As Thanksgiving approaches, marketers have a unique opportunity to connect their messaging with one of humanity’s most universal rituals: sharing a meal. Beyond being a simple act of nourishment, communal dining holds profound psychological and social significance, offering insights into consumer behavior and the principles that drive meaningful connections.
The Experiential Values of Meal Sharing
Recent research, including findings from Beyond the Plate: Exploring the Experiential Values of Meal Sharing (2024), highlights that shared meals fulfill several critical experiential values among consumers:
- Connection: Dining together fosters emotional bonds. Whether with family, friends, or even strangers, shared meals create a sense of unity and belonging that deepens social ties.
- Ritual and Tradition: The repetition of meal-sharing rituals—like Thanksgiving dinners or even raising a glass at the bar together—reinforces cultural and familial identity.
- Cooperation and Empathy: Collaborative aspects of meal preparation and sharing promote teamwork and mutual understanding, even mitigating social tensions by highlighting common concerns and shared experiences.
These experiential values of sharing meals align with well-established psychological principles. For example, studies reveal that sharing food elevates oxytocin levels, enhancing long-term trust and cooperation between individuals. This phenomenon is seen in humans and animals, underscoring the power of its evolutionary roots​ and its ongoing impact on consumers’ social perceptions.
Kin Altruism and the Evolutionary Roots of Meal Sharing
From an evolutionary psychology perspective, meal sharing has roots in kin altruism, this principle outlines that we are naturally inclined to act in ways that enhance the survival of our genetic relatives. Shared meals in ancestral environments were often tied to collective survival strategies: hunting, gathering, and pooling resources increased the chances of survival for kin groups. Even today, Thanksgiving meals and similar traditions often center around families, reflecting these deep-seated evolutionary behaviors.
This principle also extends to reciprocal altruism, where sharing meals builds social capital, strengthening bonds not only with kin but also with non-relatives. For marketers, understanding these evolutionary underpinnings is crucial as products and campaigns that tap into these primal values of generosity and cooperation tend to resonate deeply with consumers.
Marketing Campaigns That Leverage Meal Sharing
Brands have long recognized the power of communal meals in their messaging. By aligning products with the psychological and evolutionary benefits of meal sharing, these campaigns resonate on a deep-seated emotional level.
A perfect example of this is Publix’s there’s “love at every Thanksgiving table” campaign where simple storytelling is used to highlight the powerful love and generational bonds that are often formed at holiday tables, helping their brand become synonymous with shared meals and family traditions.
A less traditional but equally effective example is Trader Joe’s trending hashtag campaign “#traderjoesfoodreviews,” where consumers share their recent purchases and creative ways to use them in meals. This organic movement, amplified by Trader Joe’s playful social media strategy, taps into the joy of discovering and sharing food experiences. The campaign builds a sense of community among shoppers, leveraging both meal preparation and communal dining as opportunities for storytelling and connection. By turning otherwise individual consumer experiences into shared narratives, Trader Joe’s effectively aligns itself with the emotional and social benefits of food sharing, reinforcing its brand as a hub for social creativity and camaraderie​.
How Marketers Can Apply These Insights
- Frame Products as Bridges to Connection: Whether it’s food, a dining service, or a lifestyle product, emphasizing how your brand facilitates connections with family and friends can resonate deeply with consumers. Highlight moments where your product becomes part of the ritual, such as gathering around the table or preparing a special dish.
- Leverage Storytelling: Stories that revolve around family traditions, overcoming holiday challenges, or unexpected connections can evoke the emotional richness of shared meals. These narratives inspire consumers to see your brand as integral to their own experiences.
- Create Experiential Marketing Campaigns: Campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” that use shared experiences as a central theme, encouraging consumers to link their product with moments of joy and community is a sound example.
The act of sharing a meal is much more than a holiday tradition; it is a ritual imbued with psychological and evolutionary significance. From kin altruism to oxytocin-fueled trust, communal dining speaks to our deepest social instincts. For marketers, this presents a powerful opportunity to position products as enablers of connection, tradition, and joy. By aligning your messaging with these deep-seated human values, you can create campaigns that not only resonate with your audience but also leave a lasting impression.
This Thanksgiving, think beyond the plate and celebrate the connections your brand can create.
