The word ‘evangelist’ may conjure up connotations of religious fervour, but as we move further and further into the 21st century, the word is taking on more secular power and lending its avid enthusiasm to other movements. One such shift is happening in the food industry, and in this two-part blog series, we take a closer look at who the Food eVangelist is – what drives them and how this shapes their actions; while in part II we look at how the opinions of today’s Food eVangelist as parent is affecting their children – the mainstream food consumer of tomorrow.
The cohort ‘food eVangelist’ was first identified about two years ago by Ketchum, one of the world’s largest public relations and marketing agencies. Ketchum operates in 70 different countries, including South Africa; and in 2008 it began the Food 2020 study – its goal was to understand and predict the shifts in attitudes and behaviours experienced by consumers with regards to food production and processing. In 2013, after studying the general population to see how it thought, felt and acted around food; it identified two distinct groups: the Food eVangelists – those who are informed and actively share their opinions about food, in person and online; and the Food Involved – those that listen to them.
When first identified, the Food eVangelists were seen as a small, but powerful group of ‘influencers’ – marketing parlance for those that wield the power to influence followers. But in two short years their numbers have grown and they are now less the influencer and more the mainstream – definitely something that all food-related industry, including meat wholesalers, should keep in mind as we move into a more enlightened age of consumerism.
For a better picture of who they are, here are six facts Ketchum initially uncovered during its Food 2020 research:
1. Food eVangelists listen to everyone, trust no one, and take action. Food eVangelists are action-oriented; they take it upon themselves to learn about the issues and to influence others by sharing their findings.
2. Food eVangelists are shaping the conversation about food and brands. More than one-third of Food eVangelists regularly take the time to recommend and critique food brands and products and share their opinions with others – both online and offline.
3. For this influential segment of the population, fresh reigns supreme. Two-thirds of Food eVangelists say they have increased fresh food purchases compared to the previous year. And nearly as many (59%) are also consciously purchasing less packaged and prepared foods.
4. Earning the trust of a Food eVangelist: Health + Transparency + Cause. Health, transparency and cause (making food more accessible to families in need) are among the top qualities that make Food eVangelists more likely to advocate for a food company or brand, purchase more from a good company or brand, or pay more for a food company's products.
5. They are social online. In addition to utilizing blog and social media to share their opinions about food issues, Food eVangelists expect companies to engage with consumers via social media as a tool for direct and open communication.
6. Food eVangelists are not a fringe group. They generate up to 1.7 billion conversations about food every week. And in some regions of the world, the Food eVangelist represents a significant segment of the population. In Italy, for example, Food eVangelists represent more than one third of the population. In Argentina and China, they represent one quarter.
(Food 2020: The Consumer as CEO)
Ketchum goes on to say that since first identified, the group globally has grown 10% and now accounts for 24% of the general population – the expression ‘power to the people’ comes to mind, and in the second half of this blog series, we look at how that power is shaping tomorrow’s consumer.
