Everyone has different tastes—and in the context of food and drink preferences, that statement is literal. Maybe you want to try cooking a new recipe on Saturdays, but enjoy easy TV dinners on Sundays. Maybe you're happy eating the same thing every day, but your partner likes to mix things up. And everyone has that one chocolate brand they can't resist while standing in the check-out aisle.

Recent research by Spotify Advertising and market research firm Tapestry, the Consumer Decision Journey report, investigates how shoppers make purchasing decisions when it comes to food and drink choices. The report features survey data from nearly 20,000 Spotify listeners, with participants ranging in age from 18 to 65 across countries¹ and buying categories like food and drink, personal care and wellness, beauty, fashion, tech, and auto.

Whatever the motivation of the day (or the hour!), food and drinks are often more than just necessary sustenance. They're a part of people's identities, relationships, and overall wellness. That may be why, out of all five verticals, our research suggests that food and drink buyers have the most confidence in their choices early on in the purchasing process.

Justin Faiber, Spotify's Global Category Development Officer, Consumer Products (CPG) said "With food and beverages being an everyday consumption habit for all, the position Spotify has as part of daily routines and rituals lends itself very well to brands who want to collaborate."

The journey to a food or drink purchase

In the Consumer Decision Journey report, we looked at five key stages of the buying journey:

1. The BE stage, when people are going about their everyday lives, before the trigger for a purchase.
   

2. The DREAM stage, when people are exploring and gathering information about the different options out there.
   

3. The CHOOSE stage, when customers are actually making a choice about a brand, product, or service.
   

4. The BUY stage, when consumers are focused on making the purchase.
   

5. The USE stage, after the purchase of a product or service, when customers are evaluating their decisions.

In general, seven out of ten listeners surveyed said that Spotify helped in their purchasing journey.² Across all categories, the "Be" phase is when 39% of respondents first consider a brand.³ However, nearly half (48%) of food and drink shoppers feel confident in a brand during this phase—much higher than in any other category.⁴

In fact, people are more confident in every phase of the food and drink purchase journey than they are in other verticals. For example, during the "Buy" stage, 55% of food and drink buyers are certain about their purchase, while tech consumers come in second place at 46%.⁵

In short: When considering food and drink options, shoppers are self-assured—from the first rumblings of hunger all the way to meal time.

"With so many options in the food and beverage portfolio for consumers," says Faiber. "It is imperative that brands stay top of mind and lean into consumer confidence to ensure they maintain share and retain loyal customers."

Key takeaways for food and drink brands

Consumers are confident about their food and drink choices, which suggests they're loyal to the brands they know and love. For other players trying to secure a spot on shoppers' pantry shelves, it's important to become part of people's everyday lives and routines.

For other players in the market hoping to disrupt that trend—whether on the spur of the moment or as a long-term replacement—it's important to drum up awareness since only a meagre 2% of food and drink buyers opt for a brand they've never tried before.⁶ Meanwhile, 44% make a purchase because it's by their preferred brand.⁷

In addition, the study found that food and drink consumers express three explicit reasons for making a purchase, compared with the average % across all categories:

1. It's a safe choice (43% vs. 30% average)

2. It's easy to access (32% vs. 27% average)

3. Its country of origin (13% vs. 11% average)⁸

Advertisers may be able to break into listeners' codified eating habits by emphasising these elements. For example, a sports drink brand might advertise it's now available in a "store near you" during a fitness podcast, implying easy access right when the customer needs an energy boost. Or, a food brand might advertise during a parenting podcast, emphasising warmth, family, and safe choices.

"We found that brands who focus on different points of the purchase funnel along the consumer journey in contextually relevant ways to be highly effective in driving intent and situational salience," Faiber reveals.

How Spotify can help

Success in this vertical may boil down to embedding products seamlessly into listeners' everyday lives, a feat that can be achieved on Spotify.

Spotify can help food and drink brands meet people where they are—at home, on the go while traveling or shopping, or on their lunch break at work. In fact, previous research by Spotify's research partners—Sonic Science Volume 2—highlights that 63% of listeners believe Spotify is important to their daily routines.⁹

Whatever stage a person is in on their food and drink purchase journey, Spotify can be there every step of the way. Learn more about the Consumer Decision Journey report by downloading the Food & Drink-specific infographic below.