Digital food marketing trend: good or bad for consumers? / Dr. Rabitah Harun, Nurul Hayani Abd Rahman and Dr. Law Kuan Kheng

The rapid advancement of technology has had a significant impact on many business activities around the world. The advanced use of digitization in marketing activities has a significant impact in many business sectors, particularly in the food and beverage market. According to AsiaPac Net Media Ltd (2022), Malaysia has over 32.98 million people, with 91.7 percent of them classified as active social media users. YouTube has 23.6 million users, making it the most popular video platform in Malaysia, alongside WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, Twitter, WeChat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and others. Furthermore, content marketing is becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms that are commonly used by influencers, bloggers, TikTokers, celebrities, and others to share their live experiences, engagements, and try viral food products across the country. Many followers would be triggered by the content, which would coincidentally encourage them to become “food hunters” in order to try it for themselves. The main concern here is whether the food is safe to eat and provides a balanced diet to meet human needs.