From the football field to the grocery store aisles, the Minnesota Pork Board is proving that digital media and in-person activations are a successful way to promote pork’s flavor, versatility and nutritional attributes. By aligning with the National Pork Board’s (NPB) newly launched Taste What Pork Can Do brand campaign, Minnesota Pork is reaching more people than ever.
NPB’s director of channel marketing, Mia Newman, appreciates the collaborations with Minnesota Pork Board.
“Part of the National Pork Board’s role is to create the campaign and then allow states to have the freedom to execute within their markets,” Newman explains. “When the Minnesota team approached National Pork Board about wanting to do some different executions with various retailers and event marketing with the University of Minnesota, we were all on board.”
Bailey Ruen, Minnesota Pork Board director of communications, worked with NPB to bring those big ideas to life. Although Minnesota did a lot of the creative themselves, Newman says just being connected to the state partners and allowing NPB to have input and bounce things off of them created a very collaborative environment.
“We have a great working relationship with the Minnesota Pork Board,” Newman says. “We’ve seen that in our states where we have this open and collaborative working relationship, we have seen some of the most successful campaigns.”
Go Gophers
Minnesota Pork Board is meeting consumers through partnerships with key Minnesota retailers, the University of Minnesota and digital media featuring athletes and wellness professionals. Ruen says it’s been a while since they’ve been a part of Minnesota Gophers events. After taking a break post-COVID, she says they decided to be a part of Celebrate Ag and Food Day on Sept. 27 to showcase the Taste What Pork Can Do campaign.
“We thought this would be a great time to come back to that event, to not only have pork be present, but to launch the Taste What Pork Can Do logo for everyone,” Ruen says. “Prior to kickoff, Minnesota Pork Board had a tent featuring Taste What Pork Can Do merchandise and pork trivia, asking questions like ‘What’s the proper internal cooking temperature for pork?’”
In addition to giving away popular items like chip clips, they also brought some Taste What Pork Can Do beach towels.
“We weren’t sure how many people would take those because they were going into the game,” Ruen says. “But actually, a lot of people thought they were super fun. We also had hats that said ‘Taste What Pork Can Do’, and people were asking about the campaign.”
To put pork directly in consumers’ hands, the team also handed out pork snack sticks throughout tailgate lots -- a flavorful, high-protein reminder of pork’s convenience.
“We want to meet consumers where they are and keep pork relevant and cool,” Ruen says. “This was a really engaging way to do it.”
The Influencer Touch
Along with these Gophers promotions, Minnesota Pork Board has also developed an influencer partnership with offensive linemen Tony Nelson. Nelson grew up on a crop farm in Tracy, Minn., and has been working on a video series. Their first video features Tony wearing Taste What Pork Can Do swag and cooking with pork. He’s working on another video now where he’s making breakfast with ham and discussing how pork fuels his football game.
“This is another fun way to meet the young Gen Z millennial group who follow Tony on his personal profile,” Ruen says. “Nelson uses the Taste What Pork Can Do hashtag, too.”
A little over a year ago, they explored their first athlete influencer relationships with Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon, the Minnesota-trained synchronized diving duo and Olympic silver medalists. During this process, Ruen says they’ve learned the sports fitness space is a great place to reach people who care about nutrition. The consumer research National Pork Board conducted before launching Taste What Pork Can Do has shown that’s a good audience to reach as well, she says.
This year, they’ve initiated new partnerships with three different Minnesota professional athletes, including:
- Minnesota Frost Hockey Forward Taylor Heise, a Minnesota native
- Minnesota Frost Hockey Goal Tender Marlene Boissonnault, a Canada native
- Minnesota Lynx Basketball Forward Alanna Smith, an Australia native
Pick for Pork
Everyone can join in on the fun with their newest promotion called “Pick for Pork.” Ruen says this is a partnership with Cub Foods and Wholestone Farms for a giveaway anytime the Gophers get a pick in the game. For 48 hours following the game, shoppers can visit Cub Foods and mention “Pick for Pork” at checkout to receive $2 off Wholestone Farms pork products.
“In the October 11 game, there were over 100 scans using the ‘Pick for Pork’ coupon,” Ruen says. “With a new promotion like this, we expect those numbers to continue growing.”
Of course, they are continuing fun things during October Pork Month, like their recipe challenge and Twin Cities Live appearances promoting pork recipes. Ultimately, Ruen says these are all important opportunities to reach people and connect with them.
She encourages people to keep it simple when offering cooking advice – like talking to your friend or family member.
“There are still a lot of misconceptions out there about how to cook pork,” Ruen says.
She says the Taste What Pork Can Do messaging is memorable and easy to understand.
“Pork’s flavor is why you should taste it,” she says. “It’s simple.”
Newman agrees pork’s flavor is the one thing that sets it apart from other proteins.
“We have 111 flavor nuances within pork. We want to be able to communicate that,” Newman says. “We want to be able to showcase that to consumers. You can get spicy, umami, sweet and savory – all from pork. That is something that is unique and versatile that lends itself to a wide variety of cooking preparations.”
Not a One-Time Conversation
Newman reminds the industry it’s important to engage with consumers year-round.
“Consumers are taking in so many messages on a daily basis that if you are not — as a brand or a category — reaching your audience and engaging with them fully, they have a tendency to forget about you,” Newman says.
Maintain a constant conversation with consumers, she explains, constantly listening to their needs. Consumer needs have changed a lot lately, from new cooking appliances to more complicated and on-the-go.
“It’s important we continue to foster that relationship because it is a relationship,” Newmans says. “You can’t just talk to them for three months out of the year and expect that they’re going to carry you through the next 10 years. It’s imperative that we continue this conversation with consumers on an ongoing basis.”
Ruen says this conversation starts with being proud of the product you produce.
“We sometimes think there’s a barrier between us and the consumer, but there isn’t,” Ruen says. “Consumers want to hear from the people who make their product. Whether that’s a conversation you’re having with someone within the ag industry or someone within your community, you never know who that person is and who they will share that information with next. Remember, there wouldn’t be pigs to raise if people weren’t buying the product. Talk it up.”
