Consider the following scenario: You’re a brand that offers healthy foods packed with fruits and vegetables. You know your products are high in nutritional value and delicious. But the majority of the imagery shared on social media depicts wildly unhealthy foods, like greasy burgers and decadent desserts. How do you vie for a position with your target market in a social media-driven food culture that has coined the #FoodPorn tag to share just such imagery?
Numerous news stories within the last two months have reported that juice company Bolthouse Farms has found a way to get in the middle of these social discussions. Their interactive site, Food Porn Index, which launched earlier this year, “uses a custom algorithm to track how many times certain food hashtags are used on Twitter and Instagram, updating every 15 minutes,” according to an article on NPR blog, The Salt. The index compares the social sharing of junk food imagery with that of fruits and veggies and gives visitors a creative and engaging experience along the way.
Another article, featured on fastcoexist.com points out that “about 70% of #FoodPorn photos are junk food. That’s actually a slight improvement since the site first launched, which is part of the goal.” So far, Bolthouse Farms’ tactic has not only paid off in increasing shares of healthy food images. While the company’s tact is undoubtedly edgy (Bolthouse’s chief marketing & innovation officer even admitted he didn’t think the company’s lawyers would ok the use of the phrase “food porn,” according to a NY Times piece) they were invited to be a featured case study during the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Summit last month, as stated in a company press release. Michelle Obama was the Summit’s keynote speaker and is also the honorary chair of the organization.
Food industry expert Jill Frank agreed that Bolthouse Farms’ tact in creating the Food Porn Index is a smart one. “I find it totally refreshing to see a company promoting fruits and vegetables in a unique, non–pushy, encouraging way toward teens and adults,” She said. “It is just a unique marketing twist.”
What do you think? Leave your comments below…
Read more about Bolthouse Farm’s Food Porn Index via these sources:
Fast Company
The New York Times
NPR
Business 2 Community
PR Newswire
Marketing Land
Food Manufacturing
The Core
Food Product Design
Food & Beverage Magazine
Register for access to ULProspector.com
The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL or its affiliates.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL or the content author.
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.
UL does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.