3 tips to promote your food tech startup

Since the launch of delivery applications like Postmates, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, the food tech industry has grown exponentially. In 2019, the global food technology market size was at$220.32 billion and the industry has since been forecasted to exceed $342 billion by 2027, owing to new technologies and a demand for healthy foods and convenience. 

With thousands of new food tech startups coming onto the scene, and more established businesses taking advantage of the popularity that comes with being the first to market, emerging food tech companies need to put a lot of thought into promoting their offering. Putting up a few posts on social media and sending out an email newsletter just won’t cut it. Standing out in the food tech crowd requires a strong public relations strategy. 

Here are the top three PR tips that will help you promote your food tech startup.

Create newsworthy messaging 

Food tech startups must think outside of the box in order to stand out. The best way to do this is to have creative and attention-grabbing messaging. In public relations, messaging forms the foundation of any promotion strategy, as it establishes the language that will attract attention, pique the interest of journalists, and herald the startup’s unique selling point. Food tech startups should research to find the types of messages that will resonate with reporters. Founders should also consider how their offering description compares to similar businesses that have already received publicity. The fact that you exist is not newsworthy. What makes your startup different?

When Wasteless, the turnkey solution for supermarkets to reduce food waste and increase profit, joined SlicedBrand as a client, we developed a unique messaging strategy that saw the food tech company garnering top-tier press coverage. We centered Wasteless’s messaging around the angle of sustainability and environmental protection. In addition, we highlighted impressive statistics on the technology’s ability to reduce food waste – following tests at hundreds of stores, Wasteless reported a 39% decrease in food waste, as well as a 1.2% average increase in profit margins. Our storytelling helped us use a somewhat small piece of information -- the integration of the tech into one store in Poland for testing purposes -- to create a media storm that continues to resonate. This newsworthy messaging resulted in noteworthy interviews, mentions, and features on Fast Company, Word Economic Forum, Engadget, The Wall Street Journal, and many more.

Pick a date that coincides with a major food holiday

The advent of social media has seen the emergence of a myriad of food-centric holidays. Ten years ago, observances such as Fortune Cookie Day, International Coffee Day, and National Donut Day did not exist. Food tech startups must capitalize on these buzzworthy observances if they want their news to be picked up by media outlets that cater to the tech-savvy Gen-Z and Millennial demographic. 

Picture this: a food tech startup wants to make an announcement in the current competitive climate. Instead of making the announcement on a generic day, the team should consider creating a promotion plan that’s centered around a popular food holiday. With this strategy, the startup would have an excellent chance of standing out if its news was pitched to reporters under an embargo that was set to lift on a national food holiday. Reporters that cover culinary and homemaking news are looking for relevant stories they can share on these traffic-driving and social media-relevant holidays. Furthermore, a food tech startup could further leverage a food observance day for its announcement by providing reporters a product sample, along with a recipe using the type of food that is being celebrated on that day, or even sharing unique data.

Leverage PR to make a good first impression

First impressions count, and when it comes to promoting the launch of a new startup, they matter even more. Executing relevant strategies with an in-house team can be effective, but bringing a credible tech PR agency on board is a surefire way to land top-tier media mentions. A PR firm will develop the most newsworthy and relevant messaging, leverage key dates, and distribute product samples in the most effective way. It’s imperative for food tech startups to employ innovative public relations tactics to stand the best chance of receiving publicity for their launch.