Welcome from the editor: influenced
Welcome, and thank you for joining me this weekend.
As human beings, we might be forgiven for thinking that we are unique and independently-minded, but in reality we are a very easily influenced species, that’s why marketing and advertising work exceedingly well on us.
Social media is a case in point. We use it to communicate with each other and share stories and messages, but also to flog goods to the public and sell ourselves too, hence the rise of the social media star, better known as the influencer.
Food is huge on social. Whether it’s eating it or making it, it has become a de facto celebrity. But why are we so mesmerised by it? From banana bread to baked feta: the psychology behind viral food delves into the reasons behind our obsession.
Such is the power of marketing and psychology that we become emotionally attached to some products, and when they are discontinued we go through a period of mourning, as if we’d lost a dear friend. Where are they now? Foods and drinks that have disappeared from the supermarket shelves looks at much loved, vanished products and at the petitions to bring them back.
Promises of health and good looks have strongly influenced the foods we purchase and consume, but we now know that one diet doesn’t fit all. Dr Suzan Wopereis, Principal Scientist, TNO, joins us to discuss What’s next for personalised nutrition?
Popular foods might be what everyone wants to eat but how do they fare environmentally? Read our Dining Table Tales interview with Tim Lang. And before you reach for your phone to order your weekly shopping, have a look at Grocery delivery apps: the psychology and costs of super fast dispatch.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Stef
