A Cultural Taboo: How Social Media Is Transforming the French ‘Slow Food' Hegemony

Abstract

The recent arrival of American gourmet-style food-trucks to the streets of France is transforming consumer behaviour. In France, a nation whose culture has traditionally experienced food as a blend of ‘art, pleasure and leisure,' the perception of Anglo-Saxon food-trucks as ‘junk food' is now being challenged. A new generation of re-conceptualized food-trucks are catering to French consumers - who still demand high-quality food but who are willing to try a new format. Communication via social networking sites (SNS) has acted as a catalyst for changing food consumption. Information about food-trucks is shared digitally across communities of interest, drawing attention to the marketing power of contemporary consumers. These ‘micro-communities of food' have created social groups that now congregate in the streets of France rather than in traditional, sit-down restaurants. This study explores the food-truck trend that is emerging in France with the intention of putting forward a new framework that identifies the factors which influence the purchase of food-truck products in France.