The popularity of culinary is evident by the large number of cooking/food television shows, food blogs, dinner events, celebrity chef products/endorsements, food trucks, cooking magazines, cookbooks, products and Food & Wine-related events. Because food, drink and the epicurean world is a universal touchpoint, we as leaders in the business of marketing have an obligation to figure out how to use this highly emotional and engaging connection to speak to our fans, friends, followers and customers. Food/chef personalities are becoming top choices for forward-thinking and progressive brands/products endorsements, PR programs, appearances and other traditional talent mediums. Most often Sports and Entertainment (music) are seen as the main tent poles to reach consumers, but it is my belief that Culinary is a third viable alternative and powerful option.

1. The Power and Influence
of
Culinary Marketing

2. Note from Connect
Every day people around the world are going about their daily lives at work, at home, or on vacation, each making
choices about what they consume from a content perspective. Some may choose to watch a game, others attend a
concert, while others might choose to spend the day with their kids or families. However, there are only a few things
in life that people of every age, sex, race, creed, religion and social class must do every day, and that’s eat and breath
(some would say pay taxes as well). While the amount of focus and attention people pay to their food choices may vary,
the cultural shift we have seen over the past few years towards a culinary and food-focused society, proves that the
conversation, importance and focus on these choices has become a very powerful and highly engaging touch point for
millions of people across the world.
Because food, drink and the epicurean world is a universal touchpoint, we as leaders in the business of marketing have
an obligation to figure out how to use this highly emotional and engaging connection to speak to our fans, friends,
followers and customers. Most often Sports and Entertainment (music) are seen as the main tent poles to reach
consumers, but it is my belief that Culinary is a third viable alternative and powerful option.
Pay attention to your daily activities. How often is food a part of your conversation or conscious thought each day?
Maybe a meal you had last night, figuring out where you are going to eat for lunch, where you are eating during your
next business trip or what you are picking up for food on the way home for the family. The point is, its not a trend, it’s
a cultural shift and the sooner we all get on board, the better it will be for our clients and partners.
Happy cooking, eating and entertaining and I hope to speak with you soon.
- Lonny Sweet – CEO, The Connect Group

3. The Culinary Industry Today
Food, restaurants and chefs has become a bit of an obsession in popular culture, as evident by the explosion of cooking/food-
related television shows, food blogs, dinner events, celebrity chef products/endorsements, food trucks, cooking magazines,
cookbooks, products and Food & Wine related events.
• Restaurant food sales in the U.S. have jumped from $379 billion in 2000 to $632 Billion in 2012 (was $42.8 B in 1970)
• 12.9 Million people are employed in the restaurant industry
• 50% of Americans watch TV shows about cooking very often or occasionally (Harris Poll, 2010)
• More than half (59%) of viewers say they made purchases as a result of something they’ve seen on a cooking show
• Gluten-free sales reached more than $2.6 billion by the end of 2010 and are now expected to exceed more than $5
billion by 2015. (Source: Packaged Facts, 2011)
• The Career Education Corporation which operates 17 culinary schools in the U.S. has seen enrollment increase by more
than 46% since 2008 (TIME: “Top Chef Dreams: Are Cooking Schools a Rip-Off ”)
• Food/Cooking Magazine circulation:
• Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine: 1.82 million
• Cooking Light: 1.76 million
• Bon Appetit: 1.57 million
• Food Network Magazine: 1.5 million
• Food & Wine Magazine: 925,000
• Saveur: 329,000
• During the first half of 2011, advertisers spent more than $315 million in food-related print media alone
• One-half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives, and one-third got their first job
experience in a restaurant.

4. Why They Love it and Who They Are
• Culinary marketing is relevant to everyone regardless of race, sex, age, religion and social class.
Everyone is a consumer.
• Cooking is an aspirational yet attainable interest which, unlike the sports or music, allows consumers to
feel like they can do what they see on TV, making them feel more connected and engaged to
personalities and programs
• High level of emotion – if you think back to the really important or memorable times in your life, what
were you doing?
- Can you remember what you were eating? What the rooms smelled like? What restaurant you were
at? Who was around the table?
• 81% of the general population cook dinner at home all or most of the time (2012 BlogHer
study)
• 28% of people frequent gourmet food trucks (Mashable.com 2011)
• Dining Out:
• Over 3 in 5 adults (63%) dine at a fast food restaurant chain at least once a month
• 53% of adults dine at a local casual dining restaurant at least once a month

5. Where Culinary is Popping Up
The Simpsons Chefs Collichio, Chang, Ripert and Dufresne Disney’s Ratatoille
“Marge becomes a food Blogger” HBO hit series Treme
Adam Sandler as Chef John Clasky South Park Meryl Streep and Amy Adams
“Spanglish” “Crème Fraiche” as Julia Childs and food writer Julia Powel

6. Future Brand Spending Trends
With the evolution of epicurean media and the incredible need to satiate consumers desire for more
integrated and robust offerings, brands are allocating larger portions of their marketing, PR, advertising
and promotional dollars toward the culinary industry. Taking a more fully integrated and strategic
approach by using sponsorship, talent partnerships, PR, promotions and traditional advertising, brands are
rapidly shifting resources and budgets to the culinary space in order to reach the highly engaged consumers
who will impact their brand and their bottom line. Below is a depiction of where we believe marketing
spend it trending.
Current Marketing Spend Future Marketing Spend
50% 35%
30%
40%
25%
30% 20%
20% 15%
10%
10%
5%
0% 0%
Sports Entertainment Culinary Other Sports Entertainment Culinary Other
Marketing Marketing Marketing Lifestyle Marketing Marketing Marketing Lifestyle

7. The Cult of the Celebrity Chef
Over time chefs have become elevated to a level synonymous of Rock Stars in popular culture, and the
phenomenon does not show any signs of slowing down. Today, names like Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali,
Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsey don’t even need the word “chef ” in front of them – they are full-blown
“celebrities.” In the era of Top Chef and The Food Network, the icon of the celebrity chef has virtually
transformed the restaurant industry and the very nature of how we eat and consume media.

8. The Social Media Presence
The popularity of celebrity chefs and culinary-based entities in today’s popular culture is even more evident
by the number of fans on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook*:
• Jamie Oliver: • Bobby Flay • NYT Dining & Wine
– 2,649,426 Twitter followers – 690,170 Twitter followers – 300,575 Twitter followers
– 1,163,343 Likes on Facebook – 170,420 Likes on Facebook
• Food & Wine Magazine
• Anthony Bourdain • Guy Fieri
– 519,312 Twitter followers
– 1,077,991 Twitter followers – 747,298 Twitter followers
– 270,534 Likes on Facebook
– 1,553,302 Likes on Facebook (for “No – 178,749 Likes on Facebook
Reservations”)
• Emeril Lagasse • Food Network
– 1,419,617 Twitter followers
• Gordon Ramsay – 395,430 Twitter followers
– 67,639 Likes on Facebook – 3,239,729 Likes on Facebook
– 1,075,034 Twitter followers
– 294,736 Likes on Facebook
• Mario Batali • Zagat
• Paula Deen – 360,677 Twitter followers – 505,765 Twitter followers
– 858,511 Twitter followers – 74,718 Likes on Facebook – 29,105 Likes on Facebook
– 2,099,066 Likes on Facebook
• Tom Collichio • Bon Appetit Magazine
• Tyler Florence – 326,689 Twitter followers – 350,065 Twitter followers
– 434,189 Twitter followers – 4,161 Likes on Facebook – 159,101 Likes on Facebook
– 18,912 Likes on Facebook
• Giada De Laurentiis • Rocco DiSpirito • Epicurious
– 248,436 Twitter followers – 331,612 Twitter followers
– 690,696 Twitter followers
– 86,494 Likes on Facebook – 249,473 Likes on Facebook
– 282, 413 Likes on Facebook
*numbers change daily

9. Chef Product Endorsements
With the growing popularity of chefs and food television programming, chef personalities are becoming top
choices for brands/products endorsements, PR programs, appearances and other traditional talent mediums.
Chef Michael Symon and Lay’s Potato Chips Chef Tom Collichio and Diet Coke Chef Curtis Stone and Great Grains Cereal
Chef Aaron Sanchez and Bud Light Marc Forgione and Citi (Private Pass) Chef Michelle Bernstein and Fagor

10. Celebrity Chef Products
• Restaurant and celebrity chef-inspired food brands are growing both dollar and unit sales by double-digit rates
• Dollar sales for a broad set of selected restaurant and celebrity chef brands are up 12.6% and unit volume is
up 10.6% compared to 2008 annual sales around $4.75 billion.
• Nielsen advises that regardless of the economic situation, this is a great way for food manufacturers and
restaurants to collaborate and extend the reach of known brands and drive sales at retail.

11. Food/Cooking Television Shows
Food television programming has grown beyond the Food Network. Along with Food Network’s sister station, the Cooking
Channel (launched in 2010 with a stronger focus on instruction cooking) food/cooking television shows are featured on several
major television networks including Bravo, FOX, ABC, and NBC
• Since debuting in 1993, Food Network has created over 226 unique food-based television series
• 50% of Americans watch TV shows about cooking very often or occasionally (Harris Poll, 2010)
• 46% of men said that they watch cooking shows very often or occasionally
• According to Nielsen, each month food and cooking websites are visited by an average of 70 million unique visitors each month
• Cooking shows inspire purchases:
– More than half (59%) of viewers say they have purchased food as a result of something they’ve seen on a cooking show.
– More than one-third (36%) say they have purchased small kitchen gadgets
– 24% have purchased cookbooks
– 6% have purchased large appliances

12. Food/Cooking Television Shows
Food Network: The Rachael Ray Show: Top Chef
• Top 10 network in all cable with Adults & Women • Debuted on ABC in 2006 • Hosted by Chef Tom Collichio and Padma
25-54 and 18-49 • 2.6 million viewers daily Lakshmi, debuted on Bravo in 2006
• Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, and Ina Garten • Winner of 2 Daytime Emmy Awards • 3.02 million viewers average
and are all television personalities who have won an • Winner of 2 Emmy Awards
Emmy award for their Food Network shows
Hell’s Kitchen & Master Chef No Reservations: The Chew:
• Hosted by Gordon Ramsay, Hell’s Kitchen debuted • Debuted on the Travel Channel in 2005 • Hosted by Mario Batali, Michael Symon,
on FOX in 2005, Master Chef in 2010 • Winner of 1 Emmy Award and 1 Critics’ Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and Daphne Oz
• Hell’s Kitchen: 11.85 million viewers, Master Chef: Choice Award
• 2.1 million viewers average
5.64 million viewers • 500,000 viewers average

13. Food Blogs
Food blogs are rising in popularity and they are written/owned by a diverse group of people. Kids, older men, celebrities, etc.
These days it seems like everyone has a food-centered presence on the internet. Because of the large readership of certain food
blogs, some food bloggers have even been able to crossover into television or other media areas. For example, Ree Drummond of
“The Pioneer Woman” blog now has a hit television show on Food Network and a New York Times #1 best-selling cookbook. Lisa
Lillien of “Hungry Girl” has written two books that debuted in the top 2 of the New York Times Bestseller list and has a television
show that debuted on Cooking Channel but is now on the Food Network.
• 90% of the general population said that they go online to find recipes
• 29% of the general population share pictures of their food online
• 84% of the general population would purchase a food product based on the recommendation of an online recipe site
• Top 10 Food Blogs:
• Simply Recipes: 2,559,222 unique visits per day • Skinnytaste: 366,346 unique visits per day
• The Daily Meal: 1,339,414 unique visits per day • 101 Cookbooks: 262,770 unique visits per day
• The Pioneer Woman: 798,553 unique visits per day • Smitten Kitchen: 216,760 unique visits per day
• The Kitchn: 634,492 unique visits per day • Bakerella: 137,066 unique visits per day
• Serious Eats: 580,510 unique visits per day • Recipe Girl: 184,293 unique visits per day

14. Food-Focused Media

15. Culinary Events
While Food & Wine events have been a part of some communities for a long time, over the past 5 years,
there has been an explosion of local and international events. These F&W events are being attended by
record numbers of people who come from diverse background and social classes.

16. Culinary E-Commerce
Today almost everything and anything can be done completely online. With the growing popularity of e-
commerce, there has also been an explosion of culinary-based shopping websites that specialize in or
feature kitchen products, culinary experiences/packages or restaurant certificates/reservations.

17. Sampling of Media Coverage
Danish Chef Rene Redzepi
on the cover of TIME
Spanish Chef Ferran Adria on
the cover of Wired Magazine Top Chef Host Padma Lakshmi
on the cover of Town & Country
New York Magazine article on
“Foodie-ism as Youth Culture” GQ article featuring Chef David
Chang “The Hangover Part III”

18. Summary
• The culinary industry is a universally appealing touch point and highly interactive and participatory by nature.
• The popularity of culinary is evident by the large number of cooking/food television shows, food blogs,
dinner events, celebrity chef products/endorsements, food trucks, cooking magazines, cookbooks, products
and Food & Wine related events.
• Food/chef personalities are becoming top choices for brands/products endorsements, PR programs,
appearances and other traditional talent mediums.
• Along with the Food Network and Cooking Channel, food television programming can now be seen on
multiple major networks and 50% of Americans watch cooking shows very often or occasionally.
• Culinary has a large presence on the internet with a growing number of food blogs, recipe websites, and
food/restaurant e-commerce sites.
• Forward thinking and progressive brands are using Food and Epicurean related marketing, PR and
experiential programming as a third platform along side Sports & Entertainment to reach its core consumer.

19. Lonny Sweet
lsweet@theconnectgrp.com
(617) 905-5711