Navigating the tumultuous waters of the food and beverage industry is a challenge growing more complex by the day. As markets become increasingly saturated, standing out is not just a competitive advantage—it’s a crucial prerequisite for survival. This competitive landscape amplifies the need for food commerce brands to be more than just present; they must actively captivate the attention of prospective customers using innovative tools that redefine traditional buyer and seller dynamics.
At the heart of this transformation is the emotional connection between consumers and brands. With the internet shrinking global distances, consumers today have a world of choices at their fingertips. While this vast selection opens up infinite possibilities, it equally contributes to digital fatigue. Amid this overload, consumers aren’t just looking for products anymore—they seek connections and experiences. They gravitate towards brands that ripple their emotional waters, striking chords that resonate with their personal tastes, values, and aspirations.
Video commerce, a dynamic blend of shoppable video and livestreams, is a frontier that remains largely unexplored in the food & beverage industry. And yet, it holds enormous potential, beckoning food and beverage brands to enhance their consumer touchpoints by transforming their online shopping journeys. By embracing shoppable videos, businesses can showcase their products in rich, immersive detail, allowing consumers to shop directly from the videos. Livestreams, on the other hand, can deliver real-time shopping experiences that resonate with and engage consumers at a deeper level. They present opportunities, not just for selling but also for storytelling — about the brand’s journey, its ethos, sustainability efforts, and more.
Video commerce offers food & beverage companies a unique opportunity to do just that—to tell engaging stories, build enduring emotional connections, and transform clicks into meaningful customer engagement.
Video Commerce Delivers the Experience Today’s Shoppers Expect
Modern consumers do not simply seek products; they seek experiences and are inclined to form emotional connections with the brands they support.The power of video is palpable as it taps into the sensory experience of consuming beverages & food, allowing viewers to virtually “eat with their eyes.” Integrating a food & beverage video commerce strategy opens doors for these brands to display their products in a visually appealing, interactive, and engaging manner. But beyond just a platform to evolve the way products are displayed, video commerce positions brands as lifestyle choices, creating an emotional bridge to shoppers and significantly enhancing brand affinity.
The impact of video commerce is reflected in tangible results. It stands as a potent driver of both increased brand awareness and conversion for food and beverage companies, directly contributing to higher revenue. To quantify this impact, Firework’s clients in the food & beverage industry have seen a 4.8x increase in watch time — compared to TikTok’s average video watch time — and a 2.0x click-through rate.
In essence, the compelling capabilities of video commerce are transforming the face of the food and beverage industry, presenting lucrative opportunities for brands to optimize their marketing efforts, connect with their audience, and drive business growth.
A Food & Beverage Video Commerce Strategy Addresses Each Stage of the Purchase Journey
In the fast-paced, rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, integrating shoppable video into your digital strategy can be a game-changer, bringing your products to life in a way static images simply can’t. To unlock the full potential of video commerce, it’s essential to have a carefully planned and well-executed strategy that weaves through all key areas of your website, enhancing each stage of the purchasing journey.
Starting on the homepage. This is your brand’s digital storefront, and, as such, it needs to captivate visitors from the outset. Storyblocks placed at the top of your homepage offer an effective way to highlight new or hero products. Through rich and engaging short videos, you can visually showcase your products, capturing the attention of prospective customers and encouraging further exploration. A compelling, visually engaging Storyblock can immediately draw the visitor in, offering insight into what makes your product unique.
Consider adding carousels and floating videos with “shop guide” video content to offer an immersive journey through your product assortment. In a carousel, you can include multiple short videos, each one showcasing a different product or range, allowing customers to browse through your offerings with ease. Coupling a carousel with a floating video containing a “shop guide” or advice on your product usage can be a powerful and informative shopping guide.
For category pages, a combination of carousel and grid formats can work wonders by offering a complete visual representation of individual collections or product ranges. For instance, That’s It, a popular fruit-based food brand, uses carousels on their collection pages, showcasing an array of short videos that each highlight different products, ultimately serving multiple facets of consumer interest and piquing curiosity.
When it comes to product detail pages (PDPs), interactive formats such as floating or carousel videos offer an opportunity for in-depth exploration, making shopping enjoyable as well as informative. You can use these formats to detail various aspects of your products, from features and benefits to customer reviews. This not only makes for an engaging user experience but it also provides valuable information that can motivate shoppers to make a purchase. For instance, Spread the Love, a renowned butter brand, employs a floating player on its PDPs, showcasing rich content about its products and ingredient traditions, which has increased time spent with customers by 250%.
Certainly, every brand is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to leveraging video commerce. It’s crucial to experiment, test, and iterate to discover what resonates best with your audience and effectively drives conversions.
Content Ideas to Power Your Food & Beverage Video Commerce Strategy
As the modern consumer evolves, brands must move beyond simply showcasing products and incorporate engaging storytelling, expert collaborations, transparency, and interactive experiences into their content creation process. Getting started might be a little intimidating., but there are so many different ways food & beverage brands can use video commerce to not only drive sales but also foster meaningful and lasting relationships with customers.
From breaking down the nutritional benefits of your products to sharing authentic brand narratives, hosting live product launch events, and more, these content ideas are curated to resonate with your audience, promote your brand’s values, and deliver enriching culinary experiences through your video commerce initiatives.
Nourishing Transparency
Consumers today are not just focused on the flavor of the food and beverages they consume; health and wellness have emerged as significant considerations as well. For brands in the food and beverage industry, this means not just creating delectable products but ensuring they are robust in nutrition and value health. With the growing emphasis on healthy products, consumers are keen to understand what their favorite foods and drinks are composed of.
When creating content, especially videos, explain the ingredients that make up your products and the associated health benefits. Show the natural, fresh ingredients you use, how you source them, and discuss why they are good for the consumer’s well-being. Catering to health-conscious consumers by fostering transparency can help build trust and loyalty towards your brand.
Collaborating with Food Experts: The Taste of Influence
Brand collaborations can uplift a company’s reach and reputation and — when executed skillfully — can lead to amazing content. Collaboration with food experts, like renowned chefs and distinguished sommeliers, or partnering with affable influencers who resonate with your target audience can create compelling content that educates and entertains.
Coordinate collaborations where experts share their favorite ways to use your product or create novel recipes incorporating your offerings. Seeing your product used by those they trust and admire, consumers are more likely to try your brand while simultaneously providing them with fresh ideas to enjoy your product.
Pairing or Serving Ideas: The Silver Platter of Inspiration
Practical advice never falls on deaf ears. Providing pairing or serving ideas can inspire consumers to try your products in new ways. Create short video content featuring a sommelier talking about how to best enjoy a bottle of your wine with specific dishes or a chef demonstrating creative food pairings.
Doing this not only empowers consumers with knowledge but also prompts them to purchase your product to try these unique serving ideas. This strategy enhances product discovery while adding a dash of inspiration to the customer’s shopping journey.
Sharing Your Brand Story: A Taste of Authenticity
Consumers are not just buying products; they are investing in the brand narrative. Share your brand story in an authentic and compelling manner to create an emotional connection with your audience. Today’s audiences are accustomed to direct, honest communication with companies through their brand ambassadors.
Try crafting interactive video content featuring the company’s founder or team members, talking about the brand’s genesis, struggle, achievements, and ethos can create a strong bond with consumers. Such storytelling can turn the customer’s shopping experience into an engaging narrative expedition, amplifying their emotional connection with your brand.
Product Launch Live Streams: Savor the Excitement
Take the excitement of a new product launch to another level by hosting live streams. When launching a new item, create an event around it, complete with exclusive offers that are only available to those who tune in. Live streams can be extremely captivating; they give the audience a sense of being part of an exclusive event. The real-time interaction allows for immediate feedback, queries, and discussions, making the consumer feel heard and valued. Additionally, exclusive offers can drive immediate conversions, making it a win-win event.
By understanding your audience and crafting content that engages, educates, and entertains, you can create a dynamic video commerce strategy that not only drives sales but also builds a lasting relationship with your customers. Remember, in the food & beverage industry, you are not just serving food; you are serving experiences. And there’s no better way to do that than through engaging video content.
The Future Is Here: Embrace Video Commerce
The world of online food and beverage sales continues to burgeon, and with this rapid growth, the need for facilitating effortless product discovery and ensuring a seamless shopping experience has soared to new heights. In this era of digital shopping, mimicking the in-store shopping experience isn’t sufficient anymore. Businesses need to transcend this conventional boundary, and that’s precisely where video commerce comes to the fore. This innovative technology has the potential to transform passive viewers into active customers and dedicated brand advocates, thereby revolutionizing the way businesses engage with their customers.
The world of food & beverage is no longer about crowded shelves or competitive pricing alone. With the industry becoming increasingly saturated, it has become paramount for brands to distinguish themselves and create exclusive shopping experiences to capture and retain consumer interest. And it’s here that video commerce can play a crucial role. By integrating shoppable video and livestreams into their strategy, food & beverage brands can position themselves as lifestyle brands that consumers emotionally connect with, paving the way for increased brand recall and loyalty.
Truly, the future of e-commerce in the food and beverage industry lies with video commerce. Are you prepared to harness the power of this revolutionary technology for your brand? The next wave of change awaits, and there’s no time like the present to seize it.
See how we’ve helped The Fresh Market increase CTR, on site conversion and 18x engagement rates with shoppable video and livestream.
Book a demo to transform your site or already a client? Reach out to your CSM to go live today!
