Japanese Consumers Get U.S. Pork & Beef Message Via Old & New Media
Japanese Consumers Get U.S. Pork & Beef Message Via Old & New Media
Something old and something new applies to more than a bride’s accessories for her wedding. USMEF-Japan is employing both new technology and tried-and-true tactics to get out the message of the quality of U.S. pork and beef to Japanese consumers.
A traditional Tokyo hotel, the Chinzanso, was the setting for a recent consumer event organized by several Japanese publishing companies. USMEF was one of 20 participating companies at “Shufu” (Homemaker Festival), which drew more than 10,000 consumers for a variety of activities.
USMEF invited 1,000 housewives to its information and sampling booth to try U.S. beef and pork. Then, 150 housewives selected by the Shufu festival organization were given the opportunity to join celebrated cooking instructor Megumi Fuji for a seminar to learn tips on preparation of U.S. pork and beef.
Two major Japanese publications, ESSE magazine (circulation 450,000) and Sankei Living newspaper (circulation 2.7 million), were in attendance and will be writing news articles based on the USMEF program.
Members of the “new media” were the focus of another recent event where 50 key bloggers were invited to an exclusive screening of the “Julie and Julia” film with Meryl Streep portraying Julia Child. The film will begin showing in Japan Dec. 12, but the 50 bloggers were invited to the screening – courtesy of Sony Pictures – followed by a luncheon based on the film.
The bloggers, who write about different foods and recipes, are highly respected by Japanese housewives in the 20 to 40 age range. Leading bloggers such as these typically draw 5,000 or more visitors to their Web sites daily.
The luncheon session was led by Chef Zenyoji, a well-known banquet chef at the prestigious Hotel Okura. Chef Zenyoji demonstrated the preparation of the Beef Bourgogne dish shown in the movie along with his recommendations for using U.S. beef, and the bloggers were able to both observe and sample the meal.
Following the event, the bloggers returned to their homes to prepare the meal there and document it on their blog sites. The event is being followed by two leading Tokyo newspapers, Asahi Shimbun (8.2 million circulation) and Yomiuri Shimbun (largest circulation newspaper in the world at 14.1 million).
USMEF-Japan Wins Distinguished Award for Pork Marketing Program
The marketing campaign developed by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) for U.S. pork in Japan has been recognized with a “Distinguished Award” by Japan Food Industry Journal. The USMEF campaign was the only one of 33 award winners from an international organization chosen earlier this month from among several hundred campaigns judged in the competition.
The campaign for U.S. pork (“Erabarete No. 1”) is based on the theme that U.S. pork has been chosen by Japanese consumers as the No. 1 imported pork – a position it has held for seven of the last eight years and annually since 2005.
USMEF was recognized as the international marketing organization that significantly contributed to the expansion of imported pork. According to the Global Trade Atlas, total pork imports into Japan increased 24 percent between 2001 and 2008. The majority of that increase came from a 51 percent jump in imports from the United States, which some members of the award selection committee attributed to “the most extensive and creative promotional pork marketing activities in the Japanese market.”
The selection committee noted that the competition for imported pork market share in Japan has become intense as countries recognize the higher premium Japanese consumers are willing to pay for high-quality product.
“This award represents a significant accomplishment by the USMEF team in Japan,” said Philip Seng, president and CEO of USMEF. “The Erabarete No. 1 campaign is the only campaign from an international organization to be selected, which is a great honor. And the selection committee acknowledged the highly competitive atmosphere in Japan for imported pork.”
In 2008, U.S. pork exports to Japan set new records, jumping 26 percent over 2007 to reach just under 1 billion pounds valued at more than $1.5 billion – a 34 percent hike over the previous year.
Despite increased competition and the global economic downturn, the trend continues in 2009 with the value of pork exports to Japan rising 3 percent through the first nine months of the year even as the volume of exports has slipped 5 percent.
The selection committee for the award, established in 1971, was composed of a number of impartial and prestigious organizations in Japan, including the Japan Chainstore Association, National Health and Nutrition Institute, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Food Industry Center and Japan Food Industry Journal.
Besides USMEF, food industry companies recognized by the Japanese Food Industry Journal for excellence in categories including research and development, technology, sales and international marketing were Nippon Ham, C. Ito Foods, Kirin Beef and Suntory.
Beyond the Erabarete No. 1 advertising component, USMEF’s support for U.S. pork in Japan is a very comprehensive effort that includes store/tableside promotional activities, product development, and programs designed to strengthen distribution channels all the way to the consumer. Many of the initiatives, including new product development as well as target-oriented endorsement ads and technical programs, involve collaboration with pork processors and exporters.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
Japanese Consumers Get U.S. Pork & Beef Message Via Old & New Media
Something old and something new applies to more than a bride’s accessories for her wedding. USMEF-Japan is employing both new technology and tried-and-true tactics to get out the message of the quality of U.S. pork and beef to Japanese consumers.
A traditional Tokyo hotel, the Chinzanso, was the setting for a recent consumer event organized by several Japanese publishing companies. USMEF was one of 20 participating companies at “Shufu” (Homemaker Festival), which drew more than 10,000 consumers for a variety of activities.
USMEF invited 1,000 housewives to its information and sampling booth to try U.S. beef and pork. Then, 150 housewives selected by the Shufu festival organization were given the opportunity to join celebrated cooking instructor Megumi Fuji for a seminar to learn tips on preparation of U.S. pork and beef.
Two major Japanese publications, ESSE magazine (circulation 450,000) and Sankei Living newspaper (circulation 2.7 million), were in attendance and will be writing news articles based on the USMEF program.
Members of the “new media” were the focus of another recent event where 50 key bloggers were invited to an exclusive screening of the “Julie and Julia” film with Meryl Streep portraying Julia Child. The film will begin showing in Japan Dec. 12, but the 50 bloggers were invited to the screening – courtesy of Sony Pictures – followed by a luncheon based on the film.
The bloggers, who write about different foods and recipes, are highly respected by Japanese housewives in the 20 to 40 age range. Leading bloggers such as these typically draw 5,000 or more visitors to their Web sites daily.
The luncheon session was led by Chef Zenyoji, a well-known banquet chef at the prestigious Hotel Okura. Chef Zenyoji demonstrated the preparation of the Beef Bourgogne dish shown in the movie along with his recommendations for using U.S. beef, and the bloggers were able to both observe and sample the meal.
Following the event, the bloggers returned to their homes to prepare the meal there and document it on their blog sites. The event is being followed by two leading Tokyo newspapers, Asahi Shimbun (8.2 million circulation) and Yomiuri Shimbun (largest circulation newspaper in the world at 14.1 million).
USMEF-Japan Wins Distinguished Award for Pork Marketing Program
The marketing campaign developed by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) for U.S. pork in Japan has been recognized with a “Distinguished Award” by Japan Food Industry Journal. The USMEF campaign was the only one of 33 award winners from an international organization chosen earlier this month from among several hundred campaigns judged in the competition.
The campaign for U.S. pork (“Erabarete No. 1”) is based on the theme that U.S. pork has been chosen by Japanese consumers as the No. 1 imported pork – a position it has held for seven of the last eight years and annually since 2005.
USMEF was recognized as the international marketing organization that significantly contributed to the expansion of imported pork. According to the Global Trade Atlas, total pork imports into Japan increased 24 percent between 2001 and 2008. The majority of that increase came from a 51 percent jump in imports from the United States, which some members of the award selection committee attributed to “the most extensive and creative promotional pork marketing activities in the Japanese market.”
The selection committee noted that the competition for imported pork market share in Japan has become intense as countries recognize the higher premium Japanese consumers are willing to pay for high-quality product.
“This award represents a significant accomplishment by the USMEF team in Japan,” said Philip Seng, president and CEO of USMEF. “The Erabarete No. 1 campaign is the only campaign from an international organization to be selected, which is a great honor. And the selection committee acknowledged the highly competitive atmosphere in Japan for imported pork.”
In 2008, U.S. pork exports to Japan set new records, jumping 26 percent over 2007 to reach just under 1 billion pounds valued at more than $1.5 billion – a 34 percent hike over the previous year.
Despite increased competition and the global economic downturn, the trend continues in 2009 with the value of pork exports to Japan rising 3 percent through the first nine months of the year even as the volume of exports has slipped 5 percent.
The selection committee for the award, established in 1971, was composed of a number of impartial and prestigious organizations in Japan, including the Japan Chainstore Association, National Health and Nutrition Institute, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Food Industry Center and Japan Food Industry Journal.
Besides USMEF, food industry companies recognized by the Japanese Food Industry Journal for excellence in categories including research and development, technology, sales and international marketing were Nippon Ham, C. Ito Foods, Kirin Beef and Suntory.
Beyond the Erabarete No. 1 advertising component, USMEF’s support for U.S. pork in Japan is a very comprehensive effort that includes store/tableside promotional activities, product development, and programs designed to strengthen distribution channels all the way to the consumer. Many of the initiatives, including new product development as well as target-oriented endorsement ads and technical programs, involve collaboration with pork processors and exporters.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.