Trendwatch: Gourmet Dining Gone Mobile

When marketers attempt to cultivate cultural movements through their marketing efforts more often than not, they miss the mark. Meeting the masses and creating a consumer cultural shift is considered a marketing triumph. Of course sometimes being at the right place, at the right time, with a relevant  product can seem like that’s all you need to succeed. However, without the support of an immersive brand experience, the success won’t last long.

A recent trend that is not only capturing our attention but satisfying our taste buds, is the food truck phenomena. With the economy gone bust and many restaurants closing, a fresh approach to dining has ensued bringing gourmet food to the masses via mobile food trucks. Not long ago, buying food from a “roach coach” meant lowering your appetite’s expectations. However, as of late, gourmet food trucks have become all the rage, even inspiring the Food Network’s reality TV show, “The Great Food Truck Race.”

The marketing methods and immersive experiences behind these innovative mobile restaurants are clever. They attract socially connected food lovers and then engage with them through trend-setting marketing techniques.

Engaging through social media: Creating a cult-like following and maximizing their marketing dollars, food truck companies connect with their loyal customers through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. By updating their destination via social media apps available on their phones and laptops, they easily enable loyal customers to spread the word about the food truck’s location to friends and foodies alike. These same fans also share their foodie experience via these networks, creating a buzz that spreads like wild fire.

Surprising the customer: Offering accessibility and affordability, while being on the move creates excitement and surprise for their customers. It also creates a sense of urgency for food lovers to meet at their destination because they won’t be there long.  People look forward to this chance occurrence to spice up their lunch/dinners as well as their pallet.

Delightful customer experience: These foodie caravans delight their customers with culinary experiences that are unique. These delectable meals are served up in a non-traditional way, for a cost that’s hard to beat.

Listening to the customer: Food trucks implement a unique approach to listening to customer comments through social media channels, where fans comment and vendors listen. As a result, menus are subject to change based on customer preference. The relationship between customer and vendor is really a two way street, no pun intended.

This new shift in food culture doesn’t just stem from affordable tasty food, and economic timing, but also from their immersive brand experiences with loyal customers. There is no doubt these marketing techniques have been instrumental in the exponential growth and success of food trucks spreading gourmet food culture to the general public. By keeping an open and personal connection to their customers, they in turn create a positive customer experience.

More Foodie Fun!
Speaking of foodie experiences, we felt this would be a perfect opportunity to share the upcoming Foodie Fest with our Orange County readers being held at the Honda Center in Anaheim on August 28th, 2010. Discover your inner foodie and check out OC Foodie Fest 2010 and let us know your thoughts on the latest trend. http://www.ocfoodiefest.com

For a list of food trucks that cater to both Los Angeles and Orange County areas, this online resource allows you to keep track and discover new gourmet foods on the go and gratify your cravings.