PPB October 2015

THINK

70 •

PPB

• OCTOBER 2015

A STUDY IN TASTE

THINK

BY JEN ALEXANDER

F YOU OR ANY OF YOUR CO-WORKERS are really into culinary creativity, you’ll appreciate a first-of-its-

kind consumer study that delves into the behaviors and motivations of foodies around the world. Sopexa, a global

agency for food, beverage and lifestyle marketing, profiled modern foodies in the U.S. and around the world to

learn their preferences and epicurean influences, as well as how they interact with products and in the digital sphere.

Among the study’s highlights:

• Foodies are becoming more selective, experimenting on their own rather than dining out. They embrace the role of

house-chef—93 percent cook daily for themselves, and 75 percent cook at

home several times a week.

• While foodies search online for new products and recipes, they prefer to buy

from grocery stores (88 percent) or from local producers (52 percent). Bottom line: foodies want to see, smell and taste

products before they use them.

Sopexa hopes the results will help marketers develop innovative ways to appeal to this unique group of consumers.

Benjamin Bourinat is director of public relations and social media at Sopexa USA, and he advises marketers and retailers to

become an integral part of foodies’ creative process “by developing recognition programs in line with foodies’ time spent on

searching, cooking and bragging.”

Bourinat also says foodies aren’t likely to be influenced by discounts, contests or games; rather, they respond to mes-

sages that emphasize product origin, exoticism, nutrition and role in self-improvement.

GAUGING GOURMANDS

FAST FORWARD

THE WATER COOLER