Weekly Roundup – Week of 7.18.2022
July 22, 2022
This week’s roundup highlights our favorite food-and-beverage-related news stories of the past week, curated from our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
Whiskey For A New Generation
Whiskey has experienced renewed interest and “by 2025, the market for the aged liquor is expected to grow by more than 37%, reaching $109 billion,” according to research referenced by Marketing Dive. With the help of Instagram, new competitors are targeting younger generations and forcing established whiskey brands to rethink their advertising strategies and reallocate their marketing dollars to keep their brands relevant. A few ways these legacy brands are broadening reach and dollars are by targeting millennial women, educating consumers that quality craftsmanship is a direct correlation to price, and using celebrity influencers and social media to motivate new consumers to try their products. Read The Full Story.
Look Beyond Google When Searching For Restaurants
Google is not the only search engine consumers use when looking for places to dine. According to an internal Google survey of U.S. users, ages 18 to 24, almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, don’t go to Google Maps or Search, they go to TikTok or Instagram. One reason could be that when you search for restaurants in a specific location via either platform, Google may offer 100k results to sift through versus an impactful 10-second video from TikTok. With its new searchable maps feature, Instagram “allows users to explore popular tagged locations around them and filter location results by specific categories including restaurants, cafes and beauty salons,” according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Read More.
Are Skittles “Unfit For Human consumption”?
A class-action lawsuit filed against the candy maker Mars is determining if the use of the additive titanium dioxide in Skittles is unsuitable for humans. Lawsuit details cite that in 2016, Mars announced plans to remove artificial coloring from its products in five years, and titanium dioxide was one of the colorings that would be eliminated. The additive is still being used and plaintiffs’ contend that “the company’s failure to warn consumers about the potential dangers of titanium dioxide amounts to a fraud of omission as well as other violations.” While the Food and Drug Administration permits its use in most foods – up to 1 percent of a food’s weight – a spokesperson for Mars argues the company has done nothing wrong. Learn More.
Functional Foods Get A Boost From New Technology
New micro-encapsulated MCT oil powders could be a new solution for functional food proWill duct manufacturers and consumers following ketogenic diets. MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides are a unique type of fatty acids used by the body as an immediate source of energy or can be quickly converted into ketones—ideal for ketogenic diets, weight management, sports nutrition, functional food, and nutritional products, according to a new article by Food Dive. These new MCT oil powders can be found in keto-friendly, OTC products including coffee creamers, sports nutrition and functional bars, milk powders, medical meals, meal replacements, and even collagen products. Read The Full Article.
Laffy Taffy Jokes Retire To The Metaverse
What kind of tea is sometimes hard to swallow? The answer: Reality. Since the 1980s, jokes submitted by children have been printed on Laffy Taffy wrappers as a way to provide “free entertainment” to candy-loving consumers. On July 20th more than a dozen jokes retired from the wrappers. Along with 100+ additional jokes, these retired jokes will live on the “Laffy Taffy Original Jokes” NFT collection. The company states, “Laffy Taffy fans can visit the site for a chance to connect their wallets, complete an order and claim their free NFT on a first-come, first serve basis.” Get The Details Here. And just for fun, check out these classic 50 Laffy Taffy jokes.
Stop back each week to read our top stories!
