The document summarizes key findings from the 2012 BlogHer study about the influence of online content creators on food-related decisions. Some of the main findings include: - Bloggers and food blogs are highly trusted sources of recipes and food information. Many respondents reported cooking recipes and purchasing recommended products based on blogger suggestions. - Younger audiences aged 18-44 are even more likely than older groups to make food purchases based on blog recommendations. - Popular food personalities like Ina Garten, Ree Drummond, and Jamie Oliver are favorites among BlogHer respondents over traditional media figures.

1. Food Facts:
The 2012
BlogHer Study
Photo credit: Blog: MADE. Blogger: Dana Willard BlogHer

2. In May 2012, BlogHer fielded a study about the influence
that online information and content creators have on food-
related decisions. The questionnaire was fielded with both
the BlogHer Visionaries Panel as well as a general U.S. online
population.
BLOGHER SAMPLE TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
Survey fielded to BlogHer Visionaries Survey fielded in 7 U.S. markets
Panel including N.Y., Boston, Atlanta,
Chicago, Dallas, Portland, San Diego
N= 949 women
N= 817 women and 322 men
Total: 1,139
TOTAL Combined Sample of 1,766 women, and 323 men
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer

3. Our Food Aspirations
Photo credit: Blog: Steamy Kitchen. Blogger: Jaden Hair. BlogHer

4. Food is universal;
The Internet is uniquely useful
92% 89%
Go Online for Recipes
64% 70%
Go Online for Restaurants
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
BLOGHER SAMPLE
63% 36%
Food Blog Reader
54% 29%
Take Photos of Food and Post
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012: “What is your involvement with food and recipes online?” © 2012 Social Media Matters BlogHer 4

5. The BlogHer food community
Shares hands-on information
BLOGHER SAMPLE
95%
46% 43% 41% 39%
RECIPES RESTAURANT REVIEWS FOOD PRODUCT STORY TELLING ETHNIC/
REVIEWS REGIONAL FOOD
Source: BlogHer Food Study 2012, BlogHer: “What kinds of food topics do you write about?” BlogHer

6. What is your food personality?
BLOGHER SAMPLE
Food Label Percent Definition
Family Chef 55% Finding creative ways to feed the family
Food Adventurer 47% Love to try new restaurants, recipes and cuisines
Confident Cook 40% Highly skilled, know my way around the kitchen
Health Focused 31% Eat to live, don’t live to eat…but eat well!
Nostalgia Fan 25% Family memories, cook more around the holidays
Curious Cook 17% I’m a newbie to food who wants to learn more
Vegan, organic, locavore…when it comes to food
Activist 15%
I’m on a mission
Allergic
7% Looking for ways around food allergies
Alternatives
Nervous Nelly 5% The whole topic of food makes me anxious
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012; Most results mirrored in Gen Pop BlogHer

7. What would make you more
confident in the kitchen?
70% 63%
More time to experiment
54% 58%
Better cooking equipment
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
BLOGHER SAMPLE
53% 53%
A better kitchen
48% 50%
Some cooking classes
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer 7

8. We believe in home cooking
I cook dinner for my family: Cooking dinner every night is
Top 2 box (all/most of the time) extremely/very important
95%
81% 81%
78%
BLOGHER SAMPLE TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer

9. Restaurants, take-out still have a place
Q “How often do you eat out or order in food instead of cooking”
58%
32% 29% 14%
55% 2%
9% 1%
1-2 3-4 5-7
Hardly ever nights a week nights a week nights a week
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer

10. Trust, Influence, and Purchase Behaviors
Photo credit: Blog: Steamy Kitchen. Blogger: Jaden Hair. BlogHer

11. Trust: Food sites rule the Internet
Q Do you trust the food or recipe information you get from each
of the following sources? [Not filtered for active usage of sites.]
BLOGHER SAMPLE
94%
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
90%
91%
73%
Food Blogs Online
Recipe Sites
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer

12. Trust: Food sites rule the Internet
Q Do you trust the food or recipe information you get from each
of the following sources? [Not filtered for active usage of sites.]
BLOGHER SAMPLE
94%
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
90%
91%
73% 72% 72%
64% 62%
53%
46%
41% 33%
Food Blogs Online Food
Recipe Sites Mobile Apps
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012 BlogHer

13. Conversion to action:
Cooking recipes from these sources
BLOGHER SAMPLE
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
95%
87% 87%
65%
55% 50% 49%
43% 34%
21% 25%
13%
Online Food Blogs Food
Recipe Sites Mobile Apps
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012: “Have you ever cooked a recipe based on any of the following resources?” BlogHer

14. Conversion to purchase:
Purchasing recommended products
BLOGHER SAMPLE
TOTAL U.S. ONLINE POP
84%
83% 83%
56% 58% 57%
54% 48%
23% 30% 28%
18%
Online Food Blogs Food
Recipe Sites Mobile Apps
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012:
“Have you ever purchased a food product based on a recommendation from any of the following resources?” BlogHer

15. Young blog readers more likely to purchase
Q Have you ever made a food purchase based on a blog recommendation?
71% YES
60% YES
40% NO
29% NO
AGE AGE
18-44 45+
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012; Total Combined BlogHer and Gen Pop Samples BlogHer

16. Food blogs trump traditional media for BlogHers
Purchasing recommended products from…
83% 83%
80%
75%
Food Blogs
Print Cookbooks 59%
Print Magazines 39%
Food TV Show 23%
(on set)
Food TV Show 18%
(on line)
Online
Magazines
Food Cookbook
on eReader
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012, BlogHer sample BlogHer

17. Who do we love?
Photo credit: Blog : Pioneer Woman. Blogger : Ree Drummond. BlogHer

18. Top Five Favorite
Food Personalities
BlogHer Rank % Gen Pop Rank %
Ina Garten, Rachel Ray #1 59%
#1 40%
The Barefoot Contessa
Ree Drummond, Bobby Flay #2 42%
#2 39%
The Pioneer Woman
Jaime Oliver #3 39% Emeril #3 41%
Rachel Ray #4 38% Paula Deen #4 39%
Alton Brown #5 37% Anthony Bourdain #5 35%
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012. Respondents offered 21 food personality options. BlogHer

19. How Food Blogs Influence Purchases
A fellow blog buddy Because of the Rainy I frequent Pioneer I follow the blog Food
recommended that I Day Gal blog I have Woman. I trust her Lush and always feel
try the new started purchasing opinions on products. confident in the
Philadelphia cream higher quality I read her comments writers' suggestions
cheese seasoning chocolate about the Blendtec for food products. In
that you mix into your blender. I valued her particular, they have
noodles. It really opinion but also went had a couple of
helped spice it up online to other posts that were
and I fell in love with bloggers. I eventually focused on food
the garlic - it was so bought the blender products to buy at
creamy and flavorful. because it was highly Trader Joe's and I
recommended--first really liked those.
by Ree and then
Source: BlogHer Food Facts Study 2012; BlogHer sample other bloggers. BlogHer