The food space is competitive, cluttered, and fast-paced. But when done right, influencer marketing doesn’t just stand out, it sells out. This guide from Brand Influence Agency unpacks what drives cravings, clicks, and conversions in the food space, with real results, real creators, and real content.
What this covers:
- Why Food Brands Need Influencer Marketing
- Food Campaigns Can Work (and They Do)
- The Basics of a Food Influencer Campaign
- Recipe for Success: Quick Guide
- What Works
- What to Avoid
- How to Get It Right: Food Campaign Best Practices
1. Why Food Brands Need Influencer Marketing
- Over 660M views of #foodcontent on TikTok: food is a top-performing category
- We eat first with our eyes; content literally drives cravings and purchases
- Food brands face stiff shelf competition; influencer content creates visibility + trial
- From school lunches to dinner hacks, real users give brands a place in people’s lives
- Trusted voices show how to use your product, not just what it is. This created SAVEABLE content, where followers can ‘bookmark’ recipes, ideas, tips, hacks and more so they can recreate it themselves.
2. Proof on a Plate: Campaigns That Delivered
The results speak for themselves:
Albany #BeRealWithAlbany: TikTok
- Over 6M impressions
- What it was about: Lazy meals, girl dinners, and loadshedding hacks made this campaign deeply relatable to South African households. Nano and micro creators showcased everyday uses for Albany bread, leaning into humour and cultural context. TikTok-first content drove the strongest engagement, while Instagram carousels helped extend shelf life.
- Why it worked: Realistic “what’s in my kitchen” content + authentic home settings gave the brand everyday relevance and positioned Albany as a pantry staple.
Melrose #MelroseLunchboxHacks: Instagram
- Over 1.6M engagements.
- What it was about: Parent creators, especially moms, leaned into kid-friendly hacks and packed-lunch inspo, turning Melrose into a back-to-school hero. Including children in the content added a layer of warmth and relatability that drove massive engagement. The campaign was a mix of POV videos for quick hacks and follow-along reels for step-by-step ideas.
- Why it worked: Targeting parents + including kids in content tapped into one of the most engaged food categories online. The mix of trends and tutorials created a balance of hype and utility.
Today Pastry #TheTodayWay: Instagram
- Over 2.6M engagements, with 300+ posts.
- What it was about: Creators leaned into POV baking content, showing both savoury and sweet pastry hacks, from affordable pies to quick desserts. TikTok’s trending “how-to” and recipe ASMR sounds drove the highest engagement, while Instagram recipe reels amplified shareability.
- Why it worked: Combining versatility (sweet + savoury), ASMR, and accessible “everyday” recipes gave the brand a place in both weeknight meals and special-occasion bakes.
Parmalat Multigrain #1Choice5Benefits: Instagram
- Over 500K engagements
- What it was about: This campaign specifically activated male creators to break the stereotype of “breakfast as women’s territory,” showing Parmalat as the go-to for gym smoothies, quick oats, and lunchbox staples. The content positioned the brand as functional fuel for busy, modern lifestyles.
- Why it worked: Targeting men with practical, no-fuss recipes created fresh relevance and expanded the brand’s audience in a traditionally female-skewed category.
Jungle #JungleWinterChampions: Instagram
- Over 2.6M reach.
- What it was about: From oat bowls to burgers, creators showcased Jungle’s versatility in South African kitchens. The campaign landed by tapping into winter comfort food culture while showing unexpected recipe flips that sparked conversation.
- Why it worked: Seasonal timing + surprise recipe twists kept content relevant and shareable, while aligning Jungle as a winter staple beyond breakfast.
Parmalat EasyGest #EasyLactoseFreeLiving: Instagram
- 4.23% engagement rate, with over 2.5M reach.
- What it was about: We handpicked lactose-intolerant creators, ensuring genuine product trials and authentic tips. Content highlighted easy swaps and “morning coffee moments” using the lactose-free range, with the premium branded coffee cup from the hamper becoming a visual hero.
- Why it worked: Speaking directly to a niche audience with real needs built trust fast. The content broke stigma, showed inclusivity (“your coffee can taste just as good”), and drove strong emotional connection alongside education.
Mama’s Pies #WinWithMamasPies: Instagram
- Over 3.5M reach, and 220K+ engagements
- What it was about: 150 Instagram creators showcased how Mama’s Pies turns everyday meals into quick, affordable wins. Content leaned into shopping hauls, prep moments, and “easy as pie” competition callouts, with Pepper Steak, Steak & Kidney, and Cheese Grillers emerging as the hero flavours. Students and busy families especially loved the convenience and budget-friendly appeal.
- Why it worked: The campaign tapped into a universal need: quick, tasty meals on a budget, and matched it with the right voices. Student creators and family-focused influencers brought relatability.
3. Behind the Scenes of a Food Campaign
Food is fun, but there’s nuance. Here’s what to consider:
- Stock & Access: Delays or shortages kill momentum. Share store lists early, secure in-store filming permission, and use vouchers to get products directly into influencers’ hands. Support with branded merch or utensils to make content more visually engaging and on-brand.
- Creative Freedom: Too-restrictive briefs = stiff content. Let creators show the product in ways that feel real to their lifestyle.
- Timing: Leverage seasonal moments: school term starts, holidays, winter warmers, and festive meals drive natural relevance.
- Platform Fit: TikTok loves short, POV recipe reels and trending sounds. Instagram performs well with step-by-step, polished recipe content.
- Kids in content: Including children drives relatability, especially for lunchbox or family-focused brands.
- Choosing suited profiles: Pick the right creators whose audiences know them for authentic food content. Relatability is key, but only if it feels natural to their page.
4. Recipe For Success
What Works:
✅ Show, don’t just tell. Recipe reels, hacks, and POVs perform better than posed content
✅ Viral hooks: “Lazy meal ideas,” “5 min school lunch,” “3-ingredient dinner”
✅ Match content to audience: Lazy girl dinners, kid lunchboxes, gym smoothies etc; speak to lifestyle
✅ Use what people actually say: “Easy,” “time-saving,” “stays fresh,” “no tummy issues,” “affordable”.
✅ Merch matters: Branded mugs, cookie cutters, and lunchboxes = high repeat visibility
✅ Include humour + storytelling: Skits, funny mom moments, relatable chaos builds connection
✅ Seasonal timing: Valentine’s Day, school reopening, winter warmers
What to Avoid:
❌ Overly perfect, overstyled food shots = feel fake, unrelatable
❌ Too narrow briefs that limit creativity or feel unnatural
❌ Poor stock planning ( influencers need access to the product)
❌ One-size-fits-all formats: Let creators interpret in their own way
❌ Ignoring cultural/local context. Themes like braais, kotas, and freezer prep meals are South African gold
❌ No CTA or action step. Even great content needs a “now what?”
5. Tips for Food Campaigns
👩🏾💼 Choose the Right Influencers
- Nano + Micro creators bring high trust and relatability; the perfect format for food
- Choose creators with real-life overlap: parents, students, working professionals
- Look for creators already using the brand. Earned loyalty > paid hype
- Include both genders and diverse household roles (e.g. mom content vs gym-bro content)
🎬 Make Content That’s Craveable
- Lean into ASMR, slicing, sizzling, stirring. Food content is visual + sensory
- Prioritise POV videos, step-by-step reels, recipe carousels
- Use formats like “What I pack for lunch,” “Lazy girl dinners,” “3 ways with…”
- Encourage viral-friendly formats: short, punchy, helpful, or satisfying
- Don’t over-script, let creators make it their own
🛒 Make It Shoppable + Shareable
- Include callouts to in-store locations or special packs
- Prompt comment-based engagement: “Which one should I try next?”
- Encourage Facebook + TikTok cross-posting to stretch content lifespan
- Give viewers a “what to do next” moment: try the recipe, buy the pack, join the challenge
The Brand Influence Agency Difference
We’ve worked with some of South Africa’s biggest household brands to launch new products, reignite nostalgia, and bring fresh relevance to mealtime staples. We don’t just brief; we build stories. We don’t just recruit; we activate communities. From bread to cheese, oats to pastry, dairy to drinks, we know what makes food content work. Let’s cook something up.
