The impact of the Metaverse on the food industry

The Metaverse offers enormous potential for different industries, and food is one of them.

This alternative virtual world tries to replicate the real one through virtual reality and augmented reality devices, allowing, in this case, to interact more directly with consumers in new spaces.

How are food companies preparing for digital environments?

The food industry is entering the world of NFTs by offering shoppers added experiences. Food, beverage, and service brands have the opportunity to go further, whether it's with new ways to meet consumers or incorporating new digital tools into their offer.

In the gastronomic field, these digital spaces will improve real-world skills, such as cooking, managing virtual restaurants, and creating recipes or menus.

Industries have to consider having an adequate integrated management system, because even if it is in a virtual environment, consumer behavior continues to be an important source to support the strategies of the products that will be offered, so it is necessary to maximize opportunities and understand how the consumer will approach this interaction.

On the other hand, the restaurant needs to know what it will take to enter the Metaverse, considering some aspects such as preparation costs, demand, and coverage radius, as well as the type of dishes and the preparation time of each.

Just as people will be able to enter and leave environments effortlessly, the food industry will receive interactive visits from customers, connecting them with the process of selection and preparation of dishes and creating a valuable experience.

The current limitations include, for example, being able to transmit the aroma of food, but this is likely to happen in the coming years. The Metaverse is the opportunity for the industry to explore innovation, flexibility, and scalability, but it is necessary to have intelligent solutions capable of delivering agility so that the entire production, delivery, and post-sale process has a positive impact on the customer. 

Some examples of well-known companies that have implemented this so far include Coca-Cola, which got involved by presenting the first flavor born in the Metaverse. McDonald's, which in some stores has collaborated with digital artists to launch NFT sets, and Burger King, with a rewards strategy whereby customers had to scan QR codes on their food boxes to find a digital collectible that gave them an NFT tied to price rewards like free meals.

The immersive experience captivated a large number of users, since it is now possible to carry out different activities in the Metaverse, such as participating in meetings and events, and very soon, even making it easy to visit emblematic tourist points. 

The Metaverse will also help democratize branding and advertising with a greater reach for those who advertise in this medium, which will not be excessively expensive. It will be possible to reach audiences that may not be interested in the traditional spaces, who are younger, and technologically advanced.

This connection between the physical and the digital is transforming consumer behavior, with huge potential for food brands to engage with them in new spaces more directly. In this context, the value of food will be more sensorial, increasing user experience.