DES MOINES, Iowa – The National Pork Board (NPB) recently announced the launch of its new nationwide campaign, “Taste What Pork Can Do,” hoping to reposition pork, not just as an alternative to other meats, but also as a primary protein choice, officials said.

The campaign includes what officials called “highly focused, digital content delivered through numerous social media and advertising channels, as well as supporting retailers, packers and processors, state associations, online influencers and others in their efforts to share the campaign’s messages.”

“A good tagline has a call to action,” said Jose de Jesus, NPB assistant vice president of consumer marketing in a May 6 media statement. “This campaign was built on deep insights about what consumers want from their food, which is taste, balance and convenience – and all of those values, plus pork, are front and center of this tagline and campaign.”

According to recent research from Datassentials, nearly two-thirds of consumers have purchased a food, beverage or related product after viewing a marketing campaign or advertisement.

Officials said the launch of Taste What Pork Can Do begins positioning pork in the channels where consumers receive inspiration and information, including social media, streaming services, satellite radio advertisements and online display ads.

“The goal is to be the number one protein in flavor and expand pork from a special-occasion protein to an everyday choice,” de Jesus said. “Today, the average consumer purchases pork six times a year. We’re focused on convincing them to make pork their choice more regularly.”

Jason Menke, NPB director of consumer public relations, told Farm World, “This campaign is the Pork Checkoff’s biggest consumer outreach campaign in 25 years, and we’re doing things differently. We’re using research-backed, digital-forward tactics to really set this campaign apart, and drive demand here at home.

“Using the National Pork Board’s Checkoff-funded Consumer Connect, a ground-breaking, data-driven tool, we’ve developed audience-specific strategies to increase consumer demand for pork,” he said. “The new campaign is designed to be a long-term play to boost demand, bringing the campaign’s new tagline, Taste What Pork Can Do, to life by prioritizing the eating behaviors of new audiences, and putting pork front and center as a convenient, nutritious, tasty, and flavorful protein.”

He added, “The campaign focuses on younger consumers by utilizing targeted data to deliver results that will drive the campaign’s success, ultimately improving domestic demand and adding value to pork. The short-term play is increased sales of pork, but the longer-term play is building a bigger appetite and affinity for pork.”

He said the way NPB intends to reach new consumers is, “We’re deploying the campaign in densely populated urban areas where the majority of the U.S. population resides. Fifty percent of the U.S. population and fresh pork consumption is consolidated in 10 states (e.g., Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania), with California, Florida, New York and Texas accounting for one-third of the total U.S. population.”

David Newman, NPB senior vice president of market growth, said as part of the campaign launch, NPB will engage directly with online influencers and leading food media in New York City, complete with multiple pork-focused culinary tastings, while touring the city, reaching out to Gen Z (born between 1997 to 2012) and millennial (born between 1981 to 1996) consumers.

“This is a transformational time for the pork industry,” he said. “We have a significant opportunity to build passion for pork among younger consumer generations, and we’re going to do that by being unapologetic about our product, working as a partner with the supply chain, and focusing on the whole hog.”

Menke said, “Older generations are familiar with – and frequently incorporate – pork in their daily lives. Younger generations, like millennials and Gen Z, aren’t as familiar with pork, especially with fresh cuts like loin or ribs.

“This industry-wide campaign is connecting pork’s flavor and versatility with the emotions and motivations of millennial and Gen Z consumers, who often view pork as an ingredient in culturally relevant dishes: think Carnitas Street tacos or a Teriyaki pork noodle bowl,” he added. “We’re using pork to sell more pork by highlighting the taste and flavor of the full portfolio (such as bacon, sausage and ham); something we’ve not done in the past.”

He said, “Consumers will see the campaign in digital formats – online and in mobile apps – rather than in printed outlets because that’s how they consume media. This campaign relies heavily on intentional and focused consumer outreach – laser-focused, in fact, on younger populations in densely-populated areas.

“That means producers may not necessarily see the campaign materials in the wild, but it doesn’t mean they will be left out of the equation,” he added. “State pork associations and the Pork Board will continue to communicate about the campaign and showcase materials on their channels so producers can stay up to date.”

Moving forward, the campaign will expand to include a presence in retail stores, incremental retail ads, and partnerships with food service, said Patrick Fleming, NPB vice president of demand development.

“Our goal is to provide an experience at purchase through point-of-sale materials, incremental ads and more that aligns with the consumers’ experience with our information online or through media,” he said. “We’re delivering messages at the point of sale – or one click from sale – by empowering retail to be a touchpoint for the consumer.”

Newman said the campaign will continue to grow, based on the consumer response and continued analytics of its performance.

“We want to be innovative disruptors; that means we will change and pivot, based on what we learn as this enters the marketplace,” he said. “But we also want to create long-term change and opportunity. And that takes time and patience. We’re excited to continue learning about our consumer and delivering the meaningful connections that make pork more relevant to their daily food experience.”