By Dwight Mogler, senior partner, Pig Hill Farms, Alvord, Iowa
Dwight Mogler is a senior partner at Pig Hill Farms, his family’s diversified livestock and crop farm. The family harvests 3,000 acres of row crops, markets 200,000 head of hogs from their farrow-to-finish operation, manages 4,000 head of market beef cattle from their feedlot operation and handles more than 4 million bushels of grain through their county grain elevator. Their latest business venture is Iowa Craft Meats, a coordinated supply chain that directly brings pork products from their farm to foodservice and retail customers.
Mogler is a member of several Iowa and Lyon County pork, cattle, corn and soybean farmer organizations, and recently served a three-year term on the National Pork Producers Council. He is a current board member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and an active member of his church.
Behind the Scenes, on the Front Lines
Pork is a leading protein consumed globally; domestically, it ranks third, making it a prime target for growth. However, that growth has been slow, especially without an industry-wide campaign to reach more consumers.
Enter the National Pork Board’s (NPB) new consumer campaign. As a pork producer, marketing certainly isn’t my subject of expertise. Yet, when I was asked to sit on the advisory group tasked with developing and vetting the Checkoff’s new national consumer campaign, I was happy to accept.
Serving in an advisory capacity allowed me a peek inside a process I’ve never experienced. As a member of the advisory group, I worked with NPB staff, agency personnel and consultants to bring a revolutionary new marketing campaign to life all while getting a front row seat to the how and the why: The Checkoff’s consumer segmentation research and data guiding the new outreach campaign.
It’s All About the Numbers
I wouldn’t have thought a new marketing campaign would pique my interest, but after learning more about the driving force behind it, I wasn’t surprised.
Pork producers are analytical—at least I am. In my operation, I’m guided daily by farm data which tells me where and how to expend my resources and whether those resources generate the return I expect.
The nuts and bolts of this campaign are no different. Using data gathered from the Checkoff’s consumer segmentation research, NPB designed a campaign focusing on younger consumers by utilizing targeted data to deliver actual results. Results will drive the campaign’s success, ultimately improving domestic demand and adding value to pork.
What’s more, the data the campaign is built upon—and the data gathered as it’s deployed—will allow us to adjust as needed to continue building consumer demand. As consumer trends evolve, so will the data, allowing the campaign to be more responsive and in-tune than ever before.
As a producer, marketing has never been reduced to data. In this case, basing a national marketing campaign on hard research provides added confidence that the campaign will be successful, provides quick feedback, and allows for changes as needed.
In it for the Long Haul
The Checkoff’s consumer research shows it’s time for a reboot. My generation is familiar with pork, but young generations—Millennials and Gen Z—aren’t as familiar, particularly with fresh cuts like loins and ribs. It’s a challenge that will take time, but this new consumer campaign helps younger generations focus on pork as an ingredient or mainstay in their daily menus.
That’s why, as producers, we have to be in it for the long haul and we can’t take our feet off the pedal. The new campaign is designed to be a long-term play to boost demand, bringing the campaign’s new tagline—Taste What Pork Can DoTM—to life by prioritizing eating behaviors of this younger audience and putting pork front and center as a convenient, nutritious, tasty and flavorful protein.
Further, in this digital age, we’re reaching consumers where they are. The campaign will be deployed in densely populated urban areas where consumers live and shop; they’ll see digital ads and communication rather than printed materials because that’s how they consume media.
This intentional and focused outreach to consumers means that producers likely won’t see campaign materials in the wild. But that doesn’t mean producers will be left out of the equation; state associations and NPB will continue to communicate about the campaign and showcase materials on their channels so producers can stay up-to-date.
It’s Time to Taste What Pork Can DoTM
I’m an optimist. In fact, I think optimism is a core value of any farmer. My behind-the-scenes look at this new campaign tells me it will undoubtedly feed optimism, for consumers and producers.
For consumers, it’s a fresh take on a staple protein presented in a way that makes sense in the here and now.
For producers, it all adds up to this: We’re creating a campaign that will help us accomplish the core purpose and function of the Checkoff, which is to promote pork and pork consumption. What’s more, it will help us create more value for the pigs we already raise and allow us to stay in tune with our supply chain. And I can’t wait to see what that means for the future of pork production here at home.
Learn more about the Checkoff’s new consumer campaign at porkcheckoff.org/2025.
