Buried within her recent food industry update email, 210 Analytics’ Anne-Marie Roerink posed a rather eye-opening question: “Fruit had a monster month,” the industry researcher noted, reflecting on June statistics from Circana. “Could the frozen grape TikTok trend be fueling the 18 percent year-over-year sales growth?”
If you’re over the age of 30, the “frozen grape trend” may be as foreign and unfamiliar to you as TikTok itself. But TikTok – with its 1.04 billion monthly users (per eMarketer) – has massive influence on the food industry these days, and that’s never more apparent than when you watch @yardenjoseph pour melted Jolly Ranchers over grapes … and notice the video has been viewed 2.9 million times.
The frozen grape hack has been popular for three years now, because of two key reasons: accessibility and customizability.
“Grapes are easy to find at any grocery store, and you know exactly what section to look in. Finding them isn’t a daunting task,” said Petra Khan, the associate director of strategy at ICUC, a social media and online community management agency.
“It’s an easy snacking hack that other content creators can build upon, whether it’s adding lemon juice before freezing or adding frozen grapes to a complementary beverage, such as lemonade or a gin fizz,” Khan told The Food Institute.
Thousands of videos across TikTok show people trying out the candied grape trend. Some TikTokers dip frozen grapes in melted Lifesavers, some dip them in crushed Nerds. They often wash and then dry grapes before adding them onto sticks. Then, the TikTok “chef” dips each grape stick into the melted candy to create a unique lollipop, as Mashed noted.
Believe it or not, businesses in the food industry can benefit from such TikTok trends, especially when they find creative ways to leverage the trend in their own marketing or advertising.
“For example, a grocery store could set up a display featuring grapes and other suggested items, such as small containers for freezing grapes in individual servings,” said Khan, whose agency serves clients in the CPG, retail, and F&B industries, including Kellogg’s. “This helps the customer think creatively about how they can enjoy their favorite snack and boost the sales of grapes and complementary products.”
Restaurants and cafes can benefit from TikTok food trends, too, by incorporating items like candied grapes into their menus. Even using an item featured in a TikTok trend, like frozen grapes, as a garnish is a simple way to attract customers who are eager to try something they’ve seen online, Khan said.
@yardenjoseph Part 2 🤩 #fyp #fypシ #tanghulu #tanghuluasmr #tanghulurecipe #tanghulufruits #tanghulumukbang #tanghulumaster #asmr #asmrsounds #grapetanghulu #strawberrytanghulu #candiedfruits #candiedgrapes ♬ original sound – Yardenjoseph
The Food Institute Podcast
In this episode of The Food Institute Podcast, IFDA President and CEO Mark S. Allen discussed the pressing challenges and innovative solutions in the foodservice distribution industry. Allen delved into topics such as labor shortages, transportation issues, technology advancements, and the importance of industry events like IFDA’s Solutions Conference.
