Instagram It!

A picture is worth more than 1,000 words, as operators encourage picture-taking by making their plate presentations more camera-ready.

TREND 1: MARKETING

Instagram It!

In the age of viral, visual media, the way food looks has become almost as important as how it tastes.

A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 VIEWS

Remember the cronut? First introduced in 2013 by Manhattan baker Dominique Ansel, the croissant-donut hybrid was one of the earliest Instagram-fueled food obsessions, and its runaway viral success helped spur a trend that has completely changed the way food is presented. We no longer just eat with our eyes; today we eat with our iPhones.

72% of Instagram users have purchased a product they saw on Instagram.¹

According to the company, which was launched in 2010, Instagram has more than a billion monthly users, and an astonishing 500 million people are on the platform every day, including 34% of U.S. Millennials. That’s what you call influence.

Small wonder, then, that food businesses have become adept at using Instagram, posting photos of appetizers, entrées, desserts, dining-room ambiance, staff members, and behind-the-scenes operations, along with thoughtful captions that invite likes, comments, and feedback. Instagram is especially useful for calling attention to daily specials, new menu items, projects like remodeling, or to announce special events.

26% of Instagram users make more than $75,000 a year.¹

Instagram is also being leveraged with other platforms, such as Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, Foursquare, Twitter, and emails. Videos capture twice the engagement of other posts, so they’ve become more popular as well.

Not surprisingly, operators have begun to cater their food to the Instagram set, creating attention-getting presentations that attract likes, followers, and—most importantly—customers.

Technomic Take: Sensory Thrills Beyond a Snapshot
Over the past few years, Instagram and other photo-sharing apps have revolutionized the food industry. Restaurants have even created food and beverage with social media in mind. But now, Instagram stories, Facebook Live, and YouTube have extended the trend beyond what works in a single snapshot to what plays well through videos. Audio enhancements such as popping candies or items that move or alter in time such as color-changing cocktails, glitter beer, and bonito-topped foods wow diners, especially young ones. Because social media is evolving so quickly, expect menu trends to adapt in funky ways.

^{Source: Technomic, “7 Key Trends for 2019”}

Certain ingredients and flourishes that have become more popular in menu items seem to be tailor-made for Instagram, as well as for flavor and functionality: head-on shrimp, watermelon radishes, multicolored seeds (such as everything spice) and sprinkles, charred lemons, platescaping with colorful sauces, food that’s dusted or burnished with glazes. This may be creating a ripple effect that propels Instagram-popular signature dishes like grain bowls onto menus, speeding up food trend adoption.

Instagrammable food is in the Proliferation Stage of Datassential’s Menu Adoption Cycle, appearing at chain restaurants and mainstream grocery stores.²

Some savvy operators are even designing their spaces with Instagram in mind, both for location shots and by providing perfect natural lighting and appealing backdrops that are ideal for snapping food photos.

Although critics worry that customers will start caring more about what their food looks like versus what it tastes like, making “grammability” too much of a distraction, Instagram is critical for exposure and attracting customers into locations.

How-To: Up Your Instagram Game

Color, shape, and size of ingredients on the plate are key for better appearance. Pay attention to the color scheme of an entire plate—whether complementary or contrasting. Utilize different sizes and shapes to create visual interest
Consider presenting menu items in distinctive vessels, like individual casseroles or sauté pans, mini fryer or steamer baskets, paper cones, tabletop stands, and other “look at me” vehicles
Video-worthy service touchpoints like a tableside cocktail cart, ladling soup out of a tureen at the table, or creating a “smoking” plate can really pay off
Pay attention to the garnish of plates and glassware; there’s a reason for the popularity of skewers of shrimp, pickles, and olives on Bloody Marys and other edible cocktails

How important is Instagram to your operation?

We discourage photography in our operation
Instagram is important to our marketing efforts
We need to do a better job leveraging Instagram
What’s Instagram?

^{Sources: [1] Instagram. [2] Datassential Menu Adoption Cycle, Macro Trends (2019).}