Tech and NFTs: New Marketing Tools for Food Businesses

People who know me are very much aware of how passionate I am about events and festivals. There is something very special about connecting with like-minded people in the same space and discussing (sometimes too intensely - sorry yellow shirt guy) topics that matter for the future of our careers and the industries we work in.

It's one of my job's biggest excitements to be able to curate meaningful programs, produce events that matter and spark conversation about new innovative topics - and Lengua was no exception. On April 30th, besides seeing Lengua come to life with a full day of talks and tastings, I also had the pleasure of being on stage with Auston Bunsen (co-founder, Quicknode), Jose Perrone (co-founder, Create with Cura) and Ryan King (Editor in Chief, Fine Dining Lovers) talking about Tech and NFTs as Marketing Tools for Food Businesses. It was extremely important for me to include this topic in Lengua's program because there are unique possibilities when we open the doors to all things Web3, Metaverse and NFTs in terms of brand marketing, growth strategy and brand experience. And we wanted the food industry to have access to that knowledge too.

I realize that some people are still assessing how reliable these new 'things' are, but that's why it's important to point out their tangible potential for brand and product marketing. Remember, in the 1990s many 'experts' said the internet would never thrive and no online database would replace a physical newspaper. Well... you see where I'm going with this, right?

The tech industry is creating a fruitful ecosystem of tools and channels that help increase productivity and reach, as well as reduce time and cost of operations for any business. If you use Mailchimp or Facebook ads, you already know how big the overall benefits are. So when novelties such as Web3, the Metaverse and NFTs start gaining more and more traction, it's important for marketers and food business owners to learn how to leverage them in their marketing strategy.

Here are some highlights of what we discussed during the Tech and NFTs: New Marketing Tools for Food Businesses panel:

1. Product placement and brand activations - these, for me, are some of the most exciting options that NFTs and the Metaverse offer for brand and product marketing. Just like Pepsi was in 'Back to the Future II', you can have your branded product in the Metaverse and generate some pretty interesting engagement with avatars or players (and get them to buy it in real life after you've teased them online).

2. NFTs are a great way to engage and create community - if you're a chef you can sell the recipes of your special dishes, open a members-only restaurant, or even sell the picture of your mouth-watering dishes together with a complete sensorial experience.

3. Nothing will ever replace the joy of eating a slice of pizza, but you can create immersive experiences with NFTs and the Metaverse to increase desire for your brand or product, as well as to take your marketing to the next level, increase awareness and loyalty.

4. Go global or go home - tech tools enable you to market your brand to a global audience at a fraction of the price and the speed of a click. It might be scary to enter a new online space but if you want to innovate in your industry, this is a space you should learn about.

At the end of the day, I know that having a product in the Metaverse or creating a batch of NFTs is not for every company, but this panel was an amazing opportunity to discuss how innovation can be brought to food marketing. Lengua was not only a major step for Miami in becoming a culinary hub, but also the birth of a unique space for learning, networking and growing.