Producers use Super Bowl to kick off new marketing plan
by Bryan Salvage, editor
The Chinese calendar calls 1995 the "Year of the Pig." American pork producers hope U.S. consumers make 1995 the "Year of Pork."
The Pork industry's "Pork. The Other White Meat" campaign is evolving into the "Taste What's Next" campaign. The evolution began during Super Bowl XXIX on Jan. 29.
Two 30-second spots from the new campaign were aired five times on ABC's broadcast of Super Bowl festivities-twice during the pre-game show, twice prior to kick-off and once during the first half.
"Consumers are where our food dollars start and end-and that's what makes the pork industry tick," notes Michele Hanna, the National Pork Producers Council's director of advertising. "In order to convince America to taste what's next, why not launch 'Taste What's Next' on the highest- rated network television event of the year-the Super Bowl."
Jumping from jerk pork stands to white linen restaurants, from in-home to outdoor preparation, the spots feature pork as the "dish that is bringing excitement to dinner tables everywhere." The ads are set to Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."
Some of the nation's most renowned chefs are featured in the ads, which capitalize on food trends and influences to show the enthusiasm for preparing, ordering and serving pork.
Several pork recipes were prepared and featured in the ads to highlight the versatility and convenience of pork-chops and loins, as well as a standing pork rib roast and blackened pork.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television program of the year. More than 120 million adults throughout the United States watched this year's game between the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers, which is the reason advertisements are so innovative and expensive.
Was it worth the cost?
NPPC executives would not disclose how much they paid for the commercial time. But the average cost of a 30-second commercial during this year's Super Bowl was $1 million, according to an ABC-TV spokeswoman.
"[The Super Bowl] had a sponsor that backed out at the last minute," Hanna explains. "We were able to negotiate a discounted rate.
"With a 45 percent share audience rating, you're not going to match that through any other prime-time show," she adds. "It's well worth the dollars [we spent] on that program."
Fourteen of the 30 most-watched television programs in history are Super Bowls, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Barry Pfouts, NPPC vice president of consumer product marketing, says: "We were ecstatic that we had the opportunity to buy into [the Super Bowl]. It is a very exceptional event in American television advertising; it is the showcase for new campaigns and new promotions.
"People tune into the Super Bowl almost as much to watch the new commercials as to see the game-particularly during the first half," he adds. "This puts [the pork industry] in with a very select group of top-level American advertisers. The impact of the ads on our retail, foodservice and general [public relations] efforts is going to be far in excess of the dollars we paid for [the spots]."
Despite the discounted price, the ads were still costly-and non-traditional. How have pork producers reacted to the new Super Bowl pork ads?
Bob Ruggles, NPPC vice president and chairman of the organization's consumer product marketing committee, says producers on NPPC's consumer product marketing committee were "overwhelmingly pro" about the new strategy.
"We're noted for doing non-traditional things that are on the cutting edge," he says. "I anticipate as we get this message out to more producers, they'll be ecstatic that we're working to position this product [in such an innovative way]."
Pfouts adds: "We need to be out on the cutting edge and to do things that are unusual. In particular, we need to constantly show retail and foodservice trades that we have new thinking."
About a year ago, NPPC officials visited their advertising and public relations agency-Bozell Worldwide of Chicago-to review the results of the "Other White Meat" campaign.
"We realized we were ready to take the next step in the development of the 'Pork. The Other White Meat' program and the overall image of pork," Pfouts says. "We thought that after seven or eight years of one approach [talking about product attributes], we needed to bring in the emotional idea of pork as a product you can serve on a daily and weekly basis."
The agency made a presentation to NPPC in May.
"It's a totally integrated structure so that the new theme can be used in all aspects of our marketing," Pfouts adds. "We think this approach is going to highlight pork as the next big food trend in the United States for the balance of the 1990s. Our objective is to make pork the meat of choice by 2000."
Post Super Bowl
Three new "Taste What's Next" print ad concepts-"After Chops and Roasts," "The Next Party" and "Play with Your Food"-will debut next month. They will be used in two, four-color spread ads and two full-page ads to compliment and support the television spots. The ads will appear in 20 national consumer magazines including Life, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Eating Well, Good Housekeeping, Esquire and Country Living.
"After Chops and Roasts" features color photos of unusual pork dishes, reminding consumers that "pork is more than you remember," and includes recipes for Peachy Pork Picante and Pork Picata Sandwiches.
"The Next Party" positions pork as a delectable party food and highlights ideas for parties-including a Pork Satay appetizer.
"Play with Your Food," geared toward children and parents, features close-up photographs of children with the humorous message: "Eat with your hands" and "put your elbows on the table." The ad also includes a recipe created for children.
The "Taste What's Next" program will also appear in retail stores nationwide via tie-in marketing programs-the first of which is with Woodbridge Wines-and a recipe sticker program putting mini-recipe booklets directly on pork packaging.
NPPC's foodservice advertising program will take the new message to foodservice professionals at white tablecloth and mid-scale restaurant chains and independents, hotels and other commercial institutions through print advertising in key trade publications. The ads will offer recipes and information from major chefs at highly visible operations.
Media strategy change
"The Super Bowl media buy represents a very strategic, dramatic change on our media strategy for 1995," Hanna points out. "In the past, our message about pork has been directed to the core primary shopper. This was basically accomplished though a traditional [network television] approach. Now that 'Pork. The Other White Meat' has reached 83 percent [adult] awareness, we need to look at non-traditional vehicles that expand our core audience.
"We're looking at showcasing our [new] message in 1995 and 1996 through high-impact, event-type media programming-be it print, television or radio," she adds.
Robin Kline, director of the Pork Information Bureau, adds that all NPPC marketing programs in 1995 are geared toward support of the launch of "Taste What's Next."
The Pork Information Bureau is conducting a "What's Next" poll among food professionals and food editors in an effort to discover what trend-watchers are saying about American food trends, Kline notes.
The Pork Information Bureau has also joined the information superhighway in its ongoing efforts to promote pork by using PressLink, an on-line news service that carries wire service news and photographs directly into corporate offices and newsrooms.
Many studies show that the majority of food choice decisions are made at the point-of-purchase. NPPC hopes the new program will spur impulse buying.
Recipes featuring quick, contemporary preparation will be placed directly on fresh pork packages in 1995, Kline notes.
Tie-in partnerships with other food companies such as Woodbridge Winery, Ocean Spray Cranberries and Lawry Seasonings will provide in-store ideas for serving lean pork.
" 'Taste What's Next' at the meat case will drive impulse pork purchases," she says.
In foodservice operations, pork is the fastest growing menu item, according to NPPC. Pork promotion programs are designed to continue that drive.
"Forging ahead with 'Taste What's Next' for pork products is [NPPC's] New Products Group," Kline points out. "It is designed to encourage new pork product development."
Ground pork has been featured in "The Other Burger" campaign, a relatively new program that was developed by NPPC's New Products Group.
"Packers have embraced the 'Other Burger' concept and they are offering this product to retailers nationwide," Kline says. "Consumers are beginning to discover its versatility."
Results from a special consumer research segmentation study will be released next month. Conducted by Yankelovich, the study will help the New Products Group to focus on specific niche markets.
"Also in development is an on-line data base that will track protein product trends. It will identify those windows of opportunities for the New Products Group [so it can promote these opportunities] to food manufacturers," Kline says.
Packer response to Phase II of "The Other White Meat" campaign is favorable, NPPC insiders claim.
"They're very excited," NPPC's Hanna tells MM&T. "Some packers have asked to use the 'Taste What's Next' logo on their boxes of products and labels."
Kline adds: "And that's building on the great support pork producers have received already from packers on the 'Pork. The Other White Meat' campaign."
When asked for other examples of how pork packers are supporting advertising and promotion of pork products, Pfouts says: "Last fall, IBP made an offer of $50,000 to help support the overall pork program if it would be matched by other packers on a two-for-one basis-making up a total budget of about $150,000.
"That was matched, and we're working on a number of marketing programs to invest that money, particularly during this time of pork oversupply," he notes. "We have very good support in that area.
"The 'Other Burger' program has been embraced by the packers in a very sizable fashion," Pfouts adds. "Advertising and marketing from companies such Hormel Foods Corp. and Oscar Mayer Corp. have been substantial."
When asked how much money will be invested in this year's consumer marketing programs, Pfouts answers: "Our overall program for all activities will be in the $20 million to $21 million range."
NPPC's Ruggles, also a Nebraska-based pork producer, is confident about the "Taste What's Next" program-and the affect it will have on business in 1995.
"On the Chinese calendar, 1995 is the Year of the Pig," he says. "They couldn't be more right."