TikTok is not just a platform. It’s a cultural engine.
Let’s be honest, it used to be enough to post a pretty plate of food on Instagram with a filter and the caption “yum”, and you would get sales. But the game has changed. If your food brand isn’t getting reactions, starting or jumping on trends, or showing up on someone’s For You Page, you’re already behind.
Because right now, content creators with ring lights and phone stands are doing what marketing teams with ₦10M budgets can’t , building communities, driving nationwide demand, and making obscure dishes go mainstream.
So, what’s really happening here? And more importantly, what should Nigerian food and beverage (F&B) brands be stealing from this playbook?
Let’s break it down
There’s a reason why businesses sell with food creators on tiktok. It is because the Tiktok algorithm permits faster growth for a lesser effort compared to other platforms.
TikTok — and platforms like it — aren’t just content dumps. They’re culture labs. And the Nigerian creators who win on it? They understand three things:
- Relatability is the new aspiration.
You don’t need high-budget sets , you need your audience to feel like you’re them. - Food is a story.
People don’t just want a taste, they want a narrative: “This is the jollof my grandma used to make when NEPA took light, or recipe cooking. Something that takes them through a journey. Here is what we adopted for Honeywell noodles.
Consistency trumps virality.
You don’t need one mega-viral video. You need 20 mid-tier ones that keep your name circulating.
Big Lessons F&B Brands Should Learn (and apply) ASAP
1. People want experiences.
That means your content should look, sound, and feel like something worth sitting with. You can binge on honeywell noodles here.
2. Creators are the new food critics.
Don’t wait for a newspaper to review your new drink. Send it to 10 micro-creators with loyal fans. Using a single creator is good, but hiring a marketing agency that knows how to make use of ads and influencer marketing to scale your brand puts you above competitors. Contact us here for influencer marketing solutions for your business.
3. Create More Activation Campaign
Majorly for food and beverage industries, activation campaigns will make your brand stay top of mind. As a CMO, or a marketing leader, creating activation campaigns will improve your marketing efforts. To partner with us for activation campaign, contact us.
Final thoughts: The future belongs to brands that behave like people.
CMOs: this isn’t about chasing Gen Z or putting out ads. It’s about recognizing that marketing has moved from being brand-first to people-first. If a 19-year-old in Ilorin can sell a pepper soup recipe eBook using just TikTok and vibes, your brand has no excuse.
