Media Roundtable, Consumer Outreach Highlight USMEF Efforts to Bolster Pork Demand in Mexico...
Media Roundtable, Consumer Outreach Highlight USMEF Efforts to Bolster Pork Demand in Mexico
As Mexico’s commercial and consumer activity rebound in the wake of the A-H1N1 Influenza outbreak, USMEF is working to address any lingering consumer concerns about the safety of pork and making concerted efforts to re-energize consumer interest in U.S. pork.
On May 18, USMEF organized a media roundtable entitled, “H1N1 Influenza: In the Opinion of Specialists.” The event drew considerable interest, with 22 key representatives of Mexico’s television networks (including CNN in Spanish), major newspapers and wire services attending.
USMEF Regional Director Chad Russell welcomed the audience and introduced a panel of medical and public health specialists and food scientists, including: Dr. Eduardo Guzman (internist), Dr. Georgina Gomez (USMEF dietician), Dr. Maria Rubio (president of AMEXITEC, the Mexican Meat Science Association), Dr. Juan Gabriel Gay (epidemiologist), and Dr. Nelson Huerta (USMEF technical director). Each gave a brief presentation on A-H1N1 Influenza, focusing on their area of expertise. The presentations were followed by a very active question-and-answer session.
A panel of medical and public health specialists brief key media on pork safety
“The objective of this event was to convey the true medical facts about A-H1N1 Influenza and really drive home the point that it has no relationship to pork consumption,” Russell said. “We’re very pleased with the coverage and with the interest and questions we received from the media.”
The roundtable event was just the latest step in USMEF’s media and consumer outreach efforts aimed at reversing the considerable interruption in pork demand caused by misinformation about A-H1N1 Influenza, as well as the widespread economic disruption Mexico endured as a result of the influenza outbreak. In addition to placing pork safety announcements in print media outlets, USMEF is distributing 1 million pork safety information flyers directly to leading supermarkets, restaurant chains and distributors. The first 500,000 of these flyers are already in circulation, while the next 500,000 are being printed. USMEF is also airing informational advertisements on three popular Mexican radio networks.
Direct consumer contact is also critical to USMEF’s efforts, and this facet of the campaign is being carried out in three well-established USMEF programs: the Don Pepes program is a popular consumer outreach effort in which trained chefs discuss the attributes of U.S. meat; Dieticians at Supermarkets activity focuses on the nutritional value of including meat in a daily diet; and the Meat Consultants strategy promotes new U.S. meat cuts. All of these USMEF initiatives address consumer questions about product quality, selection and preparation. With this well-respected outreach network already in place in Mexico, it is proving to be an ideal vehicle for addressing consumer concerns or misperceptions about pork safety.
“USMEF’s media relations efforts have had a wide reach and have been very important in spreading our safety message across the country at this critical time,” Russell said. “But the Don Pepes, the Dieticians at Supermarkets and the Meat Consultants programs are such perfect complements to the media campaign, because they offer the opportunity for trustworthy, face-to-face interaction with the consumer.”
The interruption in demand caused by the A-H1N1 Influenza outbreak comes at a time when U.S. pork exports were reaching new heights in Mexico. Through the first quarter of 2009, pork exports to Mexico increased by 74 percent in volume and 66 percent in value over the same period last year. Mexico has been the largest volume destination and the second-largest (to Japan) value market for U.S. pork this year. It is clear, however, that a dedicated marketing and safety information effort is essential for bringing the market back to this level of performance as quickly as possible.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the remarkable results U.S. pork achieved in the first quarter of this year, but we absolutely cannot rest on our laurels,” Russell said. “U.S. pork has an excellent following In Mexico, and we know it can bounce back quickly. But right now we need to jump-start pork demand and effectively counter any remaining concerns or misgivings consumers may have about returning to pork as their protein of choice.”
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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.
Media Roundtable, Consumer Outreach Highlight USMEF Efforts to Bolster Pork Demand in Mexico
As Mexico’s commercial and consumer activity rebound in the wake of the A-H1N1 Influenza outbreak, USMEF is working to address any lingering consumer concerns about the safety of pork and making concerted efforts to re-energize consumer interest in U.S. pork.
On May 18, USMEF organized a media roundtable entitled, “H1N1 Influenza: In the Opinion of Specialists.” The event drew considerable interest, with 22 key representatives of Mexico’s television networks (including CNN in Spanish), major newspapers and wire services attending.
USMEF Regional Director Chad Russell welcomed the audience and introduced a panel of medical and public health specialists and food scientists, including: Dr. Eduardo Guzman (internist), Dr. Georgina Gomez (USMEF dietician), Dr. Maria Rubio (president of AMEXITEC, the Mexican Meat Science Association), Dr. Juan Gabriel Gay (epidemiologist), and Dr. Nelson Huerta (USMEF technical director). Each gave a brief presentation on A-H1N1 Influenza, focusing on their area of expertise. The presentations were followed by a very active question-and-answer session.
A panel of medical and public health specialists brief key media on pork safety
“The objective of this event was to convey the true medical facts about A-H1N1 Influenza and really drive home the point that it has no relationship to pork consumption,” Russell said. “We’re very pleased with the coverage and with the interest and questions we received from the media.”
The roundtable event was just the latest step in USMEF’s media and consumer outreach efforts aimed at reversing the considerable interruption in pork demand caused by misinformation about A-H1N1 Influenza, as well as the widespread economic disruption Mexico endured as a result of the influenza outbreak. In addition to placing pork safety announcements in print media outlets, USMEF is distributing 1 million pork safety information flyers directly to leading supermarkets, restaurant chains and distributors. The first 500,000 of these flyers are already in circulation, while the next 500,000 are being printed. USMEF is also airing informational advertisements on three popular Mexican radio networks.
Direct consumer contact is also critical to USMEF’s efforts, and this facet of the campaign is being carried out in three well-established USMEF programs: the Don Pepes program is a popular consumer outreach effort in which trained chefs discuss the attributes of U.S. meat; Dieticians at Supermarkets activity focuses on the nutritional value of including meat in a daily diet; and the Meat Consultants strategy promotes new U.S. meat cuts. All of these USMEF initiatives address consumer questions about product quality, selection and preparation. With this well-respected outreach network already in place in Mexico, it is proving to be an ideal vehicle for addressing consumer concerns or misperceptions about pork safety.
“USMEF’s media relations efforts have had a wide reach and have been very important in spreading our safety message across the country at this critical time,” Russell said. “But the Don Pepes, the Dieticians at Supermarkets and the Meat Consultants programs are such perfect complements to the media campaign, because they offer the opportunity for trustworthy, face-to-face interaction with the consumer.”
The interruption in demand caused by the A-H1N1 Influenza outbreak comes at a time when U.S. pork exports were reaching new heights in Mexico. Through the first quarter of 2009, pork exports to Mexico increased by 74 percent in volume and 66 percent in value over the same period last year. Mexico has been the largest volume destination and the second-largest (to Japan) value market for U.S. pork this year. It is clear, however, that a dedicated marketing and safety information effort is essential for bringing the market back to this level of performance as quickly as possible.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the remarkable results U.S. pork achieved in the first quarter of this year, but we absolutely cannot rest on our laurels,” Russell said. “U.S. pork has an excellent following In Mexico, and we know it can bounce back quickly. But right now we need to jump-start pork demand and effectively counter any remaining concerns or misgivings consumers may have about returning to pork as their protein of choice.”
# # #
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.