New horizon of food marketing

Shahidul Islam

Bangladesh’s food industry today is not limited to production and sales. It has become a competitive, technology based and consumer centred industry. In the past two decades, economic growth, fast urbanisation, the expansion of the middle class, a rise in women’s employment and the spread of information technology have brought big changes in people’s eating habits and buying behaviour.

There was a time when going to the market meant buying daily food items from a familiar shop. Today consumers also care about product quality, safety, nutrition, brand reputation, online reviews and even the social responsibility of the company. Food marketing has taken on a new dimension in step with this change.

Food marketing does not only mean advertising or ways to raise sales. It is an integrated process that plans every step of a food product from production planning to reaching the consumer. Market research, product development, pricing, branding, packaging, promotion, distribution and after sales customer service are all part of food marketing. The base of successful food marketing is to understand consumer demand and psychology and to make products and messages accordingly.

The journey of food marketing in Bangladesh was quite simple. For a long time after independence, most food products in the country were sold through local haats, bazaars and small grocery shops. At that time, availability and price mattered more than brand. The media for advertising were also limited, such as radio, newspapers and wall writing.

A new era began in the food industry in the nineties, with economic liberalisation, industrialisation and the spread of television. Local companies such as Pran, ACI, Square, Akij and City Group adopted modern branding and advertising strategies. Later, the spread of the internet and smartphones brought a digital revolution to food marketing. Today Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are not only media of entertainment. They have become strong platforms to promote food products.

Consumers in Bangladesh today are much more aware than before. They do not want only tasty food. They want to know where it was produced, how hygienic it is, what ingredients were used and even how responsible the producing company is towards the environment and society. So the trustworthiness of a brand has become the biggest asset in food marketing. However attractive a company’s advertisement may be, if questions arise about the quality and safety of the product, consumers’ trust in the brand falls quickly.

In recent years, cases of food adulteration, low quality raw materials and health risks have made consumers more careful. So companies must not only make good products. They must also give reliable information about the safety and quality of those products.

Packaging is now an important weapon in food marketing. Earlier, the main job of a pack was to preserve the product, but now it is often the first point of attraction for the consumer. Attractive design, clear information, details of nutrition, production and expiry dates, halal certificates and environment friendly materials raise the acceptance of a product. Especially urban educated consumers now often decide to buy after reading the information written on the pack.

Digital marketing has brought the biggest change to the food industry in Bangladesh. Before launching a new food product in the market, companies now build interest on social media, make videos, publish reviews through popular food bloggers or content creators and run various online campaigns. Influencer marketing has become very effective especially to reach the young generation. Often a popular video or a viral review can raise the sales of a new food product several times over.

At the same time, e commerce platforms such as Foodpanda, Chaldal and Meena Bazar Online have opened a new horizon for food marketing.

But along with digital marketing, the importance of market research has not fallen. It has grown more. Companies make their marketing plans by analysing which type of food people of which area like, in which season demand for which product rises and what the eating habits of which age group are. By analysing artificial intelligence, data analytics and customer purchase history, the age of personal marketing has now started. So two customers of the same company may see different offers or advertisements.

The rise in health awareness in Bangladesh has created new trends in food marketing. The demand for organic food, low sugar, low fat, high fibre food and safe and nutritious food is growing steadily. Many companies now talk not only about taste in their advertisements. They also talk about the nutrition of the product, the safe production process and the following of international standards. Environment friendly production, recyclable packaging and collecting raw materials from local farmers also help build a positive image of a brand.

Local companies in Bangladesh’s food industry, such as Pran, ACI, Akij and Square, have become strong brands through successful marketing strategies. At the international level, Coca Cola’s personalised campaign, Oreo’s social media based creativity, Chipotle’s ethical production message and Subway’s health focused position have shown that in modern food marketing it is not only advertising. A strong brand philosophy is the base of long term success.

But food marketing in Bangladesh also faces several important challenges. Food adulteration, weak quality control, limits in the supply system, lack of cold storage infrastructure, misleading online campaigns and fierce price competition are still big obstacles. Heavy promotion of unhealthy food aimed at children is also becoming a concern for public health. So public health and ethical responsibility should get equal importance along with business profit.

Food marketing in the days ahead will be more technology based, data based and personal. Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, smart packaging and the spread of e commerce will take the food industry to new heights. But along with technology, consumer trust, food safety, transparency and social responsibility must be given top priority. This is because the real strength of a brand lies not only in its sales figures but in people’s trust.

Bangladesh’s food industry now stands at an important turning point. If local companies give equal importance to research, innovation, quality, safe food production, environment friendly steps and ethical marketing, they will be able to build a stronger position not only in the local market but also in the international market. So the future of food marketing is not limited to the growth of business. It is also one of the main driving forces for safe food, aware consumers and a sustainable economy.

The writer is a food scientist living in the United Kingdom.