Malcolm Gladwell has a piece in in the most recent New Yorker where he questions the ability of online social networks to mobilize groups to organize for social change. I won’t comment on his premise here, but I will say that online social networks are a great platform for mobilizing groups to buy a taco. Or an ice-cream cone. Pulled pork sandwich, anyone?
The food truck revolution is closely tied to the social network revolution. As mobile dispensers of food, trucks rely on customers tracking their routes via their personal mobile devices. You can catch Molly Moon’s ice cream cones in Capitol Hill on Wednesday, and Marination Mobile in Ballard on Thursday. Legendary food writer Jonathan Gold of the LA Times just published a piece about food trucks in LA that drew attention to customers who “obsessively monitor [the] Twitter feed” (“tweaters”) of particularly beloved trucks.
This synergy between the digital revolution and the food revolution is one of the reasons why the MCDM was asked to join the inaugural “Geek Row” in Seattle’s Mobile Chowdown this Friday just north of Qwest Field. We’ll be there with the likes of Urbanspoon and Ben Huh, flying the Department of Communication flag, sharing the work of the MCDM, and likely eating a taco or two.
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Beyond just tracking the mobile food movement, I find social media an effective way to spread information for the other national food revolutions: eating local, eating sustainable, fighting childhood obesity. All of these movements make good use of new and old media to bolster changes in the way Americans are eating and thinking about food.
I absolutely agree, Betsy. Some of my favorite food writers have taken their medium digital, and to great success. Not only does it allow local voices to become national (and even international), but digital is a superb platform for sharing information that can inform consumers in new ways.
Social media also plays an important tactical role in the eating local movement. One of the greatest barriers to going local is being able to find truly local providers. Most (realistic) local food sources are temporary in nature – farmer’s markets are seasonal and grocery stores tend to offer short term “local” specials. Social media has the potential to enable and encourage everyone, not just dedicated locavores, to eat local.
I think the “food revolution” is a great model for the ways in which new media tools can bring people together around common value or cause. Beyond the local and sustainable movements, I’ve seen some great community building and around specific dietary issues — gluten intolerance or celiac for example — which not only bring people together to support each other, share recipes and tips, but also can act as a critical mass to influence what’s offered at particular restaurants.
[…] of Communication in Digital Media program. What’s the connection? As one of my professors, Anita Verna Crofts, says, “The food truck revolution is closely tied to the social network […]
From a PR perspective, the Twitter food community has become a crucial target audience, a natural extension of the food bloggers and “mommy bloggers” whose influence is now so highly prized. In a matter of months, already-successful food bloggers have built their bases into full-on communities through their Twitter presences.
In addition, the community building I’ve personally experienced through Twitter and food has been remarkable. I often tell this anecdote, but when I moved back to Seattle two years ago I really didn’t know that many people here. By connecting with similarly food-focused people on Twitter, I’ve built strong relationships that are far more than “online” friendships. The “weak ties” formed through Twitter don’t stay there – they are taken off-line into real-world events, as informal as a potluck or as formal as the International Food Bloggers Conference.
We definitely have a community growing here, in MCDM and Seattle more generally, around the use of social media in reference to food movements. I sense a new class examining food and media… hint, hint, nudge, nudge…
I, personally, would love an academic space specifically focused on this. A critical platform where I could discuss in depth with others my experiences in the food revolution, the food blogosphere and eating in real life.
I hope I won’t come off as a curmudgeon but…Gladwell’s point (vs. Shirky) is that in order to have a ‘real’ revolution (where ‘skin’ is physically in the game) has no similarity to rousing the troops to purchase a product. I believe that Gladwell would agree with the point that Twitter is an excellent tool when ‘loose ties’ are used to spread foodies delectable memes. I’ve been following Foodista (ever since one of our MCDM’ers has been working there) and I enjoy reading their blog and their thoughts but does my readership count as Gladwell’s revolution? btw: I won a free ticket to Mobile Chowdown(!) & yes, if you count me as a person who has been ‘mobilize’, then hey, I’m down with that! 😉 Thanks for the post!
Hey Ya’ll, love the range of comments here.
Betsy, Hanson will swear I paid you to post your hope that a class surfaces, and I’ll state it here virtually that I in no way informed your message. (Scout’s honor!)
Lynne, from a purely semantic point of view, it’s quite fair to debate what we apply the term “revolution” to, and furthermore, how we expect social media to impact a particular movement. Civil Rights vs. Foodista–they don’t compare.
However, I think within the food movement there are gradations of impact when it comes to the power of social media: Dominique and Debbie both mention the ability for targeted populations (locavores, celiac, gluten-intolerant) to connect more readily–and this isn’t necessarily about purchase power. Lisa makes a great point that broadly speaking, marketing to the food digirati is now seen to have value and traction, which I realize veers into consumerism, but I think is still noteworthy. I also think it’s interesting that in Lisa’s case, digital “weak-ties” have moved off-line.
No question: if you want to influence change you have to do more than show up at your laptop. But the ability for digital network to connect, leverage, and motivate, is a neat issue to chew on (terrible pun!)
I whole-heartedly second the request for a class focusing on the digital media aspect of food movements and the politics of food!