The latest craze – Food Trucks and how you can benefit from the promotional opportunities
Going back a few years there were very few street food vendors in the UK. And those that were around certainly didn’t serve the culinary delights that we are accustomed to today. There was a time where street food vendors were associated with football matches, fairs and outside bars to curb the appetite of patrons as they make their way home. The food truck industry has taken a huge turn and has rebranded as a high brow experience serving high quality food of many different cuisines.
Festivals and outdoor events have always been home to food trucks but now the market have expanded exponentially including semi permanent pitches at parks and activity centres, workplaces, industrial estates, towns. You can’t venture far without seeing a food truck. They have even entered the lucrative wedding and party scene where it isn’t unusual to see a food truck serving guests. Pizza vans are partnering with pubs, taco trucks at venues, vegan food roadshows. It is an exciting new market and if you are in the food and beverage industry now is the time to jump on it.
It is estimated that there are over 7,000 mobile units serving food across the UK and the market is enjoying 20% year on year growth. The rise is partially down to the pandemic and how we all had a different way of eating out and shopping. Concerned customers preferring a takeaway option to a sit in restaurant. Not forgetting that for a long time sitting in a restaurant wasn’t an option. Food trucks seized the opportunity. Customers could enjoy good food without entering a premises.
But of course it isn’t just the pandemic that has driven the growth of the food truck. As a nation of growing foodies we are looking for interesting cuisines to try. A recent survey found that as many as 64% of consumers are willing to spend more on satisfying street food that their average lunchtime spend.
With this growing trend comes a host of fantastic promotional opportunities. Whether you are a food truck owner, collaborating with a food truck, supplying a food truck or rent a space to a food truck read on.
Mobile Advertising
The beauty of a food truck is that it is mobile advertising. When they are driving around or parked up at their pitch they are highly visible to customers and passers by. They are basically a moving billboard. It is incredibly useful to utilise this space to advertise with not only their own branding but that of their suppliers. If you are supplying them with meat, veg or beverages ask if there is a space for you on their van.
Merchandise – POS
The opportunities for point of sale at a food truck are endless. It is easy to be creative when it comes to food and beverage items. And make them useful to boot. We have designed many branded items for the food and beverage industry that customers find valuable and useful beyond their visit. Take a look at what we did with Sipsmith. Dependent upon the venues that the food truck is frequenting merchandise can be themed. For example a festival may give away drinks stakes to keep drinks safe on the uneven ground.
Fun, gimmicky giveaways are a great option too. Branded games, toys, keyrings are all incentives that go down well with customers and offer your brand promotional opportunities.
Environmentally Friendly
As we are all very aware of the impact of take out packaging on the environment you may be asking how can a food truck be green? It is actually not too difficult to run an eco friendly food truck business. Starting with the packaging. Using sustainable materials for take away food is a step towards producing less waste. For example using paper and cardboard packaging instead of plastic. Offering a recycling point will encourage customers to recycle packaging rather than pop it straight in the bin.
Reusable items are a fantastic way of encouraging sustainable behaviour. Many vendors offer a discount to customers who bring a reusable cup. It is a fabulous branding opportunity, especially for beverage brands to place their logo on a cup that will be used time and time again. Metal straws are also a promotional item that is growing in popularity since plastic straws are no longer offered. They are a much better way to enjoy a drink than with a soggy paper straw and they can be reused.
We endeavour to supply products that are made from the most eco friendly materials and are mindful of our logistics process. Which brings us to the next point:
Wherever possible a food truck should source locally. Chances are that a food truck will cover a local area. By sourcing ingredients and beverages from local suppliers the logistics and delivery is cut down considerably.
Pubs and Venues
Pop up events and pubs, bars and venues are increasingly popular. Many food truck have such an established brand that their presence will draw in the crowds. A regular appearance from a well know food truck will put your venue on the map. Be sure to take full advantage of their reach with social media advertising and word of mouth. Share, share and share again any posts that they put out and ensure that they are tagging you. Likewise you must always tag them in your posts.
On the other hand if you are a new food truck, just starting out and establishing your brand, working with a well know pub or bar will help you get noticed and offer vast promotional opportunities.
This type of collaboration calls for dual branded bespoke merchandise. Our creative team love a challenge and would be happy to discuss options and ideas with you to create amazing custom branded products. Get in touch today.
Want to read more about our custom branded products for beverage brands? Also read: 10 Amazing Festival Promotional Ideas For Your Drinks Brand or head to our Beverage Brands Projects Page for inspiration.
