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TRENDS ACROSS THE PLANET
V8.12
F O O D
TAP
TRENDS ACROSS THE PLANET
F O O D
TAPFood TAP has been curated to showcase innovation & trends in the foodservice industry from around the globe. This second edition sees personalised recipes on your receipt to beautifully designed reusable cups, plus a viewpoint on how apps, mobile and QR are affecting food retailing.
Food ReTAiling: A view PoinT on Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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Contents
FoodTAP // v8.12 ConTenTs
london Pub CusToMeRs helP TheMselves viA TAbleTs
KRAFT MAC & Cheese ‘dinneR noT ART’ APP
MCviTie’s Medley MusiCAl oFF-bAR bliPPAR ACTivATion
CoFFee ChAin CReATes loCATion bAsed inTeRACTive newsPAPeR Ads
CAdbuRy Joyville ACTivATion TRAin oF Joy
in The news: Round The CloCK Food To go TRiAlled AT TesCo
insighT on gAsTRoKids
MCdonAld’s TRAin TiMeTAble
hellMAnn’s ReCiPe on youR ReCeiPT
geTTing in TouCh
MCdonAld’s designeR ReusAble CuP
‘AiR’ AlCoholiC beveRAge viRTuAlly odoRless, ColoRless And TAsTeless
deliTes vending MAChine seTs ChAllenges FoR PeoPle To geT snACKs
PoP-uP sToRe sells ChoColATe FoR good deeds, noT Money
v eneRgy dRinK MusiC MoTion PRoJeCT
CoCA-ColA olyMPiC Tv show in oveR 30 CounTRies
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FoodTAP // v8.12 Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
Mobile has enormous potential to change shopping, but its near-term impact in food retailing is modest. Food retailers have in general been slow to move into the mobile space, in part because of the traditionally low margins in this channel, but also because digital shopping for food has been slow to catch on.
Walmart is one retailer that has made mobile, along with e-commerce, a core priority. Then again, while Walmart competes with almost everyone in retail with its broad assortment of merchandise, its focus is increasingly with online powerhouse, Amazon. Besides, Walmart has always made technology and “systems” central to its business model.
This Viewpoint looks at how some food retailers are using mobile, and some of the early tests of virtual stores and QR codes.
Food Retailing: apps, Mobile and QR
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Key taKeaways• Mobile grocery apps – Most are for pre-store planning – list creation, coupon
selection, checking ads and recipes. Several food retailers are exploring how mobile will be used as an in-store tool.
• Virtual stores & QR codes – Food shoppers put a premium on convenience. Two food retailers have set up “virtual stores” that consumers can access via their mobile phones.
• Payment – In-store payment by smartphone is just beginning but is expected to grow as retailers add new equipment
FoodTAP // v8.12 Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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Usage
since about 25 million Americans use coupon apps on their smartphones each month, coupons for grocery deals are a major focus for food retailers. deal-seeking behavior tends to skew higher in households with kids, and many of the coupons go to kid-friendly foods.
40% of smartphone users, according to a survey by Cabin-harris interactive, have redeemed a coupon on their mobile devices. grocery coupons are the most common search. The Aislebuyer sponsored “Mobile shopping survey series,” which shows a ready willingness to switch brands if consumers are offered mobile promotions while in-store. while the majority of consumers go to grocery/drug outlets with a list, only 8% of consumers put specific brands on that list. A very different picture on mobile usage and brand loyalty comes from nPd. its research shows that consumers who use apps are more loyal to brands.
A Wide Range of Apps
us supermarkets are exploring a wide range of functions in their coupon and shopping apps. Apps that allow shoppers to find and map products are going to be particularly important to chains that have built bigger stores. Another important feature is to provide consumers with the tools to plan their trip, make that trip convenient and to find savings. This
may mean accessing a chain’s circulars and/or tying the app to a grocer’s loyalty program.
Meijer, a regional chain known in part of its big stores and ample general merchandise inventory, has launched an app that allows shoppers to find and map products.
Kroger, the no. 2 supermarket chain, and stop & shop, a regional powerhouse owned by Royal Ahold, are exploring how mobile will be used as an in-store tool. both chains are adding functions to their handheld shopping devices with the view that in the future they could add similar features to mobile phones. These features could help monitor prescriptions for pharmacy customers and/or track
Mobile gRoCeRy apps
product ingredients to help allergic customers avoid certain products, as well as access discounts when they shop. Kroger recently updated its app to include supermarket specific information and the ability to build shopping lists. shoppers can also load coupons digitally to their loyalty card.
safeway has just launched the “Just for u” mobile shopping program that allows shoppers to download personalised discounts. A time saver for shoppers is a shopping list that automatically includes associated digital coupons. suPeRvAlu’s app alerts users to when coupons expire.
Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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internet grocer Peapod has tested virtual grocery options in Chicago and Philadelphia by allowing smartphone owners the chance to shop for groceries as they commute. A unit of Royal Ahold, Peapod serves some 24 u.s. markets. in Philadelphia, posters with QR-enabled signage in transit stations featured a variety of commonly purchased grocery items. Commuters could scan the codes with the Peapod app to order the items for delivery.
Peapod views mobile as an easy way for consumers to multitask even as they drive sales by reminding commuters of items they need at home. First time
users can get $20 off their first order. Peapod reports about 15% of its customer base uses the Peapod app. These pilot programs give Peapod a chance to see how consumers respond to “pop-up grocery stores” without a major commitment.
Tesco was the first to use mobile to give consumers a way to shop for groceries while commuting in its test “virtual subway store” that was part of their market entry strategy in south Korea. Tesco placed signs in the seoul subway system featuring frequently purchased grocery items. Commuters could scan items with their smartphone for purchase and
peapod & tesCo – testing ViRtual stoRes
delivery. This Tesco initiative is said to have been successful, with online sales reportedly tripling in a three month period. elsewhere we see that Tesco is looking to increase personalisation in its mobile marketing to make the channel more effective.
Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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walmart’s mobile platform includes a mobile site, and applications for the iPhone and iPad. digital, e-commerce and mobile commerce are priorities for walmart. in terms of mobile, walmart is developing a variety of different apps for different customer segments and recently purchased the app developer, small society.
walmart is partnering with P&g on a novel approach to the new york City retail market. stymied by opposition to building a brick-and-mortar store in the city, walmart is moving ahead this summer
– with a truck. The @Pgmobile truck features eight P&g products (iams dog food to Pampers diapers) available through QR codes at walmart.com. As associated Twitter feed will give out the truck’s location. walmart has said it has limited involvement in the project and signage on the truck will mostly be for P&g. while the grocer-supplier relationship is often portrayed as adversarial, it can also be quite collaborative. As important is the learning experience, as it has done successfully elsewhere, walmart will be mining the Twitter feed for consumer insights.
Multiple Mobile initiatiVes at walMaRt
in contrast with what walmart is doing, Target has been using an approach that industry observers describe as the “one-size-fits-all,” offering one single app across several platforms. Target has been growing its marketing in the mobile channel. For instance, it has run a mobile campaign to push the Target food program.
Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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earlier this year, Trader Joe’s entered the mobile space with full page and audio ads within the iPhone app for Pandora, the high-flying internet radio service. The TraderJoe’s campaign features a store locator, product information and recipes promoting Trader Joe’s products for quick, convenient recipes, “Make Meals in Minutes.” by tapping on the mobile ads, consumers are re-directed to a mobile-optimised page where they can access the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, the chain’s newsletter, as well as browse products and recipes.
with their cheeky tone, the ads fit right in with the Trader Joe’s culture. since Trader Joe’s has great word-of-mouth, and store openings are often widely anticipated, the store locator is probably not the most important feature. what is key to driving traffic and engaging consumers is Trader Joe’s strength in the “meals” business, which is highlighted by the campaign.
tRadeR Joe’s uses a pandoRa app
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As smartphone ownership mainstreams and as retailers upgrade their point-of-sale technologies, in-store payment by smartphones will gain a foothold in food retail. 13% of food retailers plan to start mobile commerce and payment in their stores this year. Another 40% are considering implementing mobile systems. Many food retailers may wait for large scale launches of mobile wallets, though innovative grocers
may begin earlier to differentiate their brand and to develop a closer relationship with the consumer. we would expect that walmart which is investing heavily in all things digital, e-commerce to mobile tendering and fulfillment, to be one of the early innovators.
Mobile payMent
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• Mobile is attention-getting but still a niche in food retailing. Many food retailers are using apps, but it is not clear that any one retailer stands out with a significantly different approach and/or a better app.
• walmart is engaged in multiple mobile activities.
• overseas, Tesco’s virtual subway store has been the model for a Peapod test.
• we can expect expanding use of the mobile platform and integration with social media. The future promises more personalisation.
• The digital wallet is on the near-term horizon.
wRap-up
Food ReTAiling: APPs, Mobile And QR
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HellMann’s ReCipe on youR ReCeipt
hellMAnn’s – ReCiPe on youR ReCeiPT
As part of a recent advertising campaign for hellmann’s mayonnaise in brazil, recipes tailored to the ingredients the shopper had just purchased were printed out on the store receipt.
hellmann’s Recipe Receipt campaign began with the installation of custom software on approximately 100
cash registers at st. Marche, a major supermarket chain. Then, when a shopper checked out with a jar of hellmann’s in their basket, the cash register could recognise that and generate a custom recipe based on hellmann’s and the other ingredients that were purchased; that recipe was then printed automatically on the shopper’s receipt.
in the first month of the campaign alone, sales reportedly increased 44 %.
View Video
44% sales upliFt
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london pub CustoMeRs Help tHeMselVes Via tablets
london Pub – CusToMeRs helP TheMselves viA TAbleTs
set in london, the new Thirsty bear pub uses table-side tablets and self-serve beer to help customers help themselves.
set in london, the new Thirsty bear pub uses table-side tablets and self-serve beer to help customers help themselves.
After struggling for years to make ends meet, london’s stamford Arms pub was taken over by The Robot Pub group and reopened in January as The Thirsty bear. designed in part to showcase the
company’s Robobar system, the pub was outfitted with iPads at 15 tables, 12 of them linked to self-serve taps. not only can customers now pour their own pints and order food using the tablets — doing so simply requires setting up an electronic tab at the bar — but they can also send text messages requesting waiter service, order songs from a connected Jukebox, and even update their Facebook profiles. A dedicated advertising channel on the tablets, meanwhile, lets the pub promote its latest special offers.
since installing the new technology, revenue at the pub has increased by 78%, the Robot Pub group says. The company is now licensing its technology for use by other pubs and restaurants or at bespoke events.
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KRaFt MaC & CHeese ‘dinneR not aRt’ app
KRAFT MAC & Cheese – ‘dinneR noT ART’ APP
Kraft Mac & Cheese is continuing its odd foray into social media with a new iPad app that lets you create macaroni masterpieces without wasting food.
The “dinner, not Art” app is a creative way of combining environmentalism and the brand’s goofy online positioning. The premise: your kids are wasting food by gluing macaroni to construction paper to make pictures. by going virtual, you can save food and be a better citizen. in fact, Kraft is even donating 10 real noodles to Feeding America for every noodle you use in your “art.” Those interested can also submit their masterpieces to the brand’s Facebook Page, where they get the chance to be part of a gallery. The brand began promoting the initiative with the Tv spot below, which broke earlier this week.
The program is the latest attempt to translate the venerable brand into the social media age. Past attempts along those lines have included “Mac & Jinx,” a program awarding people on Twitter who tweeted the term “mac & cheese” at the same time and “Mac & Cheese Tv,” which translated fans’ tweets into Tv spots. Meanwhile, Crispin released an iPad app for Mac & Cheese sister brand Jell-o last year that also exploited the brand’s non-edible properties.
View Video
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MCdonald’s designeR Reusable Cup
MCdonAld’s designeR ReusAble CuP
French designer Patrick norguet has designed a reusable cup for Mcdonald’s that makes scalding hot coffee easier to hold.
named Tasse, each cup has a protective wrap in one of six different colours. Five million of the cups have been ordered for Mcdonald’s branches in France.norguet previously worked with Mcdonald’s to redesign the fast food chain’s restaurant interiors.
with the success of Patrick norguet’s interior design for Mcdonald’s now at large throughout italy, switzerland and holland, the French designer has conceived a free coffee cup on offer in French restaurants. A veritable everyday design project for the great majority: ‘Mcdonald’s asked me to conceive and design an object intended for all of its clients. The idea is simply to use a code present in the world
of Mcdonald’s for inspiration. This project and the problems that large quantities entail, that is five million copies, raises the question about the need for ownership and the symbolic incarnation of a brand through a viable object. A functional basic with its small elastomer sheath to avoid burning and ensure a perfect grip, free with each menu + coffee.
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MCVitie’s Medley MusiCal oFF-baR blippaR aCtiVation
MCviTie’s Medley – MusiCAl oFF-bAR bliPPAR ACTivATion
weAre2020: united biscuits, a leading manufacturer of snacks, biscuits and cakes, is announcing that Mcvitie’s Medley is mixing it up again with an engaging new campaign that will build consumer awareness of the popular cereal bar and grow sales for retailers.
Kicking the campaign Mcvitie’s Medley will be launching its very own blipp. The blipp features cutting-edge image-recognition and augmented reality technology that enables people to use their smart phone camera to watch the new Mcvitie’s Medley band – The Medley Mixers, dancing and performing one of their exclusive songs literally ‘on’ the edge of their bar.
View Video
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CoCa-Cola olyMpiC tV sHow in oVeR 30 CountRies
CoCA-ColA olyMPiC Tv show in oveR 30 CounTRies
The beverage giants targets teens during the olympics by airing a 10-episode television series that features athlete interviews and music.
in support of the london 2012 olympic games, Coca-Cola takes its sponsorship to the next level with its original Tv show “beat Tv.” This ad-sponsored series follows its successful ‘Move to the beat’ campaign which combined music with the social side of the sports events. beat Tv will feature celebrity and athlete interviews, live musical performances and
appearances by the beat bus – a mobile pop-up music studio. The variety show, designed mostly for teens, will be available in more than 30 countries and heavily sponsored by advertisers.
Claudia navarro, the company’s global olympic marketing director says of the new campaign:
we’re filling out a need and desire. sometimes you have games coming and going and you get a lot of info on the event, but you miss out on what it would
have felt like had you been there. instead of focusing on what’s happening on the pitch, the medalists. … we’ll capture the vibe of london, the social aspect of it for the fans.
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‘aiR’ alCoHoliC beVeRage ViRtually odoRless, ColoRless and tasteless
‘AiR’ AlCoholiC beveRAge viRTuAlly odoRless, ColoRless And TAsTeless
Alcoholic beverage ‘Air’ is made from clear malt and sparkling water that is purposely created to taste like nothing. The canned drink contains 4% Abv, which is equivalent to a standard beer, but the taste is nearly completely masked by the carbonated water. it’s marketed as all natural with only 95 calories, and the company is currently in the process of patenting the drink as “virtually odorless, colorless, and tasteless.”
Air also comes with hints of subtle flavors like berry, citrus, and club soda. The drink hopes to replace similar versatile alcoholic beverages like vodka soda. Air hopes to launch in major west coast cities in the u.s., with plans to expand to other cities. one can retails for $1.74, while a 4-pack is $6.99.
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CoFFee CHain CReates loCation based inteRaCtiVe newspapeR ads
CoFFee ChAin CReATes loCATion bAsed inTeRACTive newsPAPeR Ads
scannable barcodes allow readers to find their nearest Cafe Joe to their current coordinates.
Cafe Joe is one of the biggest coffee chains in israel, and has recently launched an interactive advertisement in local newspapers. The print ad is embedded with a QR code, which readers can scan and receive information on their mobile phones to where the nearest Cafe Joe is based on their current location. users are shown the fastest route on google Map to the local branch, and as an extra incentive, there’s also a coupon code to redeem when they get there.
View Video
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delites Vending MaCHine sets CHallenges FoR people to get snaCKs
deliTes vending MAChine seTs ChAllenges FoR PeoPle To geT snACKs
snack food Fantastic delites wanted to know how far people would go for a free sample of their product.
is there a treat so good that you would push a button 5000 times to have a taste?
Apparently Fantastic delites are tasty enough that hundreds of people lined up to accept ‘challenges’ from a vending machine giving out samples of the snack. This special device issues tasks to the public and upon completion produces a box of the snack. People danced, bowed down, and generally embarrassed themselves in good spirit, all to find out ‘how far they would go’ for some Fantastic delites.
The machine was a huge hit and attracted lots of attention (and was witness to some sweet dance moves) with no event staff. its use of gamification, an input/reward system that plays on the most basic human instincts, generated lots of local brand awareness and probably incited more than a few audience members to buy a box.
watch this amusing video of the machine in action.
View Video
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in tHe news Round tHe CloCK Food to go tRialled at tesCo
in The news: Round The CloCK Food To go TRiAlled AT TesCo
Tesco is testing plans for sweeping changes to its food offer with a food to go area in which products are changed on shelf throughout the day in a bid to maximise sales.
The retailer opened the first new branded area in its Chester Frodsham square store this week.
The convenience offer includes a salad and olive bar, sandwiches, ice cream and sushi, as well as a Costa express self-serve coffee machine and Krispy Kreme doughnut stand. it also offers goods from Tesco’s in-store bakery, which this week finished a rollout to 900 stores.
“The trial is very new but we’re doing it to look at ways we can improve our offering in fresh food and also how we can target different meal opportunities,” a Tesco spokesman said.
he added the plan involved targeting customers with own-label products such as bread, croissants, yoghurts and granola at breakfast. At lunchtime these would be replaced by soups, Finest salads, freshly prepared sandwiches, sushi and pizza slices. in the evening Tesco would switch to products such as whole pizzas, chickens, ready meals and pies. goods such as cheese and wines would be available all day.
Pyramid-shaped point of sale labelling is switched round to reflect the re-merchandising of the shelves throughout the day. it also incorporates the new green signage brought in by Tesco in a bid to make stores warmer and more appealing to customers.
other stores have already been earmarked for a wider rollout as part of Tesco’s £1bn revamp.
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V eneRgy dRinK MusiC Motion pRoJeCt
v eneRgy dRinK MusiC MoTion PRoJeCT
energy drink v has added a new piece to it’s recently launched ‘v Motion Project’ with this music video, created from body movements, over in new Zealand.
They created this piece by hacking the Kinect motion tracking software and integrated it with audio production software, The v Motion Project created a tool that could transform the body’s movements into music. it’s great to see the Kinect technology being used in innovative and creative ways like this and it helps that the music track is pretty cool.
View Video
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MCdonald’s tRain tiMetable
MCdonAld’s TRAin TiMeTAble
here is a smart campaign idea from Mcdonald’s in Poland.
At the Central station of warsaw, Mcdonald’s integrated their menu into the train timetable. The timetable not only showed up-to-date schedule information but also showed how many items from the menu you had time for depending on how long you had to wait for your train. if you were delayed by
20 minutes it showed that you would have time for a cheeseburger and some fries. This is a clever way to capture users attention when they are likely to be waiting around. Mcdonald’s saw an increase of 4,500 extra customers in the first month after installing the new timetable.
View Video
4,500 extRa CustoMeRs in tHe FiRst MontH
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CadbuRy JoyVille aCtiVation tRain oF Joy
CAdbuRy Joyville ACTivATion – TRAin oF Joy
Recently Australia saw one of the biggest experiential activations of the year in sydney when Cadbury unleashed the latest chapter of the Cadbury Joyville story.
At a few select train stations in sydney a giant purple Cadbury Joyville steam train pulled onto platforms to spread some Cadbury joy (and some dairy Milk chocolate) to commuters. This experiential piece was the work of wonder, an agency that specialise in real-life experiences. This Joyville activation included a Facebook page encouraging and supporting user generated content, as well as the dedicated website joyville.cadbury.com.au which features games, information and let’s users share the campaign.
View Video
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pop-up stoRe sells CHoColate FoR good deeds, not Money
PoP-uP sToRe sells ChoColATe FoR good deeds, noT Money
Chocolatier Anthon berg recently enabled customers to pay with a good deed, rather than cash, at a pop-up location called The generous store.
The project featured a temporary outlet in denmark – open for one day only – which labelled each of its products with a task the consumer must perform in order to ‘buy’ the chocolate. designed to spread
generosity, the tasks typically included a good deed to someone else, such as ‘serve breakfast in bed to your loved one’ or ‘help clean a friend’s house’. Cashiers were replaced by staff carrying iPads, where chocolate-buyers could log into their Facebook accounts and pledge to carry out the favour via a branded post on their wall. Anthon berg was able
to view the results of the promises when visitors to the store then posted pictures and comments on the company Facebook Page. The video below features footage from the pop-up shop:
View Video
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insigHt on gastRoKids
self-driven child chefs and kid foodies (‘koodies’) are contributing to the global gastronomic scene with food blogs, cookbooks and boutique businesses. To follow are the key personalities leading this food revolution, and investigates the social and educational drivers that are underpinning their development.
Cooking has always been a popular activity for children. in recent times, however, there has been an upsurge in the number of kids getting creative in the kitchen. This can be attributed to television programmes like us reality show Cake boss and competitive cooking game show Junior Masterchef (now licensed in multiple territories from israel to the Philippines), which have captured the imaginations of teens and tweens worldwide.
in addition, the internet and social media platforms make culinary know-how more accessible, and are enabling budding gourmands to draw inspiration from established chefs and other kid cooks. visual platforms, like photo-sharing website Pinterest, are also popularising the idea of ‘food as design’ to audiences of all ages.
From an educational perspective, schools and governments are emphasising the importance of cooking and nutrition in a bid to reduce staggering levels of childhood obesity.
Fuelled by the social and cultural buzz surrounding food and cooking, junior chefs are bringing fresh expertise to the culinary landscape, as well as a real desire to educate other young cooks about positive food choices.
Californian twins lilly and Audrey Andrews (aged 10), creators of food blog Twinchefs.net – which features recipes, videos and party ideas – achieved fame on good Morning America in december 2011 when they cooked with noted Austrian chef wolfgang Puck. The ambitious mini-chefs, who create ‘grown-up-style food for kids’, have recently partnered with us fruit company Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins to promote its citrus products. videos of the twins creating meals, such as Mandarin chicken lettuce cups, can be viewed on the brand’s website.
Kid chef eliana de las Casas (aged 12) is a cook and author of eliana Cooks: Recipes for Creative Kids, Morris Press Cookbooks, and the upcoming Cool Kids Cook: louisiana, due to be published in 2013. hailing from new orleans, she draws on her multicultural heritage (Cuban, Phillipino, honduran and Cajun louisiana) to concoct ethnically diverse dishes such as chicken fajita soup and shrimp pineapple salsa. “Food is more than chicken nuggets and French fries. i want to teach kids to appreciate food and eat fresh and local.”
The pint-sized chef offers cooking classes; hosts a blog (www.elianacooks.com), a youTube channel and a daily cooking digest, and utilises social media sites
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to promote her work. “i like to use Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and instagram to post pictures of my cooking,” she says. “i’ve also connected with many chefs through Twitter.”
indeed, social media platforms have enabled established chefs to connect with and support enthusiastic child cooks. british celebrity chef Jamie oliver, in particular, has been instrumental in encouraging this new generation.
oliver’s Kitchen garden project, which promotes better food education in schools through hands-on opportunities to grow and cook produce, is now piloting at two schools in the uK. Participating schools receive partial funding for kitchen
classrooms and gardens, staff training, how-to-grow cards, seasonal recipes, and a hotline to oliver’s team. The chef’s home Cooking skills course, which teaches pupils how to assemble nutritious meals like fish goujons and rice salad at home, is also being implemented at many secondary schools across britain.
A spokesperson for the Jamie oliver Foundation said “Around a quarter of children are now overweight or obese when they start primary school, and over a third are unhealthily heavy when they leave. Jamie’s message is that if kids are involved with food – growing and cooking – they’re better equipped to feed themselves and their families when they grow up.”
we have also seen the emergence, particularly in the us, of kid food critics who are known for their straight-talking approach.
Prolific us-based leisure blog eater recently commissioned siblings lucy (aged eight) and Max (aged five) to contribute bi-monthly restaurant reviews. Their critiques are frank and peppered with superlatives. And 12-year-old david Pines – a self-titled ‘middle school foodie’ – has published a family-friendly restaurant guide called Pines Picks: A Kid’s guide to the best Things to eat and drink in new york City, published in January 2012. here, he focuses on the taste of the food itself, rather than the minutiae of the dining experience.
“i was inspired to write this book when multiple people asked me for food descriptions and where to get certain foods. Also, i could never find a handy restaurant guide that listed the very best place to get a certain food.” david Pines
Taking a more organic approach to culinary critique, nine-year-old scottish school pupil Martha Payne documents and rates her school lunches in her blog never seconds (named after her school’s ‘no second helpings’ policy). since its launch in April 2012, half
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a million people have already visited the blog, often contributing images of their own school lunches. Payne’s school now offers unlimited portions of fruit and vegetables.
Picking up on the idea of kids taking more ownership of their meals, the newly launched lala lunchbox app (iPhone, iPad $0.99) enables youngsters to plan a week of lunches by placing virtual food items into a virtual lunchbox. each item is labelled as a fruit, vegetable, protein or snack, and the interface encourages the player to cover off all food groups for each lunch. once completed, parents can use their child’s ‘wishlist’ to inform their next grocery shop.
The rise of the kid cook can also be attributed to foodie parents who are passing down their love of fine fare to the next generation. As the fragmentation of family life worsens, parents are using kitchen-oriented activities to bring their families back together.
new community events and cultural gatherings are also providing kids with enhanced opportunities to learn about food and nutrition. in January 2012, the inaugural Kids Food Festival was held in new york, designed to help fight childhood obesity. The event
was spearheaded by kids cooking expert Cricket Azima of The Creative Kitchen – a multi-media platform that teaches children and parents about food and cooking.
“At the Kids Food Festival, families can learn how to make balanced food choices through a fun and educational scavenger hunt. They can also sample kid-friendly food products, and participate in cooking classes and food demonstrations led by well-known and celebrity chefs.”
on-site cookery class themes included Japanese onigiri rice balls and guacamole tacos, and the free event included a choice of fitness sessions. Two follow-on festivals are planned for new york (november 2012) and washington (April 2013).
Meanwhile, renowned American chef Alice waters (arguably the creator of the us ‘slow food’ movement) heads up The edible schoolyard Project in the us, which brings a food-related curriculum and an emphasis on healthy, sustainable eating habits to schools through interactive on-site gardens and kitchen-classrooms. in a bid to engage wider audiences, the initiative recently partnered with Californian social network game developer Zynga and social networking site Facebook to enable Farmville players to donate money to the edible schoolyard project and receive a limited-edition virtual crop of Rainbow Chard in the game.
All these initiatives – whether online or set in the physical world – are contributing to the burgeoning junior cook phenomenon, which is still really only in its infancy.
Kid cooks, bloggers and food critics have embraced the culinary world from the ‘ground up’. driven
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and articulate, they are becoming influential food designers and tastemakers.
social media sites are helping budding cooks to showcase their talents and consolidate their personal profiles. They are also broadcasting the popularity of this growing sector.
Food festivals and school garden projects are promoting food provenance, while offering kids immersive, hands-on opportunities to grow and cook their own food.
There are many niche opportunities for brands to bolster and inspire this enthusiastic consumer
audience – from lightweight cookware to nutrition-based apps. Creative junior chefs can make worthy brand spokespeople, bringing with them legions of young followers.
The new sophisticated ‘kidult’ generation is a lucrative one, and smart businesses must find a way to authentically resonate with these important consumers and users. Capture their hearts and minds, and you may accompany them through their formative years and beyond.
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FoodTAP // v8.12
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sources: springwise, CMi, digital buzz, The grocer, PsFK, Mashable, Mintel, stylus, Creativity-online