This year, the total amount of data (in its broadest sense, collections of facts, figures and statistics) is expected to mushroom to 182 zeetabytes.1 Zeeta-whatzits, you say? Just think: a single zeetabyte equals a trillion gigabytes. And by 2028, there’s expected to be more than double the data to dig into.1
At The Food Group, we distill data to produce insights that can help boost your bottom line. But we’re also here to help you keep pace with breakthrough advances in data management, so you can make informed decisions on what works best for your business and formulate the most effective strategy for growth.
“From the early days in traditional databases to today’s cutting-edge big data analytics, the evolution of data management continues to be a game changer for food and beverage marketers,” said Nicole Bland, digital strategist and marketing technology specialist at The Food Group. “Ongoing innovations are unlocking the immense power of data, and staying in the know can be your most valuable asset.”
Below are 5 key areas of opportunity across the ever-evolving data management landscape.
1. It’s Not Just Business; It’s Personalized
Food and beverage companies are digging into consumer-centric data and using predictive analytics to feed their need for more personalized marketing. Loyalty programs, e-commerce platforms and social media are serving up rich reserves of data that enable them to tailor their campaigns to specific customer preferences.
PepsiCo pours on the profits with store-level data based on demographics and consumer types to generate orders for stores, as shown by its full-funnel activation with Dollar General.
Not to be outdone, Coca-Cola uses real-time sales data on flavor combinations that customers choose as a guide to new product development. The data is collected from AI-powered soda machines that track evolving consumer preferences.
KFC China is face forward with its “Smile to Pay” facial recognition technology, which changes menu items based on a person's estimated age, sex and apparent mood.
2. I Spy AI: The Clear Advantages of AI Automation
Food and beverage marketers are feasting on the advantages of AI-powered automation, including audience segmentation, trend forecasting and ad spend optimization. Brands are increasingly leveraging machine learning algorithms for more efficient campaign targeting and data-driven decision-making.
At the Plate6
Marketing and sales pros step up AI integrations
- 34% have incorporated AI into their marketing and sales function.
- 41% have adopted or plan to use it for automating content creation.
- 25% use it to personalize content.
Yum Brands is using AI to automate personalized marketing campaigns for KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.7 Data collected from points of sale, digital menu boards, loyalty programs and apps inform the development of customer profiles and the tailoring of targeted promotions. The result: increased consumer engagement, purchases and a reduction in consumer churn.
AI marketing platforms include Otter, which helps restaurants automate promotions across delivery apps. This includes optimizing marketing spend for the best performance and customizing offers for people most likely to love what’s on the menu.
For insights into ways to boost brand visibility on Google for increased traffic and sales, check out our post “Smart Moves: How to Feed Your Business By Optimizing for AI-Powered Search.”
3. Dollars and Sentiments: Why Social Sentiment Analysis Pays Off
Given the critical role social media plays in brand buzz and visibility, food and beverage marketers are increasingly turning to social listening as a goldmine of data on consumer preferences and trends.
Companies Say: Analyze This!
Fifty-four percent use technologies to analyze customer sentiment from reviews or social media.8
Brands are using sentiment analysis tools like Sprout Social to track consumer sentiment and tweak marketing strategies accordingly. Sprout Social offers AI-powered listening and granular sentiment analysis, monitoring millions of conversations across multiple platforms and detecting sentiment in complex sentences and even emojis.
For its “Voice of the Pizza” project, Domino's used AI-powered sentiment analysis to understand customer preferences and identify trending pizza toppings and flavors. Digesting insights gained from customer feedback on Domino’s subreddit enabled the pizza delivery brand to deliver on its pledge to improve its service and menu mix.9
4. For Planet and Profit: Sustainability Data Practices
Consumers have a growing hunger for assurances that the foods and beverages they consume are sustainably sourced and packaged.
To feed this need, brands are using data to chart and communicate the environmental impact of sustainability initiatives and integrating the insights into planet-positive marketing campaigns. By citing data on your sustainability progress and practices, you inspire consumer trust and confidence.
Why Dish on Sustainability Data?
Consumers Crave Eco-friendly Options10
- 68% have made more sustainable choices in the past 12 months.
- 58% are adopting more eco-friendly shopping and disposal habits.
- Around 50% are willing to pay more for sustainable food and drink.
- Nestlé, for example, uses analytics to track its greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain, from farm to consumer, and identify areas of opportunity, such as optimizing transportation routes or investing in renewable energy. Data-rich progress reports are provided on its sustainability microsite
5. Private Parts: Laying Bare Privacy Data
Like sustainability, online privacy and security have become a flashpoint for consumer confidence and trust.
Data Trust or Bustn11
- 75% will not purchase if distrustful of how their data is used.
- 63% want more transparency about data usage.
- 48% stopped shopping with a company due to privacy concerns.
The General Data Protection Regulation in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act require food and beverage brands to invest in secure data management practices to ensure consumer privacy and comply with legal requirements.
Being transparent about how customer data is collected, used, and stored and giving consumers control over their data with customizable privacy settings are critical for building trust.
To gain more insight into online privacy and security and the future of data management, be sure to check out our post “Dishing on Data: A New Recipe for Success in Data Management.”
1 Jassem, Fadah, “Chart of the week: World’s appetite for data is insatiable,” The National, November 26, 2024
2 Grand View Research, Enterprise Data Management Market Size Report, 2030, 2024
3 The Trade Desk, “PepsiCo boosts conversion with retail activation,” May 6, 2024
4 Concannon, Lance, “How Coca-Cola Collects Consumer Insights,” Meltwater, May 15, 2024
5 Hawkins, Amy, “KFC China is using facial recognition tech to serve customers - but are they buying it?” The Guardian, January 11, 2017.
6 DigitalOcean, “51 Artificial Intelligence Statistics to Know in 2025,” 2024
7 Quantilius Innovation, “AI-Driven Marketing: A Case Study on How Yum Brands Is Leveraging Technology to Win Customers,” November 18, 2024
8 One Beyond, “Sentiment Analysis: A Guide for Businesses to Gain Customer Insights and Drive Growth,” June 20, 2024
9 Databricks, “Domino's Delivers Innovation: Harnessing the Power of GenAI to Enhance Customer Experience,” February 19, 2025
10 L.E.K. Consulting, “Sustainability Confirmed as a Key Ingredient for Food and Beverage Consumers,” September 16, 2024
11 Komnenic, Masha, “64 Alarming Data Privacy Statistics Businesses Must See in 2025,” January 24, 2025