Over the past 20 years we’ve guided a wide range of food product companies and restaurants ranging from startups to global food brands/investors and all sorts of other fun adventures along the way. This post is aimed at strategies specifically around marketing food products including what works and doesn’t work in 2026 and beyond.
First and foremost, you have to take a step back and do a classic business school analysis to understand all of the strengths and weaknesses then position your company to win. And unfortunately there’s no clear recipe for success.
Secondly, it’s absolutely essential to build a team around you that’s not only passionate about the products but also the end goals, and that’s a blend of the internal team along with maybe external help like marketing consultants along with others (top chefs consulting, etc.).
Most importantly, who actually has a true passion for the project on the table and knows how to execute on the goals? Imagine a car accident attorney defending someone in a criminal case like a murder trial or a marketing person with no interest in food that’s guiding the direction of something they don’t personally understand. The dish/outcome will be no bueno in the end.
Going back to the core of this post aimed at marketing strategies for food products, there’s one thing you must tap into right away before spending a dollar on anything else: What are the triggers that really make your customers buy?
As a perfect example and what applies to human behaviors overall, think about the Texas BBQ scene and how Texas Monthly’s top BBQ list literally drives people from around the world leading to huge lines and happy stomachs at Burnt Bean Co., LeRoy and Lewis, Goldee’s and others.
And what do all of the above have in common? They lead with amazing BBQ and showcase that which keeps everyone coming back for more while helping support all of the businesses around them because they truly became a destination.
When launching a new food product/brand or restaurant you need to play your cards right and there’s a reason why these top BBQ spots are successful along with many others like Holbox in Los Angeles (Chef Gilberto Cetina is an OG), Red Bull going from an energy drink to one of the top content producers in the world, and so much more.
The moral of the story: You take what you have and work with it, and you never know what that may lead to, yet you have to make the right decisions along the way.