Viral social media recipes - do they translate into action?

From baked feta pasta to cottage cheese, the past few years has seen a multitude of viral food trends surface on social media channels like TikTok, often leading to impressive amounts of consumer engagement.

A 2023 survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) that asked 1,022 Americans found that 42% have come across food and nutrition-related social media content in the past year. Exposure increases among the young; 71% of Gen Z had come across such content, compared to only 22% of Boomers. Just over half (51%) of all respondents said they had tried a new recipe as a result of social media content.

It is not unusual for food-related content to have hundreds of millions of views and likes on social media. On TikTok, for example, the hashtag #cottagecheese has a whopping 1.2 billion views on TikTok, up from 470 million in July.

But do these online sensations increase real-life food sales? Watch the video below to find out!

Recent blogs
NNB in the news: Lab-grown meat is proving to be a grotesque misadventure Embarking on a mission to change consumer perceptions of butter A trend shift trips up a market leader Social media giants challenge Kraft Heinz Energy drink brand reinvents “the elixirs of our ancestors” Premium brand wants to take yoghurt from “overlooked superfood” to snack staple Cottage cheese's comeback continues The original energy drink gets a protein boost Retail dietitians create value for confused consumers Chocolate start up launches Germany's first paper-wrapped chocolate