NEW YORK – For the first time, new research from global marketing agency Sopexa profiles the preferences, behaviors and epicurean influence of modern foodies in the United States and abroad. The agency’s 2015 Foodie Study unveils key insights that will have a significant impact on food, beverage and retail marketing, across all categories and occasions.

“Foodies are no longer food enthusiasts who only know about hot spots. Through our research and analysis, we are seeing that they are more independent, connected and experimental than ever, leveraging their savviness to find, own and display new products, flavors and cuisines to their online networks,” said Pauline Oudin, managing director and digital lead, Sopexa USA. 

Some of the study’s key findings about American consumers include:

• While the pursuit of great taste remains top of mind for all foodies, they are becoming more demanding and selective, and would rather experiment on their own instead of going to a restaurant. With the aging of Millennials, and the digitalization of Gen X, foodies have evolved into home chefs, whose growing decision-making power requires a whole new set of changes in positioning, purchase patterns and marketing practices.
• 84% of American foodies cook to express their creativity and are increasingly fond of world cuisines, especially Latin flavors. Top five favorite foods are Italian, Mexican, Spanish, French and Chinese.
• Although foodies hunt for new products and recipes online, research shows that they prefer to buy grocery in stores (88%) or directly from local producers (52%). Foodies want to see, touch, smell and feel the product off premise.
• Foodies are democratizing gastronomy through their extensive use of social media, which they employ more than seven times a day to quench their thirst for inspiration and admiration. For seeking ideas and displaying their creativity, foodies unanimously use Facebook (90%) and Instagram (73%), then Pinterest (36%) and Twitter (19%).

To best leverage these changes in the way foodies find, pick and endorse products, Benjamin Bourinat, director of public relations and social media for Sopexa USA, recommends that marketers and retailers take steps to ensure that their business is ready to engage with the modern foodies. For instance:

• Amplify messages of origin, exoticism, nutrition and self-improvement. As foodies take their individual role seriously, brand preferences will not be swayed by discounts, contests or games.
• Increase the frequency of mobile touchpoints across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for visual storytelling and greater brand exposure. Remember foodies are either social voyeurs or social exhibitionists; they rarely partake in online conversations unless they feel they are driving them.
• Foodies prefer buying in-store rather than online; stores should provide personalized, sensorial experiences to build a long-lasting emotional connection between foodies and a product or a set of goods necessitated to achieve culinary excellence.