Running head: FOOD AND MEDIA 1

Student Name

“A critical evaluation of food in the media and food in social media, with personal reflection on

digital audit.”

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Introduction

In the food industry, media has become significant with hotels, restaurants, and other

food joints creating social media accounts to connect with their customers and the general

audience. Mostly, we consume foods that we consume foods that we are familiar with and in a

nutshell, companies use media as a way of creating food diversity and help people to better

understand what they eat. Anyone who use social media understands the prevalence of food

pictures and videos. On Instagram, there are more than 178 million photos tagged #food and

according to research, a bigger portion of millennials post their food regularly on social media

and this has prompted food and beverage companies to capitalize the idea. This paper aims to

understand the relationship between food and social media by making a critical evaluation of

food in the media and food in social media, with personal reflection on digital audit. In an

attempt to understand the relationship between food and global media, it is important to evaluate

the key issues involved in food and media and analyze the importance of social media in selling

food.

The relationship between food and the media

The media and food have created a new type of community that has continuously created

an effect on how the society engage with meals. According to a university researcher Dr.

Michelle Phillipov, a new relationship between food and media is evident since the media

coverage is revolutionizing the market strategies, what the society eats, food production, and the

society’s relationship with food (Bouvier, 2018). The changes in cooking styles and eating are as

a resultant of changes in the media since social media and television in particular has changed

the way companies approach food selling. Unless a business has managed to create meaningful

relationship with the consumers and the members of the press, it could be challenging to sell.
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According to research by Goodman (2005) food companies use the media to sell. Media

exposure is an important element in a company’s marketing and advertising strategy. Traditional

media has been used by most companies and especially in Television, magazines, newspaper and

radio to advertise their food products. Traditional and present advertising campaigns work for

most companies in the industry especially grocery retailers, wholesalers, and restaurants.

Media and food are connected from the perspective of investing in media since many

food companies seek to align their promotional activities with the media advertising campaigns.

For instance, to attract customers, a radio or television advert could include a promotional phrase

or a code that listeners can use to receive a promotional food item or discount. In 2019, in the

United States, the total spending on food was estimated at $1.77 trillion and this figure continue

rising. It is through advertising on media that food sellers make a name for themselves,

informing consumers of the availability of new food options in the market, and eventually build a

loyal consumer base. Food companies are increasingly spending a significant portion of their

income on media advertising. This is because the media creates an opportunity to enhance brand

advocacy and allows the food companies to actively engage the society.

Issues in the relationship between the media and food

Obesity is a leading concern related to food and media advertisements. The rising

concern over the increasing rates of obesity and other health related concerns is attached to the

negative influence of media and food advertising and especially on children diets (Harris & Bargh,

2009). A prior experience with television and other media has led to unhealthy food preferences

in early adulthood and it creates the most direct relationship to individual diets. According to the

health advocates, advertising that promotes unhealthy food to children is a leading cause for rise

of obesity cases. As the individual taste preferences are developed through a learning process, a
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continued exposure to the media increase the likelihood of consuming even the disliked foods.

For instance, when children watch continuous food adverts on the television, they learn that

calorie foods which are usually high in sugar and fat have a great taste.

Importance of social media in selling food

Starbucks, McDonald’s and Taco Bell are among the companies leading on social media

promotion of food. For instance, Taco Bell’s marketing strategies have called for innovations on

social media marketing. They argue that the more social-media friendly the item, the appealing it

is to promote the company. Food and social media have created a new online community that

continue affecting how we engage with sharing meals (Calefato, La Fortuna & Scelzi, 2016). To

fast food suppliers, social media offer an opportunity to engage with customers. With social

media, brands ensure that they have enticed customers to share the dining experience with others

and thereby attracting more people from the communication online (Nisbets, 2018). Consumers

follow the social media accounts of their favorite fast food suppliers and through new menu

items and specials, they are enticed to come back more often.

Facebook and Instagram are the most popular social media platforms used by fast food

suppliers. Twitter is also used to help enhance the marketing strategy (see Appendix one for

popular social media websites). For instance, in the UK, 58 percent of the population are on

social media, this makes it a valuable marketing tool for fast food suppliers. Social media helps

restaurants by offering an intense brand exposure and an opportunity for the food companies to

connect with their target demographics in their product promotion (Nisbets, 2018). Social media

has also been found to make it easier for consumers to find key information about a particular

company and food brand.

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Key issues in the importance of social media in selling food

On an ethical ground, most foods advertised on social media have low nutritional value.

According to research by Powell et al. (2007), 98 percent of advertised foods have low

nutritional value. In the United States, children watch adverts and nearly 5,000 messages

annually which promote unhealthy food consumption. Food companies also face a specific set of

ethical challenges given that food advertising influence consumer behavior. Food companies

need to be careful to avoid misusing their influence to harm the society (Goodman, 2005). Fast

food suppliers have to be cautious to avoid creating an influence in a way that the public gets

harmed.

Reflection on digital audit

I used to believe that food companies only use social media to engage customers.

However, after researching on the effect of media on food selling, I have realized that social

media, even without our awareness, it has changed the way we handle business in the food

industry. Food companies and restaurants are no longer sharing food on the media for selling

purposes but they are also snapping these foods and sharing with the world to share the

experience.

My perception has shifted after learning that food and social media has essentially

created a new community online that has been actively influencing how we share and engage

with food. While the experience that hotels and food companies is important on a global scale, I

found it worth understanding that the relationship between the food industry and social media

can be important in helping us connect with other people worldwide. I have also realized that

social media websites mainly collect consumers’ search information and through cookies. By
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offering mouthwatering food choices and images, these mainly entice eating and sometimes it is

not healthy eating.

Once seemed obvious that sometimes, food and social media are not always in

agreement. Public relations practitioners have an opportunity and capability to communicate

helpful food safety messages. We are all aware that media is mainly used to pass messages

quickly, but stomach bugs are also more prevalent. Yet now it is more tempting to ask the

consideration that restaurants and food companies make towards ensuring that their food

advertising meets the ethical advertising strategies and ensuring that the adverts are not

misleading the public and especially the young children into consuming unhealthy meals.

Perhaps, obesity and ethical issues are related and especially in the way food companies and

restaurants post intriguing food messages across the media. Sometimes, the relationship between

media and the food industry can work against the people and especially in ways that can cause

harmful health and mental issues.

Considering the role that social media have in the food industry, food selling and

advertising, profit making is an assumption that relies too heavily on being active on social

media and using such accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Therefore, it may be

more accurate to suggest that social media is very important in the food industry. This research

has revealed that social media has the power to connect us in ways that are beyond the dining in

our homes. Through advocacy about food campaigns, social media can be an effective source of

information and a tool for advocacy to help those in need. In online food advocacy, social media

can be a significant source that should be used by food companies to connect and build a

community to help the needy persons. Therefore, as food appreciation continue increasing, so

does the idea that companies can benefit from social media selling.
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References

Bouvier, E. (2018). Breaking Bread Online: Social Media, Photography, and the Virtual

Experience of Food. At The Interface / Probing the Boundaries, 97157-172

Calefato, P., La Fortuna, L., & Scelzi, R. (2016). Food-ography: Food and new media.

Semiotica, 2016(211), 371-388. Doi: 10.1515/sem-2016-0087

Goodman, J. R. (2005). Mapping the Sea of Eating Disorders: A Structural Equation Model of

How Peers, Family, and Media Influence Body Image and Eating Disorders.

Visual Communication Quarterly, 12(3/4), 194-213.

doi:10.1080/15551393.2005.9687457

Harris, J. L., & Bargh, J. A. (2009). Television viewing and unhealthy diet: implications for

children and media interventions. Health communication, 24(7), 660-673.

Nisbets (2018, September). Is Social Media Important for the Food and Drink Industry? |

Modern Restaurant Management | the Business of Eating & Restaurant

Management News. Retrieved 14 March 2021, from

https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/is-social-media-important-for-the-

food-and-drink-industry/

Powell, L. M., Szczypka, G., Chaloupka, F. J., & Braunschweig, C. L. (2007). Nutritional

content of television food advertisements seen by children and adolescents in the

United States. Pediatrics, 120(3), 576-583.

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Appendix

Appendix 1: most popular social networks

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Appendix 2: Benefits of social media marketing