How the Future of Foodservice Makes Decisions: Tracking the Millennial Buyers Journey
Did you feel that? It wasn’t a tremor or a Sysco truck rumbling by. The foodservice industry just shifted a little, and there are more groundbreaking moments to come. That’s because a new force is emerging and it’s definitely shaking things up.
After decades of established preferences, the rules are changing for reaching and influencing foodservice decision makers. This dynamic shift is being driven by Millennial operators, the rising leaders of the future.
These younger decision makers were raised in the information age. Unlike previous generations of foodservice operators, their connections, relationships and communities have been established and nurtured online.
The effect this “millennial mindset” has on the world of foodservice is considerable and it changes the paradigm for marketers.
Going forward, marketers will need to understand the millennial buyers journey and these operators’ media preferences in order to get into the consideration set.
To truly appreciate how this new generation of foodservice leaders makes decisions, a new food industry research study consulted operators about their purchase decisions and what influences them along the way. The “Media Consumption Behaviors and the Decision-Making Journey of Foodservice Operators” Study was developed by Boomm Marketing & Communications to help foodservice marketing professionals make better-informed decisions when creating communications strategies. The research was conducted by leading foodservice research firm Product Evaluations.
Social media helps drive decisions
According to the study, millennial operators are actively leveraging a wide variety of social media sites to aid in information gathering and purchase decisions.
In fact, 85% of millennial operators have adopted social media to inform their decision-making. And there was a 59% increase in social usage in the last year alone.
These millennial buyers are highly active on Facebook. In fact, 81% said Facebook is the most likely social media site to be used to inform their decisions.
New white paper tells the full story
To learn more about the groundbreaking changes that are coming to the foodservice industry, check out the new white paper on millennial buyers.
You’ll discover what influences these new leaders and why they’re different from any generation before. It’s must reading for foodservice marketers who want to reach millennial operators on their terms. Contact Gary Mattes today to access this valuable resource.