• by Holly Gilbert , November 18, 2019

If you’re looking for great examples of consumer-brand engagement, look no further than top food brands.

In order to win consumers over, restaurants and food brands must appeal not only to taste buds, but also hearts.

So it’s no wonder that the most successful brands are forging bonds based on emotional connections. Rapport between the company and the consumer breeds loyalty, and the strength of that connection is ultimately reflected in the bottom line.

The most established brands, food or otherwise, ask themselves every day how they will create the kind of consumer-brand engagement that will integrate their brands into consumers’ lives. They constantly evaluate their offerings and consumer strategy to grow market share and increase loyalty.

Today, communicators have more levers to pull in order to pinpoint and reach their target consumer in ways that move the needle and generate desired results.

Here’s how you can take a page from food brands’ playbooks and apply it to your campaigns:

1. Embed your brand in consumers’ lifestyles. Weave your brand into the lives of consumers by tapping into their interests, behaviors, or aspirations.

For example, given the company’s origin story, it only made sense for organic snack company Clif Bar to tie its products to a more active and adventure-filled lifestyle. Clif Bar encouraged its fans to tag their outdoor photos on Instagram using the hashtag #FeedYourAdventure. The result is a content hub centered around a shared interest that fosters deeper brand connections.

2. Leverage social. By meeting modern consumers on social media, you can target audiences and channels to serve up interactive experiences and engaging content that builds loyalty.

For instance, when Coca-Cola wanted to boost the appeal of its Fanta brand among teens, it partnered with Snapchat (an app that claims to reach 90% of 13- to 24-year-olds). By pointing their smartphones at a Fanta billboard, users could access exclusive filters and sticker packs.

Consider a digital tactic like this to reward your fans and give your target consumers another reason to love — and evangelize — your brand.

3. Deliver memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. Give your audience members the experiences they crave by inserting experiential marketing into your plan.

Taco Bell’s pop-up hotel is a great example of an activation that immersed fans into everything the brand represents. I mean, how Instagrammable is it to rest your head on a Taco Bell sauce pillow and sip a frozen Baja Blast poolside? Fans thought so, too, and they wanted in. Perhaps that’s why rooms sold out in just two minutes, according to USA Today.

Making a connection with consumers and bringing them into your brand isn’t exclusive to food and consumer packaged goods marketing. All products and services have the opportunity to do this. As long as your efforts make sense to your brand, you can create the kinds of connections consumers are eager to make.