This is very frustrating. I'm not really opposed to anything discussed in this article or video, it's what's missing that is so glaring. First, no mention of meat quality. We got the product too lean and commodity pork no longer has any flavor. We went down the "Other White Meat" path and haven't been able to adjust since. "The Other White Meat" campaign might as well have been called "It's Like Chicken, but More Expensive." Clearly, the campaign wasn't effective at improving the health profile in the eyes of the consumer and we lost the flavor. If you look at the cuts that do the best, they're mostly fatter and more flavorful. It turns out, "It's like Beef, but Cheaper" might have been a better option. Instead, the incentive structures are still communicating to producers and allied industry that leaner is better. Second, no mention of the rapidly growing elderly population. I have no problem with us trying to better understand the millenials and gen Z, but we're almost completely ignoring the fastest growing demographic in the country...65+. I'd say we have a better chance of success getting a big group of boomers and gen X to keep eating pork as they age than we do of getting a smaller group of young people to start. The idea of young people being the holy grail of marketing is a relic of the past when populations were growing rapidly. Now that population growth is slowing, the population is aging and the generational wealth distribution is getting increasingly out of whack, we need to recognize that when it comes to today's young people, there of fewer of them than you think and they don't have any money. Lastly, no mention of the fact that our industry has a terrible track record of growing domestic demand. I understand this is not exactly a point that an organization tasked with promoting pork wants to emphasize, but as an industry, we have to come to terms with the reality that per capita pork consumption has been flat in this country for 50 years. When the mandatory pork checkoff was implemented in 1986, the US per capita pork consumption was 67.7 lbs. In 2023, it was 63.7 lbs. The highest year was 68.5 lbs and it hasn't been above 66 lbs in almost 20 years. The industry needs to do some real soul searching. We have major issues with demand for our product, the economic sustainability of the industry and our global competitiveness and we seem to have our heads stuck in the sand on several very important issues. I love this industry and I think it has almost unlimited potential. We have amazing people and a ton of fundamental advantages that make the US an almost ideal place to raise pigs. We need to wake up though and face reality. If we don't make big, fundamental changes in the next decade or so, we're going to be in big trouble. #pork #trade #demand
It has been a pleasure to support and work with this project at the National Pork Board! We know more about the consumer than ever before, and now, as our Board of Directors have said, it is our duty to grow that demand! So thrilled that this work is being shared and beginning to be acted on. #teampork
John Osthus
4mo
Thanks for another insightful post. Is pork flavor harmed by soy and corn being replaced with DDGS and synthetic amino acids? I ask because Purdue researchers say DDGS harms meat quality: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-345-w.pdf The DDGS also increase scope 3 emissions. The ethanol ‘coproduct’ has replaced billions in corn sales. Therefore it’s definitely time to rethink what’s happening — starting with field science that’s being missed by Ag leaders. Combining agronomy, livestock nutrition, and sustainability science makes it possible to swiftly improve meat quality and sustainability outcomes across millions of acres and animals. Livestock diets hold the proof of what’s happening across the entire system, and what can be improved. Thanks again for an informative post!
Influencer consultant for brands (OREO, Land O’Lakes, Frigidaire, Albertsons and more) and agencies (Edelman, Ketchum, Weber Shandwick, etc.)
4moTodd Thurman if you mosey on over to my neck of the LinkedIn woods, you’ll see we’re having a spirited discussion about how ad agencies big and small are cutting loose all the “seasoned” professionals on their rosters, in favor of the “yoots.” I’m almost 100% sure that leads to a sort of tone deafness you’re describing. When ageism runs rampant in your conference rooms, it shows up in your marketing strategies.