Food reviews on blogs as an advertising medium

As said in the previous post that blogs have served as a news platform for readers who create a need to identify credible blogs to rely on. This change in habit of obtaining news occurs everywhere around the world especially among young people. According to a study conducted by Pew (cited in Biagi 2012, p.263), "there is a large numbers of Americans under age 30 turned to the Internet for news and [surprisingly] in fact people of all ages read the news online".

Print documents given to the public is a waste

This phenomenon has lead to organizations trying to reach its consumers and potential consumers online instead of the traditional advertisements through television, newspapers and printed brochures, pamphlets and flyers. The traditional way of advertising is not effective in reaching its audiences as they find a way to avoid advertisements.

Very often, flyers and brochures given to the public whenever they pass by the shop or promotion booth are wasted as they are purposely being left at the venue or thrown into the dustbin without looking at them. This is due to either the receiver of the printed promotional materials being a wrong person targeted or they are bored with the documents itself as they have seen it many times. Sometimes, it is because the public does not like to hold a stack of brochures or pamphlets when walking around especially in a shopping mall where most of the shops will have flyers to be given away.

This bad habits do not only revolves around Malaysians but also people in other countries as well. In Singapore, pamphlets and brochures are also being left or thrown on the event floor before the visitors leave the event venue. STOMP has reported about the mess left by the visitors after the Singapore IT Fair 2011 at Suntec city.

Mess after Singapore IT Fair 2011 at Suntec city by STOMP

Advertising through blogs is effective

Organizations have come out with the way of reaching its audiences which is through blogs and it is more effective. The advertisement on blogs comes in the form of 'review post' or 'advertorial'. Sometimes, bloggers do not differentiate the review post with their own personal post but putting it together in one blog post. A research conducted shows that "81% of shoppers who spends more than $500 online each month use products reviews when they make buying decisions" (Solomon, Cornell & Nizan 2010, p.215).

Advertising on blogs is vital for organizations in F&B industry

This new form of advertising and promotions is applied fully by all organizations dealing with food products which includes restaurants and cafes. In the past, we are stuffed with flyers of new menu offered or opening of new restaurants when we are out in town or even in our mail box at home. Also, we often see a food review section on the weekend edition of the newspaper. However, they are seen as not effective where as said, flyers are being thrown away. Additionally, Bridgeland & Zahavi (2009, p.201) mentioned that "newspapers reviews have gradually lost much of their former influence". Therefore, the advertising trend had changed from print documents to on-screen documents which is through blogs.

 Getting the food reviews on blogs

Usually, high traffic and well known bloggers are contacted by the Marketing team of organizations when there is a new introduction of products or new promotions offered. Then, bloggers will be invited to a special bloggers gathering or private event where they will be briefed about the products or promotion with samples of the products given to them followed by a photography session of the products. The details of the functions held vary depending on the types of organizations.

Advertisements of Mooncakes through brochures

 

Benefits of advertising through blogs 

This changed in trends had proven to be a success. Bridgeland & Zahavi (2009, p.201) supported that "now customers typically find good restaurants via the Internet reviews of other customers, by local dining blogs or by professional review books like Zagat and Michelin guides".

Due to the emergence of young people following blogs for news or simply being a fan of the blog, advertisement through blogs is able to reach the audiences as they do not reject or avoid blog post being posted on the blogs they follow even though it is a form of advertisement. This new trend had helped organizations targeting their products to young people even though the products may not appeal to young people in the olden days. 

Blog advertisements changed reader's behavior

This new form of following food reviews on blogs has typically changed young people's behavior. They are willing to drive more than 30 minutes and sometimes an hour to the restaurants reviewed on blogs. People also travel to other states of the country especially in Malaysia just to try the local food there which they saw on food blogs. This has made them travel and purchase goods which people around their age would not go or buy in the past.

For instance, young people today knows a lot about traditional or festival food such as Mooncakes. In the past, they do not care to take a look at the Mooncakes booth but today, they just go straight to the particular shop and placed their order. This is because Mooncakes reviews are everywhere on the internet by food bloggers. Organizations offering the product had get the bloggers to review their products way before they are launched in public. 

Dragon-i Mooncakes review on XiangCool.com

Dragon-i Mooncake review on Chasing Food Dreams

Dragon-i Restaurant has host a blogger gathering on its Mooncakes offering. As shown above, two different blogs which are XiangCool.com and Chasing Food Dreams reviewing Dragon-i's mooncakes promotion.

ParkRoyal Kuala Lumpur's Mooncakes review on Big Boys Oven

Other organizations such as ParkRoyal Kuala Lumpur uses this advertising strategy too where its review on its Mooncakes are reviewed by bloggers on their blogs as shown on Big Boy Oven's blog above. 


This new trend of food review had cause many food blogs to appear on the Internet as well as online network specialized in food reviews where the general public can post review of any restaurants which they visited on the network by becoming a member which is free of charge. The emergence of these food review networks has helped organizations in this field in a form of free advertisements besides gaining popularity. Examples of Food Network in Malaysia are shown below.

Malaysia Most Wanted FOOD network

Dine Malaysia.com network

Open Rice Malaysia network

The emergence of food networks are also happening in other countries such as in Hong Kong and Singapore as shown below.

Open Rice Hong Kong network

Hungry go Where Singapore network

References:

Biagi, S 2012, Media Impact: An introduction to mass media, 10th edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, United States of America.

Bridgeland, D & Zahavi, R 2009, Business Modeling: A practical guide to realizing business value, The MK/OMG Press, United States of America. 

Solomon, M, Cornell, L & Nizan, A 2010, Launch! Advertising and Promotion in Real Time, Flat World Knowledge Inc, New York.




# Warning: The description in this blog may contained information which may not applicable to all users. The owner of the blog is not responsible for any loss cause by any misinterpretation of the content posted.