AHDB Pork is looking to follow the success of its recent pulled pork marketing campaigns with the launch of a new push this autumn to position pork loin medallions as the “perfect midweek meal”.
The £1m campaign will be supported by farming group Ladies in Pigs and will include PR, online and print advertising. There would also be in-store marketing and TV advertising to “demonstrate the versatility, ease of cooking and great taste of pork loin medallions when used as the basis of a midweek meal”, AHDB said.
British retail sales of fresh pork have been in decline for many years. Compared with 2012, about 20,000 fewer tonnes of pork was sold in 2016, equating to a £175m loss to the industry, according to AHDB data.
The campaign would start to “chip away” at negative perceptions consumers harboured about pork, and seek to slow the decline in sales by adding value to the cuts purchased, the levy board said. An improvement in sales was “crucial to the future of the UK pork sector, with most fresh pork sold by retailers coming from domestic pigs”, it suggested.
“Consumers are looking for convenient meals to cook during the week when time is short,” said AHDB Pork head of marketing Kirsty Walker.
“We know from our consumer research that we can get stuck in a rut cooking the same few dishes week in, week out. Whilst routine is important, consumers have told us they are looking for inspiration and this is what our campaign will be delivering in spades.”
AHDB said earlier this month its high-profile mini roasts marketing campaign last autumn created a £18.6m ‘halo’ effect of incremental sales for beef, lamb or pork. Meanwhile, its 2015 and 2016 pulled pork campaigns boosted total fresh pork sales by more than £20m, it has claimed.
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