TinyBites : promoting sustainability through insect-based foods

• Main Authors: Goh, Shu Ling, Huang, Jemima Jie, Lim, Jia Hui, Lim, Yi Hui
• Other Authors: Sonny Ben Rosenthal
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Social sciences::Communication
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/155912
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper presents TinyBites, the first communications campaign in Singapore to promote entomophagy, or the eating of insects. Upon recognising the environmental benefits of entomophagy, TinyBites sought to introduce the idea of consuming insect-based foods as an alternative source of protein into our daily lives, paving the way for the upcoming Singapore Food Agency approval for commercialising cricket powder and its related products. The diffusion of innovation framework (Rogers, 2003) guided the campaign’s audience research and campaign development. An audience analysis found that disgust was the main psychological barrier to adopting entomophagy while taste, social influence, and nutritional benefits were the main motivators. TinyBites hence focused on changing the negative perception of insect-based foods, highlighting the benefits of entomophagy, demonstrating the ease and possible familiarity of insect-based foods, and providing an opportunity to try insect-based foods before the launch of commercial products in Singapore. The campaign utilised online channels to facilitate influencer and word-of-mouth marketing and effectively communicate the campaign’s key messages. TinyBites garnered $27,000 in PR value with 386,690 accounts reached on social media and more than 60 sign-ups for the sample kit through our website. The campaign also saw significant improvements in the target audience’s nutritional knowledge of insect-based foods (24.9% average improvement), attitude towards entomophagy (31% average improvement), and early adopter behaviours (45.2% average improvement). The campaign’s strengths, weaknesses, and sustainability are discussed at the end of this paper. The annexes to this paper contain the relevant references and data.