I am currently working to shed a few extra pounds since I had to stop running. Finding healthy food stops when you are a virtual worker looking for WIFI hotspots can be an issue. Coffee shops just don't help those that are dieting and want to eat gluten free. As mobile apps develop and restaurants and fast food tap into this technology, I can envision a time where I could do a search on my smart phone for the nearest food place with a gluten free menu and calorie information on each dish. Now, add the map and GPS feature and I am on my way to a healthy lunch.
Here in Wisconsin I can picture local companies like Cousins Subs and Culvers considering this technology. Both companies are developing presences on social media sites such as Twitter @CousinsSubs & @Culvers and both have Facebook pages. I recently interviewed Justin McCoy Marketing Director at Cousins Subs on their social media strategy. They are moving thoughtfully and deliberately into this space. I will have to watch them to see if they also consider mobile.
Mobile
Technology and Social Media to Increasingly Influence Consumer Food Purchasing
10 August 2010 - Public relations firm Porter Novelli, in a recent report obtained by FLEXNEWS, argues that mobile
technology and the social media will continue to change the consumer's relationship with food and will play a key role in their food purchases.
Keith Taylor, who is the director of Porter Novelli's UK office in London, gave an overview of the current status of the food and mobile
technology relationship.
"People are using their phones to look up recipes as they grocery shop. Perhaps one of the most interesting apps is StickyBits. Users can annotate information (notes, video, photographs) to a bar code. It shouldn’t be long before a user scans a label on a tub of ice cream and receives the manufacturer’s recommendation for optimal toppings. The opportunities for consumer-to-consumer and retailer- or manufacturer-to-consumer dialogue are boundless", adds Taylor.
According to Porter Novelli, food
manufacturers and retailers will have to ensure that they become part of the "conversation", and, ultimately, part of the purchasing decision.
"If you have a major food brand and you don’t have a community manager, hire one now", says Taylor.
Read more at www.flex-news-food.com
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