1.
What would you be willing to pay more for - Chinese food or French food?
#FoodBias
2.
Is fine dining and eating with your hands mutually exclusive?
3.
Do you think we hold different cuisines to different standards?
Why are we more comfortable paying $30 for an entree at a French restaurant than a Chinese one? Can it be called fine dining if you’re eating with your hands? These are the questions we want DoorDash to help America reckon with by confronting #FoodBias.
Let's discuss...food bias
There hasn't been any direct research done on food bias...so what exactly is food bias? Since no one has defined it we gave it one.
Food Bias
Noun
food - bi-as
Definition of food bias (entry 1 of 1)
​
The preconceived notion (whether conscious or unconscious) that one
culture's food is inherently more valuable.
For some cuisines, food bias has costly effects
Only 39% of Black chefs are recognized for fine cuisine
Chinese food was considered one of the most sophisticated cuisines for over 500 years but in America the common perception has changed to fast + cheap
It can lead to restaurants "Americanizing" another culture's food and changing it to get monetary gain: example Chipotle's barbacoa
DoorDash has the opportunity to be at the forefront of food bias and open people's minds and stomachs.
Delish: Where Are All the Black Chefs, Aug 2020
DoorDash doesn’t just serve food.
They serve culture.
This requires changing people's perception and that takes time but it can be done throughout 3 phases
1. Establish Empathy
and Understanding
​
Grab people's attention to highlight food biases and how they play a significant role in systemic racism and discrimination.
2. Change Behavior
​
Create engaging incentives that allow people to try new foods and start to consciously recognize their own food bias.
3. Maintain Behavior and Create Habits
​
Keep people engaged through providing opportunities for advancement by continuously checking and breaking down their bias.
Campaign: #FoodBias
The concept of food bias has never been directly addressed, these are the preconceived notion (conscious or unconscious) that one culture's food is inherently more valuable. DoorDash can be the forefront of this issue and utilize their status, technology, and data to serve not just food but culture. DoorDash can help continue to push for racial progress and promote a greater understanding of cultures different from our own.
DoorDash can help bring attention to this issue by partnering with a major university and conduct a direct study on food bias
Front of the house: the face of the campaign, getting attention
​
Back of the house: investing in research and analysis to direct the front
Phase 1: Awareness
Establish Empathy and Understanding
DoorDash Partnering with Michelin Star chefs and food trucks to redefine dining and culture
How it works:
-
Partner with BIPOC chefs to come up with a fine dining menu
-
Invite food personalities, reviewers and influencers to attend the event
-
Drop a surprise on them - it's fine dining designed without cutlery
-
Ask the big question - is it still fine dining if we're using our hands?
-
Film a video reflecting what fine dining means in multicultural America
How it works:
-
Identify cultural deserts - small towns across America that don't have a lot of multicultural restaurants
-
DoorDash employs a fleet of food trucks to bring authentic cultural food to the towns
-
Film the event and get reactions from the locals
-
Give people on social a chance to bring the fleet to their town
DoorDash implements social ads posing the questions that address food bias and led people to a food bias quiz
Create Behavior
Phase 2: Change Behavior
DoorDash rolls out DashPass a way to incentivize people to try new cuisines and be rewarded for it
DoorDash can level the playing field by making uniform packaging but showcase local ethnic cuisine by incorporating a quote from the owner of the restaurant as well as a sticker that people can scan to obtain a digital sticker
Maintain and Create Habit
Phase 3: Change Behavior
DoorDash provides people with a physical DashPort where they can collect the stickers and stamps where they can get rewards and keep their interest in new cuisine going
DoorDash's Year in Flavor can show people their food bias but also give them an opportunity to try new foods
Ever wondered why you can’t get enough Traditional American cuisine?
​We know, we know — you could quit any time.
​
It may seem like your stomach has a mind of its own, but something else may be at play.
​
At DoorDash, we’re exploring something called “food bias.” It’s all our preconceived ideas that shape how we assign value to different cultures’ cuisines. Join us in recognizing and understanding these notions as part of our duty to defend and uplift our beloved communities.
​
Are you ready to check your food bias?
Team:
Paige Majdic: Creative Brand Manager
Kevin Ma: Copywriter
Laura Gardner: Copywriter
Matt Cavallo: Art Director
Sara Smokrovich: Art Director
Madayln Crews: Experience Designer