Foodbay TV and Coca-Cola have joined forces to launch an exciting digital food show named ‘Food Quest,’ specifically tailored for Generation Z (Gen Z) audiences. The show will be hosted by Opeyemi Famakin, a prominent food critic in Nigeria, and will focus on promoting healthy African food and lifestyle.
The event which was held over the weekend at the Marriot Hotel, GRA, Ikeja Lagos, was a blend of culinary tourism, fun, games, adventure and networking.
According to the organisers, the programme which will be streamed largely on YouTube with few clips on Instagram will engage and inspire the taste-centric Gen Z audience. They added that unlike other food shows, FoodQuest seeks to sensitise the younger generation about some Nigerian and African delicacies that are near extinction.
During the launch event, Oluwafemi Ogundoro, the Managing Director of Maxima Media Group and Co-founder of Foodbay TV, explained the show’s mission: “Food Quest is a digital food show focused on introducing authentic African food, which is on the brink of extinction, to a vast Gen Z audience, leveraging the digital spaces they are familiar with.”
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He emphasized the need to bridge the generation gap and cater to Gen Z’s unique preferences, saying, “We at Foodbay TV recognized the importance of taking them on a journey to understand our culinary heritage, where we are today, and how we can enhance our food culture. Food is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon, and we want to showcase the richness of our cuisine and culture. This is more than just a cooking show; it’s about the experience and consumption surrounding food.
“Many millennials experience many things that Gen Zs don’t participate in right now, however, the digital space has been able to show us that a lot of people don’t understand the Gen Z because they want what they want in a certain kind of way and if you don’t give it to them they move somewhere else. That’s why there’s something called the bounce rate on a website,” he said.
Explaining further, he added: ‘‘At Foodbay TV, we did a deep dive and realised that it is essential to take them back in time to understand where we are coming from, where we are right now, and how to improve our food. Food is the next big thing in the world. China has succeeded in taking it beyond Asia, and now, you get to experience Chinese food everywhere you go even in Nigeria.
“The Gen Z want to experience the fun, once the interest has been established, they move to the second phase but when it comes to food, there’s no platform that’s a rallying point where they get to experience, how they want to experience it and give their feedback/express their opinions. That’s what we’ve done on this platform.” He added.
Regarding the partnership with Coca-Cola, Oluwafemi explained, “Coca-Cola, as a brand, has a strong connection with Gen Z, especially in the context of meals. When you think of a meal, you think of Coca-Cola. That’s why partnering with them was a natural fit.”
Ademola Salami, Media Manager for Coca-Cola Nigeria, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Coca-Cola’s reputation for enhancing mealtime experiences. “Coca-Cola is all about creating happy moments and is the perfect complement to meals,” he stated. “We believe that our partnership with FoodbayTV and Opeyemi Famakin, the renowned food critic, is a match made in heaven. We want our consumers to enjoy the content produced by Foodbay TV and Opeyemi Famakin across various social media platforms and remember to pair every meal with a refreshing bottle of Coke.”
