Science, fashion and virality. When food becomes a celebrity

Summary of Costanza Nosi's presentation at Mirtillo Business Day (Fico Eataly World – Bologna, 11/09/2019)

Some foods, like quinoa, kale, or avocado, have seen a real "boom" in consumption in recent years, becoming celebrities for consumers (see the program *When Food Gets Famous*, broadcast by the BBC on March 3, 2019). This has led to an increase in production volumes, quantities, and the value of import-export flows, pushing retail players (both large distribution and specialized retailers) to include these foods in their assortments. In many cases, these trends have revitalized the production areas, especially for products grown in developing countries, bringing wealth to local populations.

In general terms, the success of these foods is due to a new cultural attitude of consumers towards food, ongoing health trends, and a greater willingness of people to try unusual recipes and ingredients as part of their diets, both at home and in restaurants.

By closely examining these phenomena, however, it is possible to identify some common and recurring traits, a common thread that connects the involved players, the actual strategies implemented, the initiatives carried out at an operational level, and even specific marketing and communication tools that today primarily exploit the opportunities offered by digital technologies.

Firstly, the increase in the consumption of these foods is not a random occurrence, but the result of deliberate actions based on the cooperation of multiple actors. These are real networks that involve collaboration between companies in the agri-food chain, as well as organizations from related and supporting industries (large distribution, horeca, communication, media, etc.). Often, these collaborations are formalized through the establishment of what we could define as meta-organizers. Associations (including temporary ones), organizations, foundations, and entities that group together various players with the goal of promoting the product (or product category) without promoting individual brands.

Their actions can be defined as systemic, with the main objective of exploiting the synergies that can potentially emerge from sharing certain behaviors, leaving it to individual companies to undertake independent commercial initiatives consistent with their positioning.

The underlying idea is that together they can carry out operations that would be either impossible or extremely costly for individual actors but, when done collectively, not only become feasible but also positively impact the competitiveness of all companies in the supply chain, both large and small.

A crucial role in the “accreditation” of foods that become celebrities is played by the world of science and research. In the systemic actions carried out by the networks of players, scientific organizations often get involved, “embracing the cause” (becoming what we commonly call endorsers), and boast an established reputation in the fields of conventional medicine and health or food and nutrition. They may also be individuals, doctors, and scholars who act as producers of knowledge to be conveyed to consumers, contributing through their scientific and experimental activities to identify the principles to follow and the nutrients to consume to adopt a balanced and healthy diet. The contribution that these actors make to the promotion of certain foods is based on the credibility and authority that their statements have regarding the foods in question. There is indeed broad international consensus on the need for certain nutrients, recommended portions, and the importance of people’s eating habits in preventing diet-related chronic diseases, one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in modern society.

The food we eat, who eats it, and whether we can eat it too has become important. Famous chefs, food bloggers, actors, and singers often post photos of themselves consuming certain products. Some even get them tattooed (on July 4, 2015, Miley Cyrus had an avocado tattooed on her forearm to celebrate the 4th of July). Recently (September 5, 2019, Schawn Mendes posted a photo of himself eating an avocado. In three days, it received around 8 million 444 thousand likes). Eating is increasingly about showing off. Being present in these outlets provides an incredible competitive advantage, capable of being shared millions of times.

Consuming certain foods has lost its exclusively functional connotation and has become imbued with ideological meanings instrumental to affirming an individual’s identity and value system. True "cultures of consumption" (often online, in the form of communities) continually form, creating bonds of solidarity, mutual identification, and distinction from the rest of society among people who share the same dietary regime for the same reasons. This way, consumers achieve two goals simultaneously: they identify with a group that they perceive as a source of protection and reassurance and distinguish themselves from the "masses." Following the same diet, eating the same foods, allows them to give each other advice, share their experiences, admit their defeats (in case they are pursuing a weight-loss diet), and celebrate together the milestones achieved (lost kilos, dropped centimeters, regained sizes). In this context, the Internet, with blogs, forums, and social networks, represents an extraordinary echo chamber, virtually multiplying the opportunities to communicate and share experiences endlessly.

Consumers, far from being mere targets for selling a product, become co-creators of value along with companies. They are capable of contributing (even unconsciously) to the success of certain foods by sharing their original content, which can unexpectedly go viral. It is clear that this “empowered” consumer represents an invaluable source of value for companies that operate correctly in the market, but can become a source of innumerable problems for those that adopt opaque or even fraudulent policies.

In attempting to summarize what has been illustrated above and seeking to square the circle, the success of food celebrities can be traced back to a strategic conduct known since the early 20th century. For producers of the same food but operating with their own brands, it is essentially a form of coopetition (a combination of competition and cooperation).

This occurs among competing companies that choose to collaborate on certain aspects of their business because there is a “partial convergence of interests among the actors.” In the case of foods, there are examples where producing companies collaborate in research and development, marketing and communication activities, etc. (e.g., the American Kale Foundation, the World Avocado Organization). They do so because they are aware that implementing a shared strategy, even if only on certain aspects (e.g., promoting innovation or increasing the awareness and unbranded recognition of the food), will ultimately have a positive impact on all actors in the product's ecosystem. It is then up to each company to target its market segments, using its brand and specific marketing and promotional actions that support and align with its competitive positioning.

Costanza Nosi is Associate Professor of Business Economics and Management – LUMSA University (Rome)

She works at the Department of Human Sciences – Communication, Education, Psychology at LUMSA University in Rome. She is the Rector’s Delegate for the third mission and University Referent for job placement. She teaches Marketing and Web Marketing & Digital Advertising. Her main research interests focus on consumer behavior, entrepreneurship, and marketing in the food & beverage industry.