U.S. pork promo blitz in Japan reaping dividends

(MEATPOULTRY.com, November 13, 2008)

by Bryan Salvage

DENVER – U.S. pork is being promoted as "Everyday Delicious — Mainichi Oishi," in Japan by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, and Japanese consumers apparently agree. U.S. pork is the No. 1 imported pork in Japan, capturing a 44% market share, up from 33%in 2005 and 38% in 2007.

Funded by the pork and soybean checkoffs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry, U.S.M.E.F. efforts are paying dividends. This success is the basis for U.S.M.E.F.-Japan’s new advertising campaign, which thanks Japanese consumers for selecting U.S. pork products.

On Nov. 1, U.S.M.E.F.-Japan launched the U.S. pork "Erabarete No. 1 -- Selected No. 1 [by you])" theme, touting the fact that after realizing that the quality and great taste of U.S. pork are as good as domestic product, more Japanese buyers and consumers have been selecting U.S. pork.

"Since consumers are getting the message that U.S. pork really is ‘everyday delicious,’" we wanted to take the campaign to the next level, play upon that success and thank Japanese consumers for selecting us," said Greg Hanes, U.S.M.E.F. Japan director.

Millions of consumers riding on Japan's commuter trains see the "Erabarete No. 1 — Selected No. 1 (by you)" posters. The new campaign was launched with an advertising blitz on train lines throughout the Kanto area, the largest population center in Japan. With almost 20,000 posters and more than 10,000 door stickers distributed throughout 24 different train lines, the campaign is expected to generate more than 600 million viewings in a city of 10 million who travel almost exclusively by train. The ads introduce a new No. 1 logo that has a prominent place in national supermarket promotions in November and December centered on the "Erabarete No. 1 — Selected No. 1 (by you)" theme.

The campaign features retail promotions highlighting "nabe" hot pot dishes, which are very popular in the winter, at 26 supermarket chains. The three U.S. pork menu items being promoted are kimchi nabe, chanko nabe (a hearty dish eaten by sumo wrestlers that is growing in popularity) and pork shabu-shabu. The promotions highlight the use of U.S. pork loins, bellies and CT butts and are supported by the "Erabarete No. 1" logo on point-of-sale materials.

U.S.M.E.F. also is working with sauce-maker Moranbong on materials to promote the use of U.S. pork with its Nabe sauces. Mini video screens are running a 90-second loop ad at more than 200 supermarkets thanking consumers for making U.S. pork the No. 1 imported pork.

"Japanese consumers tend to place their trust in what their store features and what others are doing," Mr. Hanes said.

The campaign also includes consumer cooking events in the major Japanese cities of Hiroshima (1,294,000 households) and Kagoshima (871,000 households) in November. Each event will be announced on local television. Famous chefs will describe the quality and great taste of U.S. pork and cook several recipes.

U.S. and Japanese pork are now very similar in quality and taste, Mr. Hanes told MEATPOULTRY.COM. "As with beef, Japanese tend to prefer the more ‘marbled’ pork [which is normally the domestic], but U.S. product is now very close," he added. "The slight difference we have does equate to some nutritional benefits for U.S. pork, which we try to highlight to consumers."

These differences include:

* US pork has less calories and fat (including saturated fat) than domestic.

* U.S. pork has more protein, potassium, and B vitamins (like B6 and B12) than Japanese.

* U.S. pork has more and a better balance of essential amino acids.

"Kurobuta" or [black hog, which is really Berkshire] has become a kind of ‘brand’ and is considered to be a higher grade of pork in Japan," he added. "This applies for both domestic and imported, as there are imported brands of Kurobuta as well."

The most popular cut of U.S. pork for Japanese consumers is the loin, which is often used for Tonkatsu, but recently the belly and CT Butt are becoming more popular. For processing, U.S. picnics are the most common in Japan, he concluded.

meatpoultry.com