Shopping charity: Individual food shows our personality and values

When The Food Channel predicted the top ten trends for 2010. http://www.foodchannel.com/stories/2172-announcing-our-top-ten-food-trends-for-2010 one of them wass the individuality trend; today we want food in small pieces, to always get something for ourselves. 

"Blame the cupcake, which brought attention to the individual dessert trend, but people are now casting about for the next cupcake. Expect more attention to the individual, but it’s not just about portion size—it’s also about food that reflects personality."

I think the "reflect your personality" part is interesting, especially in a broader sense than fashion, color or taste. More companies are caring about caring, so that we as consumers can show our deep values through our purchase. It´s ethical, ecological, organic, and on the weekend I met an entrepreneur who runs Zambrero mexican restaurants, with a policy "buy one burrito, feed one child". For every burrito sold they donate money to kids in need. Great thinking!

For brands who want to get on the bandwagon, I´d suggest making the "good" choice visible, so that the buyer can show others that they bother. We want the food to represent our personality, and we want it to be official! Produce pretty carry bags, stickers, big signs. This will also remind people of their positive choice, making them feel good.

Don´t just let people donate their change at the cashier as Cotton On does - if we are going to pay more, the feeling of being "good" has to last for a while. Shopping charity can only become big if it´s bold.