It is widely acknowledged by food and beverage industry executives that technology will be the greatest driver of growth within their industry by findings from KPMG LLP’s 2013 Food and Beverage Industry Outlook survey. The participants that includes 100 USA based execs from brands with annual revenues of 41 billion + conclude that the likes of online marketing, mobile and social media will form a large part of consumer engagement and improve options for new business and opportunities.
Industry expert comments include:
Patrick Dolan, national line of business leader for consumer markets at KPMG LLP “The food and beverage industry is experiencing significant change. Technology is redefining how companies identify growth opportunities, operate their businesses, and manage risk – and the companies that adopt and utilize these tools most effectively are positioned to capitalize on improving business conditions.”
Many of the top food and beverage names are active on social media from Cadbury chocolate to Moet Champagne. Many of the top brands have very large active groups / fan pages which are communicating with their consumers daily, embracing feedback and suggestions to give their customers more of what they want. Many adverts on television or radio within the industry now incorporate social media links as the likes of Facebook are ideal platforms to entertain, engage and educate their audiences along with offering promotions and competitions.
The industry’s top-performing companies have an active and integrated social media presence and using the varied platforms to build target communities, collate customer feedback and form new products and services upon recommendations.