In my previous column, I explained why social video showrunners are always on the lookout for new trends that are flying just below the radar or are hidden in plain sight. Well, “street food” and “mukbang” are both trends that showrunners should watch because they are unique opportunities to increase viewership and overall engagement. And that means, as I’ve said before, the advertising revenue opportunities afforded by these insights are hard to overstate.
Both of these trends are showcased in Tubular’s Q2 2018 State of Online Video Report, where Tubular takes a deep dive into some of the trends blowing up on social video. Our latest report will give you the heads-up on:
- The latest global mega-trends in video content
- Insights into rising video content in Q3 2018
- The evolution of evergreen content
- Hot creators to watch
Street Food Fanaticism Hits a Boiling Point
It may come as little surprise that food content continues to draw in the crowds across YouTube and Facebook video, but Tubular’s newest State of Online Video Report highlights some of the trends that showrunners may have missed.
For instance, the “street food” trend showcases tasty food ingeniously made on the streets of popular destinations. Content around “street food” generated 735 million YouTube views and 333 million Facebook video views in Q1, with the trend continuing to rise on both platforms. And “street food” content has made an appearance across a number of verticals as creators have uploaded videos around YouTube channels and Facebook properties dedicated to entertainment, travel, and lifestyle, as well as food and drink.
For example, Proper Tasty, a media company in the entertainment genre, uploaded “Have you seen this Chinese Street Food? Jianbing! 煎饼果子来一套!” on November 21, 2017. It got 16.1 million views in the first 30 days.
Next, Culture Trip, a media company in the travel genre, uploaded “Hawker Chan is a Michelin-starred street chef” to Facebook on March 21, 2108. It got 445,000 views in the first 30 days. Or, check out Furious Pete, an influencer in the people and blogs genre. He uploaded “Furious World Tour | Thailand Street Food, 11lb GIANT Noodle, FLOATING Market, Railway Market & More” on March 16, 2018, and it got 393,000 views in the first 30 days. Finally, feast your eyes on “Delicious Egg Dish !!” Uploaded on January 3, 2018, by NTD Taste Life, a media company in the food and drink genre, this “Indian Street Food” video got 21.0 million views in the first 30 days.
As the chart below illustrates, views of “street food” videos on YouTube hit 294 million in April 2018, up from 189 million in October 2017. And views of “street food” videos on Facebook hit 127 million in April 2018, up from 120 million in October 2017.
The common thread that ties “street food” together is, of course, the food itself. But the love of consuming food doesn’t end there as Tubular’s Q2 2018 State of Online Video Report showcased another trend with the community – that of the “mukbang.”
Viewers Are Obsessed with Watching Other People Eat
The “mukbang” (“food broadcast” in Korean) trend originated from South Korea where it was popular from 2015-16. A mukbang can also refer to the individual that consumes food on camera on our behalf, albeit it with an entertaining or gross twist. These twists include eating food in enormous or unusual quantities, in unique settings, or by a creator normally associated with another genre.
“Mukbang” video content on YouTube grew from 85 million views in October 2017 to 138 million views in April 2018. As you will see in the chart below, “mukbang” videos got 341 million views on YouTube in Q1 2018, up more than 12% from Q4 2017.
With the opportunity to reach a wider audience, creators have been uploading content across different verticals, and have been collaborating with other influencers outside of their core genre. As such, “mukbang” is now popular in the beauty and people and blogs genres, as well as food and drink. For example, check out “Mukbang feat. Manny Mua! Real and Nasty,” uploaded by Bretman Rock, an influencer in the beauty genre, this video got 3.3 million views in the first 30 days. (Note, video was recently re-uploaded).