Rise of the food connected

The Power, Influence and Evolution of Culinary Marketing
THE RISE OF THE FOOD-CONNECTED

Note from The Connect Group
Commuting in and out of NYC everyday, I get to see and hear a lot of interesting things (especially after 9 p.m. at Penn
Station!). One of the things that continues to strike me, since I shifted my business from sports marketing to culinary
marketing almost six years ago, is the amount my fellow commuters are talking about food in some capacity. Whether it’s
what they had for dinner last night (or what they are making tonight), where they are shopping for ingredients (farmers
market, butcher, organic grocery store, etc), what cooking shows they watch, or restaurants they like when traveling, food is
part of the general conversation more than sports, music, art and fashion combined.
While the world has latched onto the word “foodie” to describe food enthusiasts, we believe food-engaged consumers have
evolved to such a significant level, the term food-connected is a more accurate way to describe them. Food-connected
people are your friends, neighbors, colleagues, siblings, parents, kids, teachers and most likely, YOU.
It is with this food-connected consumer in mind, that we work with talent and brands on a daily basis to design strategies
and execute plans with the specific goal of leveraging this massive audience to meet our clients’ business objectives.
The pages that follow are packed with information on the evolution of the culinary marketing vertical, the vast and varied
ways consumers are food-connected and how some forward-thinking brands and entities are currently using this space to
push forward their objectives.
I hope you find this information useful and if you want to have a conversation about any of it, please don’t hesitate to drop
me a line. In the meantime, happy cooking, eating and entertaining, and I hope to speak with you soon
- Lonny Sweet, CEO, The Connect Group

Why The Culinary Industry?
• Culinary marketing is relevant to everyone regardless of race, sex, age, religion and social
class.
• 79% of U.S. adults say they enjoy cooking.
• Cooking is an aspirational yet attainable activity which, unlike sports or music, lets consumers feel
like they can do what they see their favorite personalities doing on TV. This makes consumers feel
more connected and engaged with talent and programming.
• When asked how they’d spend an extra $150, 1 in 2 people say they’d spend it on a nice
meal out. 1
• Seven out of ten people say they would be more likely to attend an event at which high-
quality food items are available. 2
1-2 Horizon Media Study, 2015

The Restaurant Industry Today
Restaurants and chefs have become an obsession in popular culture, as evidenced by the explosion of cooking and
food-related television shows, blogs, events, chef product lines, celebrity chef endorsements, magazines and
cookbooks. And that’s because consumers relate to this industry more so than almost any other.
In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association…
• Half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives, and one-third say their first job
was in a restaurant.
• There are 14.4 million restaurant industry employees and an additional 1.7 million are projected by 2026.
• Restaurant sales are projected to increase by 5% in 2016, reaching an estimated $782.7 billion in revenue (vs
$709.2 billion in 2015).
http://www.restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/News-Research/WhatsHot2016
• Millennials (born between 1979 and 1994) have entered their prime spending
years so restaurants are responding by evolving to embrace technology, social
media, social responsibility and much more.
• The industry is also preparing for a new generation of diners: Generation Z.
• Members of Gen Z (born after 1995) comprise one quarter of the US population,
eclipsing even Baby Boomers and Millennials in size, according to market research firm
The Hartman Group.
• Gen Z will be known for its digital prowess, its demand for customized offerings and its
awareness to what is healthful for themselves and the greater world.

Generations and Genders
• 68% of millennial moms said they watch cooking videos while preparing
meals.
• Millennials outspend all other population cohorts by $96 billion on food
yearly according to market research firm NPD.
• While people over 35 are more likely to print out a recipe, 59% of adults
ages 29 to 34 say they cook with their smartphones or tablets. 3
3 McGarrybowen And Kraft Foods Research, June 2015
4 Harris Interactive Poll
Top 5 food trends more common
among young women:
o Quinoa
o Meals served in bowls
o Spiralized vegetables
o Sweet and spicy foods
o Fusion cuisine
Top 5 food trends more common
among young men:
o Craft beer
o Beer bars
o Beer pairings
o Specialty beer
o High- end food delivery
• Who’s watching cooking shows? 4
o 43% are Millennials (18-41)
o 51% are Generation X (35-55)
o 55% are Baby boomers (52-71)

Audience How They Are Food-Connected
On-the-Go Professional Looks over Yelp reviews, before having lunch delivered by Seamless, Uber Eats or Postmates
The Sports Fan Shops for ingredients, preps the night before and creates a tailgate event the non-food
will envy
Traveler Chooses a vacation based on food scene and local experience; creates an itinerary inspired by
culture and flavors of their destination
College Student Masters the art of cooking fully composed dishes on an induction burner, or discovering the best
hole-in-the-wall joints – often for less money than a microwave meal
Millennial Millennials are fully engaged in most aspects of the food industry; they are called the foodie
generation because they are educated about what to eat, eager to experience new flavors, the
to look up or write reviews, and quick to share their experiences on social media
Working Mom Plans meals for the week, sets the crock pot before she leaves for work and likes to have a tasty
(often cleverly inexpensive) meal, ready for the family to enjoy when she gets home
Weekend BBQ Warrior Sure, he owns a gas grill; he also bought a smoker or a Green Egg and is proud of the incredible
meals he can prepare for his family multiple times a month, and for any occasion
Food-Connected = Foodie 2.0
“Foodie” used to be the word we used to describe a gourmand or the person who always knew where to find the
best restaurants and hottest new chefs. But, as the base food obsessed audience has expanded, so too must the
term. Consumers of all demographics are engaging with food, and “foodies” are no longer elite and exclusive, so it’s
time to evolve to the 2.0 version of “foodie” which we are calling Food-Connected. We feel It’s a more inclusive and
accurate representation of this massive audience.

The Cult of the Celebrity Chef
Chefs have reached rock-star status. Today, names like Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsey
don’t even need the word “chef ” in front of them – they are full-blown celebrities and household names. In the era
of Top Chef and Food Network, the icon of the celebrity chef has virtually transformed the restaurant industry, the
way people experience food and the very nature of how they consume media.

Chef Product Endorsements
Chef David Chang & Audi Lexus Culinary Masters Daniel Boulud & Samsung
Macy’s Culinary Council Mario Batali & Hellmann’s Michael Symon & Lays Bobby Flay & Fage

Culinary Causes
Mario Batali, The Mario Batali Foundation
encourages kids to dream big- and ensures
they are well read, well fed, and well cared for.
The Mario Batali Foundation often partners
with other charities.
Alice Waters, the Edible Schoolyard Project
works to get an “edible education” into public
schools through hands-on experience in
school kitchens, gardens and lunchrooms.
José Andrés, World Central Kitchen helps
developing countries in crisis by building
kitchens and cooking for hungry people using
ingredients purchased from local stores. It also
promotes environmentally sustainable cooking
technologies.
Feeding America is a nationwide network of
food banks and the nation's leading domestic
hunger-relief charity. Feeding America helps
provide food to more than 46 million
people through 60,000 food pantries and meal
programs.
Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign
is an organization working to end childhood
hunger in America by connecting kids in need
with nutritious food and teaching families how
to cook healthy, affordable meals.
As the culinary marketing landscape expands, so does the influence chefs have to impact consumers and effect
social change. Celebrity chefs have begun using their platforms to create their own foundations, prompt support for
existing charities and teach the importance of giving back to the community.

Social Media Presence
The popularity of celebrity chefs and culinary-based is even more evident based on the rising number* of followers they
have on social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter:
o Anthony Bourdain
• 1.6M Instagram followers
• 1,635,343 Facebook likes
• 3.97M Twitter followers
o Marc Forgione
• 25.3K Instagram followers
• 13,704 Facebook likes
• 37.3K Twitter followers
o Gordon Ramsay
• 3.3M Twitter Followers
o Jamie Oliver
• 5.38M twitter followers
o Mario Batali
• 366K Instagram followers
o Guy Fieri
o Amanda Freitag
• 150K Twitter followers
o Rachael Ray
• 3.88M Twitter Followers
o Emeril Lagasse
o Ludo Lefebvre
o Johnny Iuzzini
o Daniel Boulud
o Bon Appetit Magazine
o Tasty BuzzFeed
o Food Network
o Food & Wine Magazine
*Numbers rise daily. These figures were pulled in August 2016.

Social Media Presence
• Search interest for “best recipes” on YouTube is up 48% from last year. 5
• “How to cook that” is one of the ten most popular how-to searches on
YouTube. 6
• Since launching in summer 2015, BuzzFeed’s Tasty video series already has
more than 53 million likes and 2.2 billion views on Facebook. 7
• Nearly half of all adults watch food videos on YouTube
• Millennials (18-34) view the most food content, watching an average of 30%
more food content on YouTube than other demographics. 8
• 75% of the growth in YouTube food viewership comes from mobile devices. 9
• There are 183,887,727 posts on Instagram for #food, and accounts like
New_Fork_City have over 700K followers. 10
5 Google Trends, January–May 2014 and January–May 2015, United States.
6 YouTube Data, 2015, United States.
7 Fortune.com, January 2016
8-10 Think With Google, June 2014

Blogs & Vlogs
These days it seems like everyone has a food-related presence on the internet and because of the large readership of
certain food blogs, some have even been able to crossover into television or other media areas. Ree Drummond of
“The Pioneer Woman” blog now has a hit television show on Food Network and a New York Times #1 best-selling
cookbook. Lisa Lillien of “Hungry Girl” has written two books that debuted in the top two of the New York Times
Bestseller list and has a television show that debuted on Cooking Channel but is now on Food Network.
• 90% of the general population said that they go online to find recipes.
• 29% of the general population share pictures of their food online.
• 84% of the general population would purchase a food product based on the recommendation of an online recipe
site.
o Epic Meal Time: 6,988,065 YouTube subscribers
o Laura in the Kitchen: 2,186,184 YouTube subscribers
o My Drunk Kitchen: 2,456,236 YouTube subscribers
o How To Cook That: 2,296,868 YouTube subscribers
o Nicko’s Kitchen: 1,045,349 YouTube subscribers
o Simply Recipes: 2,559,222 unique visits per day
o The Daily Meal: 1,339,414 unique visits per day
o The Pioneer Woman: 798,553 unique visits per day
o The Kitchn: 634,492 unique visits per day
o Serious Eats: 580,510 unique visits per day
Top 10 Food Blogs/Vlogs

Where Culinary is Popping Up
Martha Steward and Snoop Dogg VH1
Dinner Party Series
Seth Rogen’s animated comedy
“Sausage Party”
ABC Family’s series Young & Hungry
South Park
“You’re Not Yelping”
Netflix Original Series Chef’s Table Food Salons hosted by
Questlove

Food/Cooking Media
• 57% of those who watch cooking shows say they have purchased
food as a direct result of something they have seen on television.
• YouTube food channel subscriptions have catapulted 280% in the
past year alone.
• Food Network is available to 83.3% of households with televisions in
the United States.
• Since debuting in 1993, Food Network has created over 250 unique
food-based television series.
• Food/Cooking Magazine Circulation:
o Taste of Home: 3,231,697
o Cooking Light: 1,814,471
o Every Day with Rachel Ray: 1,709,309
o Food Network Magazine; 1,597,796
o Bon Appetit: 1,541,469
o Everyday Food: 1,076,675
o Kraft Food & Family: 1,027,489
o Food & Wine: 947,854
o Cook’s Illustrated: 850,000
o EatingWell Magazine: 629,022
Cooking shows have grown beyond the Food Network. Culinary-focused programming is now featured on many
major networks including Bravo, FOX, ABC, NBC, Esquire and Cooking Channel, as well as online via Netflix and Hulu.
Magazines and digital outlets have also increased their involvement, providing consumers with access to tailored food
programming and culinary information in more ways than ever before.

Food/Cooking Television Shows
• Aired on PBS in 2012, and produced by
Anthony Bourdain
• Combines travel, cooking, history, and
science
• Emmy and James Beard award-winning
television show
• First aired on Bravo in 2006
• Hosted by Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi
• 3.02 million viewers on average
• Winner of 2 Emmy Awards
• Time magazine named it one of the top 10
series
• Hosted by Gordon Ramsay
• MasterChef premiered on Fox in 2010 and its
spin off show, MasterChef Junior in 2013
• MasterChef had 4.61 million viewers in 2015,
and MasterChef Junior had 5.5 million
• Aired on Food Network in 2007
and is still playing today
• 1.7 million average viewers
• Hosted by Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla
Hall, Clinton Kelly, and Daphne Oz
• 2.1 million average viewers
• First premiered on The Travel Channel in
2006
• Hosted by Andrew Zimmern
• Top five most popular Travel Channel
shows

Food-Focused Technology
Technology is not only changing the way we order (and get food delivered), but also playing an integral part in food
sustainability practices and customizing food or hospitality experiences for millions across the world. The future of
culinary technology is incredibly bright and will continue to change the food industry as it grows.

Food-Focused Technology
Restaurant Reviews and Search
Online Grocery Shopping
Mobile/ Online Ordering and Delivery
Commerce

Culinary Events
While food and wine events have been a part of some communities for a long time, over the past five years, there
has been an explosion of local and international events. These festivals set new attendance records year over year
and are frequented by guests from myriad backgrounds and social classes.

Music festivals are no longer just about who’s playing onstage, but what you'll find to eat on the grounds. Many of the
biggest music extravaganzas have upped their food offerings to include celebrity chef stations, pop-up restaurants and
popular food trucks.
Food and the Music Industry
This festival at Randall’s Island Park in NYC features an array of music
genres, but has also partnered up with Infatuation, a popular food
blog, to curate a list of eats. Some vendors include: Momofuku Milk
Bar, and Luke’s Lobster.
This festival held in Las Vegas combines music, food, and art in one
amazing experience. High-end restaurants like Nobu are paired up
with popular bands like Mumford & Sons.
Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco is the self proclaimed “first
gourmet food music festival” and always has an impressive roster
of culinary options. Michael Mina even set up a VIP tailgate in 2015.
This popular festival in Indio, CA brings in an impressive music AND
chef roster, including bands like Guns N’ Roses, and Top Chef stars
like Michael Voltaggio and Antonio Lafaso.

Food and the Sports Industry
Popular local chains like Shake Shack
and Chickie's & Pete's are popping
up at rival stadiums, Citi Field and
Citizens Bank Park.
The physical improvements to Arthur
Ashe Stadium only scratch the surface
of what was new and improved for fans
at the 2016 US Open. There is also a
new food menu that highlights top
chefs across the globe including David
Chang, Ken Oringer, Masaharu
Morimoto, David Burke, and more.
With dining options ranging from upscale bistros, to
popular chains, down-home fish camps and
everything in between, the PGA provides an
abundance of flavors suitable for everyone's palate.
Now with Taste of The Derby,
Kentucky Derby fans can savor an
evening of exquisite cuisine and
exceptional wines from around the
country during their stay in
Louisville. The swanky, ticketed event
features award winning chefs like
Kevin Gillespie and Johnny Iuzzini.
The U.S. Bank Stadium, home to
the Minnesota Vikings, recently
partnered with over 20 food and
beverage brands including
Canteen by celebrity chef Andrew
Zimmern and Spoon & Stable’s
Gavin Kaysen.
Consumer research by Horizon Media recently determined that given a choice on where to spend $150, one in two
people would spend it on a nice meal out, while only one in ten would spend it to see their favorite sports team.
Sports stadiums and arenas are increasingly upping the quality of their food offerings to keep up with consumer
demand and the latest food trends.

Food and Real Estate
While food and real estate decision making have long been interconnected, growing interest and awareness in the
restaurant and food industry is spurring innovation when it comes to residential real estate sales as well as
commercial development projects.
Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate
development in the history of the United
States is placing a major focus on food.
Although it is not likely to be done until
2025, the developers of this project already
have renowned chef Thomas Keller curating
ambitious selections for over sixteen unique
restaurant experiences in the development
alone.
“Food is that force that is really pulling
people in. Not every community wants
a world-class chef, but everyone wants
better food… more thoughtfully
prepared, and informed by seasonality.”
Tyler Niess, CMO, Crescent Communities
Real estate developers and brokers are
increasingly using food festivals, private
dinner parties, and other culinary events to
sell high-end homes. W. Bryan Byrne, the
sales director at Palmetto Bluff, believes
“food and wine is the new golf,” and created
a five-day food and wine event solely to
help real estate sales. According to Byrne,
20% of the prospects who attended ended
up buying property at Palmetto Bluff.

Food and Entertainment
Brooklyn Bowl (located in
Brooklyn, Las Vegas, and
London) not only provides a
fun night of bowling but offers
great food like Blue Ribbon
Fried chicken and great drinks.
High end restaurants are using entertainment as another draw for
people to come and dine with them. For example, The Nomad in
Midtown is now serving up Magic as well as amazing food.
Catchy songs and great acting are not the only attractive aspects
of the musical Waitress; the sweet taste and smell of the gourmet
pies that are available to purchase upon entering the theater and
at intermission.
Part restaurant, part movie theater, Nitehawk in Brooklyn and
other theaters around the country are putting traditional movie
snacks to shame. Drinks can now be ordered to your table
throughout the show and many menus are themed to correspond
with the screening.

“Food makes up 20% of the global GDP, but less than 3% of VC investments are focused on food. That is all changing
rapidly - investments in food have grown over 200% year after year and there is no sign of slowing down.” - Brian Frank,
FoodTech advisor and investor, December 2015
Future of Food Marketing
1. Sustainable Protein: Companies are exploring ways to allow
people to enjoy sustainable proteins over the long haul
2. Restaurant Tech and CQC (cost, quality, convenience):
Restaurants and companies are developing better ways of
sourcing and creating high- margin products, and building
solutions to monitor and manage food waste
3. Smart Kitchen: Cooking platforms that connect technology to
the kitchen
4. Personalization: Personalizing meals and diets for individual
body types
5. Transparency: Knowing and seeing what is in our food and how
it’s handled
Five Trends to Watch
Open Table, Open For Business, December 2015

Summary
• Given its highly interactive and participatory nature, the culinary industry is a universally
appealing touch-point for brands and consumers alike.
• Food has the ability to trigger emotions that can create, and tap into lasting memories.
• The growing popularity of the culinary industry is evidenced by the ever-increasing number
of food-related television shows, blogs, vlogs, events, festivals, celebrity chef endorsements,
product lines and magazines.
• Forward-thinking brands are using culinary marketing, PR, and experiential programming
as a key vertical through which to reach their demographics.
• Celebrity chefs and culinary personalities have become a top choice for brand and product
endorsements, speaking engagements, PR programs, media outreach and paid appearances.
• The culinary industry dovetails with all other major marketing verticals including sports,
music, entertainment, tech, and real estate.

Lonny Sweet
CEO
617.905.5711
lsweet@theconnectgrp.com
www.theconnectgrp.com

Rise of the food connected

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