talked about earlier? Use it! On landing pages, social media, your website, email marketing campaigns and more, UGC is great for social proof, spreading positive word-of-mouth, and positively influencing consumer behavior!
- Social media stories and reels — Use Instagram stories, reels, and TikTok to share quick, snackable content that shows your product in action, whether it’s being used in a recipe or being enjoyed by customers on the go.
- Seasonal or themed visuals — Tweak your content to align with holidays, seasons, or trends (like pumpkin spice season or summer road trip snacks), keeping your brand fresh and relevant all year long!
11. Email Marketing to Stay Top-of-Mind
You know what they say; out of sight, out of mind.
It’s especially true for customers who are getting bombarded by different ads and products all day long. So, keep your food brand top of mind with a solid email marketing strategy.
Email marketing helps you stay connected with your audience via their inbox by sending valuable content like exclusive deals, delicious recipes, or the latest updates with your brand.
Personalization is key here. Once you create an email list, be sure to segment it by demographic, referral source, or consumer behavior so that you can be better equipped to offer content and offers that are tailored to each segment’s interest, stage of the buyer journey, and purchasing history!
12. Tasting Events and Pop-Up Experiences
There’s a reason supermarkets like Costco are always handing out free samples of goodies.
There’s no better way to win over your customers than by giving them a (free) first hand experience of your tasty, tasty products.
Pop-up events and tastings can create a buzz around your brand and offer a memorable, in-person connection. Whether you put up a table at a farmer’s market, a grocery store, a local festival, carnival, or other event, these experiences can turn curious visitors into loyal fans!
13. Promotions and Loyalty Programs
Everyone loves to get a good deal, especially your loyal customers.
Offering promotions, discounts, and loyalty programs is a fantastic way to create excitement around your brand and incentivize repeat purchases.
Whether it’s a “buy one, get one” deal, a free birthday snack, or some kind of point-based rewards system, these strategies will keep your customers engaged and hungry for more!
14. Optimize for eCommerce
Shopping for food is no longer just an in-store thing. It’s online and it’s in demand.
As more and more consumers turn to online shopping for everything from their wardrobe to their pantry, making sure your brand is optimized for eCommerce sales (especially for brick-and-mortar stores) is crucial to getting more sales.
And once you have an online store, be sure that your eCommerce web design provides your customers with a seamless shopping experience with easy navigation, clear product descriptions, and a fast and easy checkout process.
Additionally, partnering with online delivery services or offering subscription boxes is also a way for you to get your brand a competitive edge!
15. Be Sustainable
More and more customers are caring about the planet, so your brand should too.
Sustainability shouldn’t just be a buzzword, because it’s a priority for many of today’s eco-conscious shoppers.
So, appeal to their interests. Highlight your brand’s commitment to eco-friendly practices, whether it’s your biodegradable packaging, your locally sourced ingredients, or your brand’s personal efforts to reduce food waste.
Having sustainability as one of your brand values not only attracts like-minded consumers and helps build trust, it’s just the right thing to do!
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Looking for a Food Marketing Partner to Serve Up Success for Your Brand?
If you’re looking at these 15 food marketing tactics and wishing you could start implementing them right away, only …
- You don’t have enough time in your day
- You lack the resources and tools
- You lack a creative team
… then there’s still a way you can get it done.
Why not partner with Designity?
Designity is made up of the top 3% of all of the talented creatives who apply each year, meaning that our creative community is the best of the best in fields like graphic design, video production, motion graphics, copywriting, web design, SEO, packaging design, and more — all the moving parts you need to boost your food advertising efforts and get the assets you need to boost your visibility and build relationships with your followers.
And with a Creative Director — a marketing and design expert who understands consumers and the food marketing industry — handling your account, you can get it all done without spending hours and hours of your work day sourcing freelancers and quality checking your marketing collateral.
Why not check out our food marketing service page and portfolio to see how Designity has been the perfect answer for food brands just like yours?
If our style is the peanut butter to your chocolate, then why not book a demo call today? We’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test drive our 100+ design and marketing services and see for yourself why Designity is the food marketing partner your brand has been waiting for.
Are you ready to elevate your food brand?
