Written by Dr. David Newman, Senior VP, Market Growth, National Pork Board
Dr. David Newman joined the National Pork Board as senior vice president for market growth in June 2023. In this role, he leads the Pork Checkoff’s market growth team to drive demand internationally and domestically; he also heads the organization’s health and nutrition research and outreach.
Newman holds a Ph.D. in Meat Science from North Dakota State University and a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences from the University of Missouri with a minor in International Agriculture.
As a pork producer, I love the hog industry. I love the day-to-day work, the people, the animals and the products we deliver to consumers. Unfortunately, today’s consumers don’t all have the same love affair with pork that I do.
Pork’s consumer base is shrinking. Younger consumers don’t always have pork top of their minds, so they relegate it to the proverbial back seat. However, the decline in pork’s consumer base is reversible.
New Research, New Tools
Backed by funds from the Pork Checkoff, new research shows the key to reversing this decline in the long term is making pork relevant to younger generations. In other words, we need to win over their hearts and minds by showing them pork is more than an expense in their food budget; it’s a core memory from their favorite meals.
That’s where National Pork Board’s (NPB) Consumer Connect research comes in. This research helps us learn even more about our core consumers, delivering new and updated insights on how different segments prioritize different needs. For example, we know consumers make choices about food based on taste, nutrition and convenience; we can help them develop a preference for pork by showing them that it can meet the needs they find most important in their own lives.
Prioritizing the Right Paths
Proving that pork is the right choice for consumers means we must share the right information with the right people in the right place at the right time.
To do that, we’ve used our Consumer Connect research to detail seven distinct consumer segments. Of those segments, we’ve prioritized four that we believe create a path forward — now and well into the future — for producers and the industry.
The four priority segments — Confident Meat Eaters, Culinary Adventurers, Mindful Choice Makers and Simple Feeders — are the segments that represent the most growth potential. Focusing on what’s important to these consumers, we can improve our positioning, activation and measurement approach in the marketplace.
For example, Confident Meat Eaters account for nearly one in five of fresh pork dollar sales. Pork producers will recognize these consumers because they’re right at home with pork in the kitchen. Since this group is already comfortable preparing and enjoying pork, the best way for us to continue to deliver and grow this segment is by providing products that are easy to prepare and taste great.
On the flip side, Simple Feeders are consumers less interested in the protein on the plate and more interested in checking that day’s meal off the to-do list. And that’s where we can go to work. We know these consumers don’t want to spend extra time in the kitchen, so the most efficient way to reach them is by prioritizing convenience and additional takeout options.
Now What? A New Pork Consumer Campaign is on the Horizon.
Research, tools and strategy are integral to forging a path forward. But the most exciting piece of this process is what’s coming in 2025. It’s time to take our research and turn it into action for the pork industry, protecting our long-term position with consumers.
The Board of Directors at NPB recently approved a bold new marketing plan to address these issues. Working with industry partners, we’re developing our biggest consumer outreach campaign in 25 years! This bold new approach, which is being introduced to the industry in March 2025, is about leveraging our long-term position and building support within the entire pork value chain.
A diverse marketing advisory group was formed from pork processing, state pork associations, board members and pork producers to help NPB serve as a catalyst alongside our allied industry efforts to market pork more successfully. By aligning with the industry in a strategic way, we can go further faster.
We’re using the Consumer Connect research and our growth strategies to reach and engage with the next generation of consumers. I am very excited about our new direction and what we are doing for America’s pig farmers.
To learn more about NPB’s Consumer Connect and take a quiz to find out what type of meat eater you are, visit go.porkcheckoff.org/consumer.
