Ep 16: FEAST Dialogue – Social Media Bites: How Food Influencers Shape the Industry Part 2

In Part Two of this FEAST: Dish & Dialogue episode, digital creators and brand leaders continue the conversation on how social media is shaping the food industry—and how creators and businesses can work together more effectively.Moderated by Kara Kozuma, Senior Associate Manager of Earned Media at King’s Hawaiian, the panel features Ben Hon (@stuffbeneats), Kiki Aranita (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Kale Afong (@hawaiisonly), and Philip Lemoine (@philip_lemoine).Together, they discuss how creators navigate audience engagement, brand partnerships, AI tools, and the realities of building influence in an increasingly crowded digital space. Across the conversation, they explore how metrics, platform strategy, and authentic collaboration can turn social media from a visibility tool into a meaningful driver of connection, credibility, and business growth.Recorded live at the FEAST Summit during the Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival, this episode explores how the future of food media may depend not just on creating content—but on building trust, community, and lasting value around it.