# Digital Dining Marketing Food brands tie in social media to push the social aspect of eating. By [Courtney Scharf](https://www.trendhunter.com/Courtney), Chief Client Officer | Published Oct 28, 2014 | Category: [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/pro/category/marketing-strategy) Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/digital-dining-marketing ## Key Figures - Trend score: 4.2/10 - Evidence articles: 6 ## What is the Digital Dining Marketing trend? **Digital Dining Marketing:** Capitalizing on the social nature of eating, food brands are using social media in both marketing and interactive campaigns to reach consumers and even bring people together in some cases. Whether integrated into the product itself or as part of a campaign, this shift reflects the way in which in-person social activities are moving online. ## At a Glance - Evidence: 6 featured examples - Articles from: Oct 29, 2012 to May 14, 2015 - Published: Oct 28, 2014 - Patterns: [Convergence](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/convergence), [Redirection](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/redirection) - Megatrends: [Multisensation](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/multisensation), [Experience](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/experience), [Prosumerism](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/prosumerism) ## Audience - Gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia ## Themes within the Digital Dining Marketing trend ### Social Media Integration and Dining Capitalizing on the social nature of eating, this trend shows how social media is becoming integrated into dining marketing and interactive campaigns, both as a way to reach consumers and bring people together. ### Hunger Awareness Campaigns Food-related campaigns promoting hunger awareness and food shortages, bringing attention to the millions of people that go hungry each day from all over the world, show how social media can be used to create meaningful change in society. ### Social Media Sensors and Tweeting Food This trend shows how social media can be used to make statements and be a creative outlet, with contraptions not necessarily designed for practical application in the real world, but catering to the obsessions with food, over-sharing and providing a voice to inanimate objects. ## What the Digital Dining Marketing trend means for industry ### For Social Media Marketing and Interactive Campaigns This industry can leverage social media to create brand awareness and increase customer engagement through various campaigns that enhance the social aspect of eating such as live tweeting during a TV commercial to win a chance for celebrity-made meals. ### For Food & Beverage Advertising and Promotion This industry can create culturally-relevant campaigns that drive the narrative, brand recognition, and awareness, for example, through campaigns that reiterate nostalgia and the origin stories of signature dishes such as the ones by Popeyes. ### For Charitable or Socially Responsible Marketing This industry can expand to create campaigns like Unicef's that raise awareness or provide value to millions of people worldwide who could potentially benefit from such digital campaigns without losing sight of the social aspect of eating. ## Trend signals for Digital Dining Marketing Trend score 4.2 out of 10, from popularity 76%, activity 42%, freshness 8%. - Popularity: 76% - Activity: 42% - Freshness: 8% ## Examples of the Digital Dining Marketing trend 6 featured examples from Oct 29, 2012 to May 14, 2015. - [Romantic Food Pairing Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/steak-and-sauce): A.1. Sauce Recaps the Up and Down Relationship Between Steak and Sauce (Category: Marketing) Implication: Opportunities for disruptive innovation lie in the creation of novel and interesting food and sauce pairings to engage customers. - [Automatic Tweeting Aprons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apron-alert): Apron Alert Automatically Updates Your Feed with Your Cooking Status (Category: Tech) Implication: The integration of smart technology in kitchen appliances aligns with the broader trend of creating a connected and automated smart home ecosystem. - [Hunger Awareness Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/food-photos-save-lives): Unicef's Food Photos Save Lives Campaign Shares on Food Shortages (Category: Social Good) Implication: Nonprofit organizations can use these tactics to create engaging campaigns and raise funds. - [TV-Tweeted Dinner Invitations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lets-eat-together): Coca-Cola's 'Let's Eat Together' Ad Invites Diners Over with the TV (Category: Marketing) Implication: Opportunities for food and beverage brands to innovate with social media. - [Tweeting Food Sensors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/twitter-food): This Twitter Food Sensor Shares a Tweet with Every Bite (Category: Unique) Implication: Opportunity to create unique and interactive food experiences that appeal to the tech-savvy and social media-driven consumer base. - [Signature Dish Digital Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/national-biscuit-day): These Popeyes E-Cards Celebrate the Brand's National Biscuit Day (Category: Marketing) Implication: Fast food brands can leverage digital campaigns during the holidays and celebrations to engage with younger consumers ## Recent trend clusters - [Protein Personalization](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/protein-personalization) (Lifestyle) - [Autonomous Merchandising](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/autonomous-merchandising) (Business) - [Countertop Craft](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/countertop-craft) (Lifestyle) - [Inclusive Formulas](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/inclusive-formulas) (Fashion) ## Trending in Marketing - [Mystery Packaging Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cow-not-laughing) - [Athlete Beauty Ambassadorships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/athlete-beauty-ambassadorships) - [Creator-Led Learning Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/learning-series) - [Accessible Fintech Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chequing-account) All articles: [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing)