Marketing

Why mukbang belongs in your restaurant marketing playbook

August 18, 2025 by Shannon O'Shields — Vice President of Marketing, Rubix Foods

If you still think flavor is all about taste, I've got bad news for you: it's much more complicated than that. Today, craveability is complex, drawing the attention of consumers who are interested in much more than "yum."

For the modern-day foodie, flavor is a multisensory experience. It's the snap of a shell, the slurp of sauce, the echoing crunch you can practically feel through your phone … it's the reason millions of people watch strangers eat noodles with the mic way too close, and why your social feeds are full of people chewing into cameras like it's performance art. It's the age of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) food culture, where texture and sound are just as important as taste — maybe even more. So how do you turn this sensory obsession into scroll-stopping moments? Here are five tactics operators can use to capture cravings with multisensory magic.

Create food that talks back

Once upon a time, flavor stopped at taste … but that's old news. Today, a slurp can go viral and the sound of crispy fried chicken can rack up millions of views. And if you think this is niche, think again. The hashtag #mukbang has billions of views on TikTok, and ASMR food content floods Instagram and YouTube on the daily. People aren't just eating anymore, they're performing—turning every bite into an immersive sensory experience, and consumers are eating it up (literally). For operators, this isn't just a quirky internet trend, it's a playbook. Culinary teams should be benching dishes that sound as good as they taste: think loud crunches, sizzling heat and sauces that practically beg for a mic or a close-up. Every sensory detail is content, and developers should be partnering with their marketing teams to think about flavor as not just something to be eaten but streamed.

Make social media your test kitchen

Think of TikTok as the night market of the digital age: it's loud, it's raw, it's a little chaotic … but it's also where untapped trends are born. Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't waiting for a commercial and they're not inspired by your point of sale materials; they're waiting for swipe-worthy moments on social media. Not convinced? Here are the facts:

85% of Gen Z admit social media drives their food choices.
77% use TikTok to discover new products.
55% have bought food or drink simply because it went viral.

The best operators aren't just watching these trends happen, they're testing these flavor and texture concepts in real-time, using likes, shares and comments as their R&D feedback loop. And consumers aren't shy, they're yelling from the digital rooftops, telling operators exactly what they crave and what they'll never touch. The brands that get it aren't just eavesdropping, they're pulling up a chair and getting in on the conversation, using social media as the world's largest, cheapest and most effective focus group.

Make sure it looks as good as it tastes

We're living in a "phone eats first" world where getting the perfect shot matters almost as much as the perfect bite. That means developing with vibrant colors, layered textures and bold garnishes as interesting as the build itself. And while we've been talking about "Instagrammable food" for years, visual appeal is no longer just a novelty, it should be a page in your innovation playbook. It's time operators move on from chasing overproduced perfection and lean into dishes that beg to be shown off and talked about. Think messy drizzles, dramatic melts or creamy beverage interactions—if it doesn't look as good as it tastes, you may never get to that first bite.

Turn trends into menus, not one-offs

When a trend makes waves, don't just drop a buzzword on the menu and call it innovation. Operators have a real opportunity to tell a story and build a craveable (and profitable) campaign around it. Take Wendy's, for example: they didn't just toss ghost pepper on a sandwich and walk away. They turned heat into a headline, building an entire spicy lineup across sandwiches, nuggets, fries and even apparel. Or Sonic, who didn't stop at a pickle garnish. They went all in with a full pickle menu, from burgers to slushies. That's not trend-chasing, that's immersion. And that's how you turn a flavor into a movement, not just a moment.

Let influencer cravings lead the way

Influencers aren't just promoting trends, they're creating them. These creators have become the new R&D scouts, uncovering what people crave before the data even hits our dashboards. When @shawnthefoodsheep and@dangitswayne hyped up a Houston pizza joint, that wasn't luck, it was demand broadcast in real-time. Smart brands aren't just watching from the sidelines, they're pulling these creators into the kitchen and using them and their communities as sounding boards for innovation. Think co-creation, not just product placement. Sweetgreen nailed it when they teamed up with @melissawoodtepperberg to launch a wellness-driven salad that spoke directly to her community. This isn't about throwing free product at influencers and hoping for a tag. It's about collaboration and letting influential voices with built-in fan bases shape your innovation pipeline.

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TLDR?

Flavor isn't just a formula, it's a feeling. And the operators who are winning are the ones delivering much more than taste. They're delivering texture, visual appeal and a dining experience worth sending to the group chat. Yes, taste is non-negotiable, but today, taste alone won't cut it. Consumers expect food that looks good, sounds good and makes their followers jealous. So, in a world where the meaning of value is up for grabs, maybe experience isn't extra — maybe it's the new table stakes.

Marketing

About Shannon O'Shields

Shannon O’Shields is the Vice President of Marketing at Rubix Foods, where she is responsible for creating and accelerating the company’s marketing strategy and brand recognition in the food industry. She is focused on building customer-centric marketing programs to promote Rubix’s one-of-a-kind product innovation and value-added capabilities in the flavor and ingredient space. In her role, Shannon oversees brand management, digital, go-to-market strategy and consumer insights.

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