MSLGROUP, a strategic communications and engagement group, has compiled a list of top food trends for the year. MSLGROUP's food and beverage experts monitor trends and industry research, and then collectively synthesizes insights from extensive reviews of industry developments, attendance at a dozen industry meetings, and analysis of sector sales data.
One of the key insights from this report is that food has emerged as a way to come together around matters of taste, ethics, culture and sociability. Shared food will unify people, aided in many ways by technology. The digital connectivity that causes us a great deal of stress as differing opinions are easily shared will also allow us come together over food and drink
"Following a year of discord and division over the politics of governance, consumers in 2017 will turn to something we can all agree on; namely, food and drink," says Steve Bryant, Director, North America Food & Beverage Marketing & PR, MSLGROUP.
According to these experts, the five ways in which our interconnected food culture will drive conversations are:
- Technology will radically remake food acquisition
- Consumers will act to limit food waste
- Food will pervade social media conversations of all kind
- Consumers will rely more on nourishment for healing
- Brands will become hyper-responsive to consumers
MSLGROUP has put out a useful infographic explaining this concept further, which you can view here.