Des Moines, Iowa — In an environment where shoppers continually question what brands and products they can trust. Where increasingly diverse consumers seek to connect with the familiar flavors of their heritage. And home cooks are weary – both from meal preparation and an inability to travel to other cities, states and countries to experience authentic flavors. The National Pork Board is helping America wake up and get real.
Through its new master-brand strategy, the Pork Board invites consumers to experience the authenticity, flavor and ability to bring people together that Real Pork provides.
“Real Pork not only celebrates the authentic flavors of pork, it encompasses the values and beliefs of the pork industry from farm to fork,” said Angie Krieger, vice president of domestic marketing at the Pork Board. “Our work began on this master-brand strategy before the coronavirus appeared in the United States, but the shift in buying and cooking habits the pandemic created certainly accelerated our efforts. Six months in, consumers are weary of meal preparation, they want new experiences and to travel.”
During the pandemic, retail sales of pork have surged as consumers are cooking more at home, purchasing different products than they normally do and experimenting with new recipes. Supported by extensive consumer research, Real Pork aims to not only sustain the growth from pandemic purchasing but extend it long term by highlighting pork’s advantages.
Those advantages begin in the barn, so telling the authentic stories of pig farmers and pig farms – and how pork’s sustainability creates a protein consumers can feel good about feeding their family – will be a critical part of how Real Pork comes to life.
The first introduction of Real Pork to consumers comes this September, and focuses on “Pork as a Passport,” which celebrates pork’s position as a culturally relevant protein around the world. It encourages small adventures for weary quarantine cooks by showcasing delicious pork dishes from next door and across the globe.
Pork as a Passport will help consumers travel through their taste buds via inspiration that will be found in digital, social media, video, and a new landing page at www.pork.org/realpork. A few examples of planned activities include:
- Matching pig farmers with global chefs to connect over pork product
- Highlighting globally inspired pork recipes with modern photography
- Engaging a family psychologist to provide insight about the importance of family meals
- Sharing information on global recipes and flavors using pork through social media influencers
- Connecting U.S. chefs with international chefs to cook and together, create rich sharable videos for online and social media
- Highlighting pork in the most authentic, real and delicious way possible, through street food in a multicultural effort called Menu Urbano
As activities come to life, they will be posted on the new landing page, www.pork.org/realpork and the National Pork Board Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest accounts.
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About The National Pork Board:
The National Pork Board has responsibility for Pork Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in consumer education and marketing, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety, and environmental management and sustainability. For the past half century, the U.S. pork industry has delivered on its commitment to sustainable production and has made significant strides in reducing the environmental impact of pig farming. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or visit www.pork.org.
