Five Viral Food Categories
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Sam Parr breaks down the formula for creating viral food sensations, specifically identifying 5 key categories that consistently generate buzz.
The 5 Categories of Viral Food Items
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Make a side dish the main attraction
- Example: Cookie dough ice cream (just the cookie dough)
- Example: Fondue-only restaurants (turning appetizer into main course)
-
Manipulate the shape
- Change the traditional shape into something ridiculous
- Focus on visual appeal and uniqueness
-
Size manipulation
- Make small things big (like Bob's oversized donuts)
- Or make big things small
- Play with extreme proportions
-
Color modifications
- Example: Rainbow bagels
- Example: Green ketchup
- Focus on Instagram-worthy appearances
-
Food mashups
- Example: Cronuts (croissant + donut)
- Example: Doritos Locos Tacos
- Combine popular items into new creations
Distribution Strategy
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Initial distribution through:
- Thrillist
- Buzzfeed
- Own social media handles
-
Physical presence:
- Small shop in Brooklyn or Manhattan
- Create lines and scarcity
- Limited-time offerings
- Switch concepts every 3 months
Business Model
- Build knowing it's temporary
- Operate as a "hit machine"
- Keep successful items as permanent franchises
- Create scarcity and urgency
- Focus on viral marketing potential
- Use formulaic approach to guarantee success
The strategy mirrors Supreme's model for food - limited editions, drops, and creating buzz through scarcity and novelty.
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.