U.S. Pork/Corn Double Team in Unique South Korean Ad

The fresh, wholesome image of U.S. pork is gaining wider visibility in South Korean restaurants and media with the debut of a new advertisement promoting corn-fed chilled U.S. pork.

The recent introduction of mandatory country of origin labeling for pork at restaurants in Korea has drawn greater attention to the leading import in the category, U.S. pork. While restaurant owners generally appreciate the high quality and good taste of U.S. pork, a negative perception of imported foods fueled by recent recalls of Chilean pork and melamine-contaminated products from China, as well as last summer’s protests against U.S. beef, have increased consumer sensitivity to imported foods.

The advertisements touting “Corn-fed U.S. Chilled Pork…Raised differently with nutritious and tasty corn” have run recently in four leading South Korean lifestyle/cooking magazines, four women’s magazines and four restaurant/food service publications.

Based on the positive response of restaurant owners who have displayed poster-size reproductions of the ads, USMEF plans to expand the use of the ads to point-of-purchase for retail stores. The corn/pork promotion is being supported by contributions from the pork checkoff fund.

The campaign is consistent with USMEF’s goal of increasing the sales of chilled U.S. pork in South Korea. Imports of chilled U.S. pork in Korea have grown from virtually zero in 2003 to 9,884 metric tons (21.9 million pounds) in 2008.

South Korea is the sixth-leading export market for U.S. pork. Through the first 11 months of 2008, the U.S. exported 122,997 metric tons of pork (271.2 million pounds) valued at nearly $263 million – an increase of 42 percent in volume and 29 percent in value over the same time period in 2007.

 

The fresh, wholesome image of U.S. pork is gaining wider visibility in South Korean restaurants and media with the debut of a new advertisement promoting corn-fed chilled U.S. pork.

The recent introduction of mandatory country of origin labeling for pork at restaurants in Korea has drawn greater attention to the leading import in the category, U.S. pork. While restaurant owners generally appreciate the high quality and good taste of U.S. pork, a negative perception of imported foods fueled by recent recalls of Chilean pork and melamine-contaminated products from China, as well as last summer’s protests against U.S. beef, have increased consumer sensitivity to imported foods.

The advertisements touting “Corn-fed U.S. Chilled Pork…Raised differently with nutritious and tasty corn” have run recently in four leading South Korean lifestyle/cooking magazines, four women’s magazines and four restaurant/food service publications.

Based on the positive response of restaurant owners who have displayed poster-size reproductions of the ads, USMEF plans to expand the use of the ads to point-of-purchase for retail stores. The corn/pork promotion is being supported by contributions from the pork checkoff fund.

The campaign is consistent with USMEF’s goal of increasing the sales of chilled U.S. pork in South Korea. Imports of chilled U.S. pork in Korea have grown from virtually zero in 2003 to 9,884 metric tons (21.9 million pounds) in 2008.

South Korea is the sixth-leading export market for U.S. pork. Through the first 11 months of 2008, the U.S. exported 122,997 metric tons of pork (271.2 million pounds) valued at nearly $263 million – an increase of 42 percent in volume and 29 percent in value over the same time period in 2007.