Food & Fashion Companies Pursue Blog Reviews

Food & Fashion Companies Loving Blog Reviews

Candice Choi of the Associated Press reports on how food companies (and we assume every other major consumer goods products, luxury or not) are beginning to understand how much power is wielded by the food, fashion, and metro-regional city websites and blogs. No only do they realize it, they have now made this a major marketing strategy and treat the sites and writers like major journalists and New Media Tastemakers. With article titles like “Food Manufacturers Examine Food Blogs, An Emerging Marketing Tool,” the point is being made on a widespread basis.

In the SF Chronicle:

Food companies lap up blog mentions
Writers on every food group cook up free publicity
Obsessive Web sites evaluating the newest offerings have become must-reads for lovers of every type of food including frozen dinners, potato chips, candy bars and even energy drinks.

“Companies are paying attention to the concept of lots and lots of tiny little markets. Added up, it’s significant,” Weil said.

The single-minded focus of blogs may be in some ways more valuable than traditional marketing since it’s easier to target an audience, said Daniel Taylor, a senior analyst of digital advertising and marketing for the Yankee Group.