Havas PR Releases Top Food Trends, Examines The Intersection Of Cuisine And Culture Today

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Havas PR North America, among the most awarded agencies of its size in the nation, has tapped one of its resident trendspotters to take aim at the hot topic of food trends. The full report, a sneak peek into food trends for 2016, is available on the agency's website, us.havaspr.com, and takes a deep dive into the intersection of food and culture. It identifies 10 trends related to the ways we eat and considers the manner in which they reflect and interact with other elements of our lives today, from social media to sustainability and even skincare.

Trendspotter Meredith Barnett is a former Conde Nast editor who has appeared on "Today" and "Fox & Friends" and has written about trends for Huffington Post and Parade, among others. A regular consultant to Havas PR and its clients, she collaborated with Havas PR on the development of the trends and presented them at an in-house event for food journalists, foodies and tastemakers earlier this week.

"I've cast my editor's eye toward food trends to come up with fresh, new ideas that get you to think about an industry—or perhaps something even greater, our culture—in a new light," said Barnett. "In just a few short years our interactions with food, not to mention with one another, have changed based on how connected we are. When I moved to New York years ago I picked up a copy of Zagat and read it cover to cover, circling the restaurants I wanted to visit and memorizing what was popular and hip. Now, there is so much information available, anyone can be a foodie. What we have explored here is what comes next—going beyond the ingredients and restaurants and looking at what it means for how we live."

Among the top findings: the simultaneous appearance of "powerhouse" ingredients in both food and beauty (we've termed it "Beauty and the Feast"); the global issue of managing water consumption in our food supply, from growth to preparation; Instagram-engineered eating, the idea that the desire to be social-media-friendly is guiding everything from restaurant lighting to food product development; and daredevil dining, or the search for extreme tastes and experiences through food.

"Together with Meredith we set out to look at today's food trends, but found a much more interesting space where food and culture collide," said Jody Sunna, executive vice president, consumer and lifestyle, Havas PR North America. "Looking at how social media is transforming everything from menus to kitchen design, the rise of all things Peruvian and how words like 'flourish' are rising in the culinary vernacular, we've identified consumer insights that inform our creative approach and propel our clients into new territory."

Havas PR's strong and varied portfolio of consumer and lifestyle brands, many of whom were represented at the gathering, includes B&G Foods' snack portfolio (including brands Pirate's Booty, New York Style, Rickland Orchards), Revelator Coffee, Ruby Rocket's, Frederique's Choice and Fox Restaurant Concepts, among others. Additionally, Havas PR supported Banza Pasta as a participant (revealing the agency's philanthropic and entrepreneurial tendencies, as Banza is the brainchild of a former Venture for America fellow that Havas included in the event).

About Havas PR
Our call to action is "Connected," and our commitment is to the Future First. As the North American earned-media and buzz agency within French holding company Havas, we're part of the Havas PR global collective. Headquartered in New York City with offices in the three P's—Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Providence—Havas PR North America is one of the most awarded agencies of our size in the U.S. For more information, go to us.havaspr.com.

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SOURCE Havas PR North America