2024 is poised to be the year of the influencer.
Following the upheaval caused by the pandemic, many food and beverage companies swiftly transformed into e-commerce brands overnight. Influencers have emerged as the dominant force in marketing, leveraging their continuous social media presence and growing understanding of the influence of their followers. Paid campaigns on platforms like Instagram and TikTok are going viral daily, cementing influencers’ role in the industry.
Marie La France, Vice President of Growth at Billion Dollar Boy, a global influencer marketing agency, highlighted the shift in how brands engage on social media, particularly larger enterprise brands. In an interview with Food Dive, she emphasized the importance of trusted sources in delivering information, signaling a realization among companies of the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
Winners and losers of food and beverage social media strategies
Steven Vigilante, Director of Growth and Partnerships at Olipop, a better-for-you soda brand, attributed the social media and influencer boom to the onset of the pandemic in 2020. The shift towards e-commerce prompted brands to explore paid social influencer strategies across various channels.
Poppi, another better-for-you soft drink company, exemplified successful grassroots marketing tactics. The company, founded by Allison Ellsworth, initially gained traction at farmers markets and has now become the top-selling soft drink on Amazon. By leveraging organic social and influencer marketing strategies, Poppi garnered 204 million impressions and 2.3 million engagements in 2023, expanding its reach to 5 million new households in 2024.
Ellsworth’s early investment in TikTok and unique influencer gifting strategies propelled Poppi’s virality, associating the brand with unconventional elements that resonate with consumers.
Vigilante emphasized the importance of thinking creatively in food brand marketing, moving beyond traditional approaches to foster consumer engagement and loyalty.