University researcher Dr Michelle Phillipov is looking at the new relationships between the media industry and the food industry, including social media’s focus on food. Dr Phillipov and a host of other experts are investigating this meaty topic at the “Food Politics: From the Margins to the Mainstream Conference.”
Dr Phillipov said “the coverage is changing market strategies, what is being eaten, how the food is produced, and the community's relationship with food.
“The changes in styles of cooking and eating are a result of the changes in media, the television industry marketed food in a way that changed how people perceived and treat food."
The Margins to the Mainstream conference looks at the way that ideas and concerns about food that people would typically think of as being connected to an activist's politics, like animal welfare, environment, and health.
“The debate may reach into discussions about meat consumption, vegetable and fruit consumptions, genetically modified crops, synthetic meats, and so on."
Dr Phillipov has recently published two journal articles that offer advice to artisan food and beverage producers seeking to use entertainment media – specifically television – as a promotional tool.
Advice to food producers on using the media
“There are notable opportunities and pitfalls involved in using the media to promote artisan products."
Dr Phillipov said “these articles in Food Australia and The British Food Journal offer some important tips for producers."
1. Anticipate the increased customer contact that can result from a food television appearance. For example, make sure your website is comprehensive and up-to-date.
2. Thoroughly research the show before agreeing to appear. It is not just a case of ‘any publicity is good publicity’. Find out who the show’s audience is and determine whether this is the right target market for your products.
3. Be realistic about likely outcomes. The promotional opportunities afforded by food television are best leveraged when used as part of a longer-term brand management strategy rather than as something expected to produce immediate results, so they should be approached in these terms.
4. Be prepared to hone your media skills. This will help you achieve the best outcomes when using the media to promote your business. For example, make sure you understand the genre conventions of a television program you have been invited to appear on, and be prepared to work across multiple media platforms.
5. A segment on television is likely to be more beneficial if it emphasises customer experiences rather than products. Be prepared to focus on the experiential aspect of your product or business rather than on technical descriptions or explanations, as these will less likely suit the narrative arc of the television show.
More information about the conference and research project can be found here: https://newfoodpolitics.org/
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