This situation, caused in part by a growing population and a growing consumer class with considerable spending power, is also caused by the role that mass media, marketing, and advertising have played in circulating ideas about food preferences and food culture. Advancements in technology now allow consumers to access food information easily and conveniently. It is now possible to know everything about the food that we eat, from its origins and method of production, right down to its dietary and health implications. Most importantly, though, the increased access to information and the numerous online platforms available for communication have made food a social, political, economic, and legal conversation. Whether one is talking about franchise restaurants or small delis; fine dining establishments or rustic game lodges, food trend analysts, writers, bloggers, photographers, celebrity chefs, or conferences about food production and food security, the answer is the same: food is everywhere.
One of the key drivers of the food conversation has been the rise of social media technologies. Together, social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest have helped to popularise food culture and drive conversations about food. The Internet now offers any person who is interested in food any number of ways to engage in conversations about it. Individual channels like Twitter allow consumers to broadcast their daily food choices and cravings while group-orientated channels, such as Facebook and Google Plus, cultivate communities that discuss food topics, both general and nuanced. It is possible, for example, for people to keep online diaries of the different foods they eat every day or review or provide a live review of a restaurant or food event. It is also possible for people to engage with a broader community of people who enjoy discussing different kinds of cuisine, cooking styles, or production methods. Looking further afield, a person is able to discuss complex subjects such as food security, which, although not "foodie" in nature, also determine the availability and quality of food that a person will find.
Thanks to the abundance of social media channels, it is nearly impossible to go a day without hearing or seeing something about food. And with good reason, too. Food is one of the most social aspects of human life. It is a simultaneously personal choice (cooking, eating, enjoying) and public experience (shopping for food, for example). Food, as always, is crucial for human life and any medium that helps to drive food conversations will be widely used.
It is no surprise, then, that Source Food is very active on social media. Two Facebook pages-Source Food and Source Chefs-offer consumers and hospitality professionals a diverse range of content; a Twitter feed plugged straight into the buzzing food scene in Cape Town and South Africa a whole; a Pinterest account, which curates the most interesting pins from around the world; an Instagram feed that displays the day-to-day adventures of the Source team; a Google Plus page that collates and curates all of the creative content produced by Source, and a blog that is instrumental in showcasing Source's culinary talents are just some of the ways that Source has joined a local, national, and international conversation. As always, Source Food brings a unique take on food topics, always keeping its content relevant in line with the company ethos: to be inspired by food in all of its diversity.
Source Food is a food marketing company based in Cape Town, South Africa. We believe in the power of delicious food and passionate cooking to create unforgettable experiences and celebrations, to help you speak to your consumers memorably and effectively, using the common language of taste.
With our wealth of experience, we meet any culinary need, customising solutions to your unique catering, marketing and eventing requirements.
