IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD

March 9, 2012

We know that there is tons of activity taking place on the social web, but how much of it actually revolves around business and does that matter to you? For the food industry the answer is shockingly high as discussions of food, shopping, recipes and more are among the most frequent on the web.

More than half of Sharers say the kinds of brands they are most likely to link in the social web are related to food. Technology sites are the next highest ranked followed by fashion and restaurants, but all lag well behind food. Bonders also interact with food issues more than any other group. And while Professionals and Creators interact with technology sites in greater numbers, food is a close second.

Within these categories, social web users interact in countless ways. Many talked about being linked to sites that help them prepare for shopping trips, such as those focused on specials or coupons. What’s more, the networking continues through planning for a trip, the trip itself and reactions afterward. Those shoppers in your aisles looking at smart phones might very well be getting advice from their network on assorted products or they could be posting about your store and employees.

More insights on how shoppers interact with food choices on the social web are a vital part of the latest section of the new social networking study from the Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council. Download the study at http://bit.ly/CCRRCSocialNetworkingStudyPart3 or www.ccrrc.org by clicking under the tab marked North America.

Michael Sansolo

Research Director

Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council of North America