Use our 2019 Food Trends to Elevate your Brand This Year

January 29, 2019
7:25 pm

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

Can you believe it’s 2019—and nearly a month in, at that? We typically expect each new year to sneak up on us after the busy holiday season, but we’ve been preparing for this one for months! This year, we completely revamped our annual Food Trends resource, which means we began living in 2019 long before it was time to change out the calendars!

We are excited to launch this marketing tool, especially because we decided to go well beyond the plate and delve into trends all the way from “field to table” in order to create a unique and comprehensive resource to inform all levels of your business. From packaging design to marketing efforts, these trends can help brands make strategic decisions throughout the year. While it’s helpful to have access to this wealth of information, ultimately it’s most important to us that you know how to use it—which is why we’ve broken down ways to implement this tool into your business, public relations, social media, and marketing strategies this year.

Check out the most recent version of Food Trends:

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Food Trends 2019: How to Use

Food Trends 2019 is broken up into four sections: In the Field, At the Store, In the Kitchen, and On the Table. Each section has its own insights into the corresponding portion of the fresh food supply chain, and the final two sections include bonus input from leaders in that field. As you read through, we recommend you make note of the following:

Four Unique Trends Sections:

Each of these sections can be used to inform an area of your business and marketing plan as a whole, and every trend is accompanied by a list of keywords (and examples of brands that rock that section) to provide inspiration and help inform your messaging and strategy. Here are several ways professionals from across the industry might use this information:

If you’re in social media, PR, or a marketing position, use these trends (and the related keywords) to elevate current content—and potentially even validate the need for a new narrative.
Are you involved in packaging design? Think about implementing eco-friendly packaging and ways to reduce your brand’s eco-footprint!
Do you oversee a chef or influencer partnership? They can they use these trends to lend your content peak engagement and relevance.
Are you part of a leadership team that reports to decision-makers? Use this information to justify your budget requests to the C-Suite—it’s important to have data to validate your ask!
Are you involved with any of the work in the fields? Think about what sustainability practices you can employ, and get the right people involved to elevate the initiatives you already have.
In general, think about how these trends can inform your own area of expertise—and use accordingly.

Social and Cultural Events Calendar:

Trends are always changing, which is why we’ve put together a robust list of social and cultural events where you’re likely to spot the next viral trends:

If your brand wants to be ahead of the next big thing in food trends (or if you think you might just have the next viral product!), consider attending or participating in a few of these events. This list is useful but is by no means all-encompassing, so we suggest also looking into events in your local area.
While attendance at all these events may not be possible, social media specialists can always keep an eye on hashtags surrounding these occasions and engage on behalf of the brand in order to build awareness with the company’s assets, story, and product where appropriate. And remember, it’s always worth the time to keep track of what hot new trends are being discussed!

Trends In Action:

Each section ends with a highlight reel of brands that are already leaders in that sections space. Here’s how we suggest using this information:

First of all, get inspired! Take note of any clever or breathtaking content they create, think about why it’s done so well, and then get creative for your own brand—there’s nothing wrong with thinking outside the box a little.
Do your homework, and then extrapolate. Understand that each of these brands has invested in the marketing efforts necessary to own a specific space. If you want to garner for your own brand a similar sphere of influence, carefully study what each is doing (and what they aren’t), and get really honest about where your company could improve. Are your website, blog, social media platforms, and visual content up to date? If not, these are often great places to start!