Video content consumption is growing from year to year. Dynamic growth is observed especially among the younger age group, which is replacing traditional television with content that is watched on mobile devices. This certainly contributed to the emergence of TikTok, which quickly won the hearts of people all over the world, including foodies, marketers or representatives of food industry brands. How did this happen? And how do you create delicious culinary content that will "take root" in this environment?
More than a billion monthly active users worldwide (Compare: Facebook-2.9 billion, Instagram-1.4 billion; source) and almost two million users in Poland loved the short video forms offered by the app. So it's no surprise that TikTok has also made a big impact on culinary content. This, of course, did not escape the attention of food brands (and not only), which began to enter the platform more and more boldly.
But how did it all start? Let's go back in time…
How have the trends in cooking videos changed?
Julia Child revolutionized TV cooking shows by showing that cooking in them is not as clean and perfect as it was presented at the time. Nigella Lawson took it a step further by depicting what each of us does when cooking in the comfort of home – she tasted the cream for the cake with her finger, and when it was worth the dishes she prepared, she clearly showed the accompanying pleasure.
Later came the era of YouTube. There, everyone could become an influential person in cooking and show their abilities to a wider audience-wider than family and friends.
The first culinary films on the service often did not deviate from the formats known on television in terms of concept or implementation. The channel creator spent several minutes on the presentation of cooking, showing the next stages of cooking step by step and telling what exactly he does. This was quickly picked up by advertising agencies and used by brands. Like mushrooms after a rainstorm, company profiles grew that showed how to use their products in practice – placement appeared there no less often than in TV programs.
Millions of views and close-to-TV reach have been a great tool for product promotion. It turned out to be problematic… maintaining the recipient's attention span. Falling feature-length viewings of ten-minute films, which are even more interspersed with ads (as on television), have contributed to the success of another culinary format first served up by BuzzFeed…
Video from the Tasty series. Short videos of up to three minutes in length focused exclusively on the cooking process. Overhead shots that showed only the work surface, rapid and abrupt cuts to the next steps of cooking, until finally they replaced the lead voice translating the next steps with captions with captions of ingredients. The BuzzFeed format quickly became popular with Internet users, established itself on Facebook, and was used by other companies as well.
The TikTok Pandemic and Heyday
2020 is not only the moment of the beginning of the pandemic, but also TikTok's heyday. Fast video, endless feed and creators that are much closer to the users... – the success of the app was guaranteed. Today, it is mainly here that trends are formed.
How many of us have not seen Dalgona Coffee, which is a drink consisting of milk and coffee foam, obtained by whipping instant coffee with sugar and a small amount of water? You also can't forget about crunchy pasta, four-flavor tortillas, or TikTok pasta sauce made with feta baked with tomatoes. Hundreds of thousands of views in one day were no longer just a dream, but became a reality. It was enough to have a good idea, memorable music, and success was at your fingertips.
@aviko_polska Kluski śląskie w popularnym trendzie ✌🏽💙💛 #avikopolska #bakedfetapasta #bakedfeta #bakedtomatoes #kluskiśląskie #przepis #dc #cookingtips #cookingvideo #cookathome #gotowanie
♬ Wine And Food Therapy – Short Version (French, Gypsy, Jazz, Manouche) – SplashStudio
So it's no surprise that marketers quickly saw the opportunities that TikTok offers them. More and more brands are choosing not only to collaborate with creators, but also to open their own profiles, thanks to which – showing the audience the possibilities of using their products – attracts a new group of customers.
How to become a TikTok culinary star?
For many marketers, TikTok advertising is no longer just an on-top format, but one of the mandatory elements of advertising campaigns. So this raises one question… In the midst of so many TikTok videos, how can you attract the attention of your audience and make them "hungry" for the product being promoted? As a food stylist, I'll tell you how to do it "behind the scenes".
- First of all, TikTok recipes should be simple and accessible
Short forms do not allow you to show tedious and complex recipes. A simple recipe proves that everyone can cook-and it's cool! Especially since the creators of TikTok became disillusioned with the use of ready-made semi-finished products, which until now was an almost taboo topic in the social gastronomic universe.
- Do not forget about the aesthetics of the dish itself
After all, we also eat (and sometimes most of all...) with your eyes. Make friends with a local fruit and vegetable vendor. Visit the nearby market and see how the full-range stalls diverge from the abundance of goods. Such vegetables or fruits look completely different from those offered by supermarkets. Suppliers visit fruit and vegetable exchanges at dawn in search of these most appetizing "samples".
- Take the time to prepare your plate
Coating is the art of serving and placing dishes. Let's move away from the PRL-associated carrot blossoms or coating salads with a thick layer of mayonnaise. What is too much is unhealthy-literally and figuratively. If the dish consists of several components, you should break it down into smaller components and serve it in separate bowls. This is another treatment that will definitely improve her appearance. The shape of the plate, of course, is already a matter of taste. However, it is worth remembering that simplicity always wins in such colorful compositions, so white, light colors of plates will help preserve the aesthetics of serving. 😉
- Decorating dishes is also an excuse to smuggle side dishes
A single piece of cheesecake until asked to serve accompanied by a chocolate sauce spread out on a plate using a silicone brush. In addition, a few fruits of juicy red currant, which will revive the color and, by the way, break the sweetness of the taste composition. And finally, fresh mint leaves, forming a beautiful picture.
- Remember the colors
Unusual, contrasting juxtapositions that will attract the user's attention and make them choose to watch your video. Combine light colors with dark ones, mix them like the ingredients of your dish. A great background to start with will be ... colored Bristol from a stationery store. Vinyl-backed prints, which you can easily find online, may also be a good option. They perfectly mimic various textures and structures, such as wood.
Protip: how do I adjust the colors in a video recipe?
TikTok's highly developed video editing system allows you to use color effects or filters. If you don't have any professional video editing software, start with the ones available in the app. Currently (November 2022), the platform offers as many as four filters dedicated specifically to culinary-themed videos.
@aviko_polska Kolorowy bowl z frytkami z batatów, tofu w lepkim sosie i sałatką ze świeżego ogórka i marchewki 🥕 #avikopolska #fyp #dc #cookingtiktok #homecooking #vegan #veganrecipes #aviko #homechef #chefathome #cookingtime
To sum up
A catchy slogan, an unusual recipe, and a way to match it to a customer's product are the three main ingredients needed to make a juicy TikTok that has a chance of going viral. As with a delicious dish,there is no single unique recipe that everyone will enjoy. It is important that all the ingredients used for its preparation are consistent and together form an exquisite composition. Add-ons, colors, shapes, textures, light-this is what can make your TikTok stand out and make it unique and at the same time very tasty!
Junior specialist in Marketing Communications and PR.
He is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Main School of Agriculture. We have been in the HoReCa industry for more than 10 years. For many years, he has been associated with the Trip group, Sobienie Royal Golf and Country Club, and the Florentin Restaurant in Warsaw.
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw Technical University with a degree in Architecture for the Knowledge Society and Visual Communications at the Polytechnic University of Milan. A specialist in creating a mood. She has gained experience at home and abroad at numerous international seminars (Seville, Lisbon, Florence), fellowships at La Sapienza (Rome), etc. m.in. in Carmi e Ubertis and ADM Milano.
A manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food, and children's industries. During his career, he was associated with such companies as: L'Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. During his professional life, he was responsible, among other things, for the development of e-commerce sales and content in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 
