Bringing People Together Builds Stronger Brands

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in esoteric subcultures.

Early on, it was comic book collecting. Later came Magic: The Gathering. Then, sleight of hand. Followed by cocktails and bartender culture.

These subcultures share a common feature: they have conventions to bring like-minded people together.

And the events at these conventions usually aren’t the big draw.

Instead, it’s meeting new people at the newest cocktail bar. Or reconnecting with old friends and showing some unpublished magic trick at a late-night fourth meal in the back of a Denny’s.

Humans have an innate desire to come together — it is one of our basic needs.

And breaking bread together is one of the strongest ways we form bonds.

How Often Do You Eat with Someone Else?

Unfortunately, eating together is an increasingly rare activity in modern society, even though we recognize the benefits:

• 60% of Americans eat while driving on a semi-regular basis.¹

• 69% of employed adults say they wouldn’t be as stressed at work if they had time to eat with others.²

• 67% say meals remind them of the importance of spending time with others.³

We have devalued the importance of taking time to eat together.

We focus on the feeling-full part of eating and ignore its other potential benefits.

Even when we set time aside to eat, we often put time limitations on how long we should stay. We have become overwhelmed. Faster and now is the new normal.

Eating — not the ritual of eating — is usually the end goal.

This point was driven home to me several years ago during a dinner at The Tasting Kitchen in Venice Beach:

A person in the couple next to me exclaimed, “This is the longest we’ve ever spent at dinner! We’ve been here an hour and a half!”

They made sure not to “spend” much longer eating. And they quickly left.

Spending quality time together over a meal wasn’t what they were there for.

(I was already 2 hours into my meal with my girlfriend and not leaving anytime soon.)

Yet, eating together is a powerful act.

How Powerful Is Eating Together?

M.F.K. Fisher, perhaps the greatest food writer of all time, observed:

Eating isn’t just physiological.

It’s also psychological.

And the psychological benefits are nearly as significant as the physiological ones.

It is why we refer to some food as “comfort food.”. It affects us psychologically. It makes us feel better.

Jungian analyst Anthony Stevens writes:

Eating can be a transformative act.

Eating Isn’t Just About the Food

We don’t only associate the transformative power to the food.

We also associate it with whoever or whatever provides the food.

It’s why we return to our favorite restaurants again and again: the food tastes great, but so does the feeling of being together with the people we know.

It’s why stadiums serve food at games: not only does it generate income, but it also makes us feel closer to the community of sports fans.

It’s why many companies hold events, even though events aren’t big money makers: it makes people feel like they’re a part of something larger.

One of the best opportunities I helped a client uncover was for Turner Classic Movies (TCM): the strong desire of fans to come together around their love of classic movies.

It was a golden opportunity for TCM—the 15th anniversary of the film festival is happening in a month.

And it can be a golden opportunity for your brand.

Are You Bringing Your Customers Together?

Powerful brands fulfill unmet needs in their customers’ lives.

They solve customers’ problems.

Sometimes, these needs are brand-specific. But, all brands can fulfill people’s need to come together and eat together.

Having your customers eat together strengthens their ties with each other.

It strengthens their ties with you.

And that makes them want to keep coming back for more.

So, if you aren’t bringing your customers together, ask:

1. What do our customers love about our brand?

2. How can we create an event around it?

3. How can food play a role?

Customers love to come together and meet like-minded people. They want to find their tribe.

Food can strengthen the bond between them.

And with your brand.

PS: Want to explore how to bring your customers together and grow your brand? Schedule a call with me to get started.

Notes

1. Susan Meyer, “Eating and Driving: How Much Do Those French Fries Really Cost?” The Zebra, 2024.

2. American Heart Association, “New survey: 91% of parents say their family is less stressed when they eat together,” Heart.org, 2022.

3. Ibid.

4. M.F.K. Fisher, The Gastronomical Me, 1943.

5. Anthony Stevens, Ariadne’s Clue, 1998.