Quke Quke Crazy! What the innocent cucumber can teach us about consumer trends and “the next big thing”.

 

An entire sliced up cucumber, sour cream, chive cream cheese, cheese sauce with herbs in it, everything bagel seasoning, flaky sea salt and obviously, msg. Combine in your Tupperware container, shake well and enjoy. A seemingly simple recipe for a humble cucumber salad, released in a 50-second video by Canada’s cucumber-loving TikTok, Logan Moffitt, in early September 2024, has since received over 23.5 million views at the time of writing. The TikToker, who has been sharing his ‘entire’ cucumber salads with the world since June 2024, quoting “sometimes you just need to eat an entire cucumber”, has sparked an explosion of cucumber-crazy shoppers, all determined to recreate his recipes which includes din tai ung flavour (which has received 34.1 million views since July), salmon, cream cheese and avocado (which has received 36.7 million views since July) and crab and avocado (which has received 43.2 million views since August), leading to increased consumption and even cucumber shortages worldwide.

In fact, research undertaken by Rabobank Australia has determined that these viral recipe inspirations have contributed to a 32.5% increase in cucumber purchases in Australians aged 17-35 when compared to last year (Piggot, 2024). Cucumbers are not the only trending product as a result of social media. In 2020, we saw the viral baked feta and tomato pasta dish (the #FetaPasta hashtag received over 750 million views) boost feta cheese sales worldwide, even as much as 300% in Finland (Häyrinen, 2020), with tomato and basil sales not far behind, and trends such as shaved fruit ice resulting in increased watermelon purchases. The discovery of a “tiramisu drawer”, which received 56 million views, saw a restaurant that was previously on the verge of bankruptcy have dinner reservations booked out for 6 months in advance. The trend #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has over 43 billion views, indicating the huge influence social media marketing can have on the way people view and interact with food.

Social media platforms such as TikTok, which is known for its short and engaging online videos, are transforming the way people discover food trends. In the case of the cucumber, it’s not just about a recipe — it’s about how a simple vegetable can be showcased in a visually appealing and shareable way, resonating with millions of viewers. For fruit and vegetable producers and marketers alike, understanding how social media trends can influence food preferences is key to refining marketing strategies and engaging with consumers.

 

What does this mean for Australian fruit and veg producers?

Social media is shaping consumer behaviour, especially in younger demographics, who are as a whole:

• Increasingly seeking foods that are quick to make, fresh, and beneficial to their health.
• They want to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown, and who is behind it.
• Contributing to the plant-based diet movement could result in more demand for fruit and vegetables.

Keeping an eye on trends can provide real-time market intelligence, allowing growers to respond more effectively. Whilst cucumber salad might be the latest trend, it’s important to stay in tune with future shifts in
consumer behaviour. As trends can move quickly, regularly monitoring social media—and the broader food space—can help growers anticipate future trends. For example, as of late November 2024, TikToker
Logan began sharing ‘entire’ apple recipes. Could this be the next trend to watch?

 

So, what is going to be the next big thing?

This is one of the most common questions asked in horticulture, an industry that relies heavily on consumer demand for viable production. A classic example is the smashed avocado trend of the 2010s, which contributed to the massive increase in orchard plantings around Australia and industry growth of over $400m since 2010 (Avocados Australia, 2024). However, with social media platforms becoming powerful tools to shape consumer behaviour and drive trends, Australia’s horticultural industry has a huge opportunity to promote our crops and actively shape the future of the fresh produce industry. With its emphasis on creativity, viral content, and visual storytelling, social media has the potential to help growers create “the next big thing” in fresh produce, shifting consumer tastes and influencing purchasing decisions.

Rather than waiting to discover the next trendy crop to grow, producers have the opportunity to drive demand for those they already produce.

 

Is there a real payoff for social media marketing?

“Just because I sell more units does not necessarily mean I’m making more money.”

This can sometimes be the case. Investing time and money in marketing can be an expensive exercise, and if trends do not result in price increases, you might not actually be making any more operating profit than you are now despite the increase in sales.

 

So is there anything we can learn from the effects of successful marketing efforts?

Regardless of the short term payoff, positive consumer interactions with your business or industry will help to:

• Develop trust and customer loyalty to help maintain demand for products and, therefore, keep businesses running.
• Educate the consumer about food production, the health benefits and ways to use different produce in everyday cooking.
• Promote Australian agriculture. As the spread of misinformation about agriculture is becoming increasingly prevalent, social media can become a powerful platform to give Australian agriculture, and horticulture in particular, a voice to share our stories and messages on a global scale.

 

The other benefit?

Creating a video and posting it to social media is free!

Research has found that TikTok content is at least 8 times more memorable and emotionally engaging than traditional advertising methods, so as long as you have the time to post consistently, social media has the
ability to increase the reach of your marketing to a much larger audience (All Things Communicate, 2021)

The fresh produce industry in Australia is ripe for innovation, and as the cucumber trend has demonstrated, social media now has the ability more than ever to influence consumer preferences and define the future of food. Collaboration and mutual understanding between producers and consumers are integral to the progression of the agricultural industry, and social media can give us the power to find people who actually want to listen and engage. Australia produces some of the safest and highest quality fresh produce in the world, and we just need to make sure the rest of the world knows about it.

 

(Piggot, 2024)

 

References

All Things Communicate. 2021. How TikTok is impacting the food industry. All Things Communicate. https://www.allthingscommunicate.com/blog/how-tiktok-isimpacting-the-food-industry

Avocados Australia. 2024. Facts at a glance 2023/24 for the Australian avocado industry. Avocados Australia. https://avocado.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-24_AAL-Facts-at-a-glance.pdf

Häyrinen, J. 2020. Baked Feta Pasta – Original Recipe. Liemessa. https://liemessa.fi/2020/09/baked-feta-pastaoriginal-recipe/

Piggot, P. 2024. TikTok trend boosts Aussie cucumber sales. Fruitnet. https://www.fruitnet.com/produce-plus/tiktoktrend-boosts-aussie-cucumber-sales/263280.article