USMEF Partners with 152 Companies in Japan Relief and Recovery Effort

The USMEF recently completed the U.S. meat industry’s largest promotional initiative ever under the banner of the Japan Relief and Recovery Effort. This two-month consumer campaign brought 152 companies from across Japan together with USMEF to encourage Japanese families to support agricultural products from the Tohoku region of Northern Japan that was damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and to enjoy them with U.S. beef and pork.

Designed to stimulate the economic recovery of the Tohoku region, the unique campaign included a sweepstakes with prizes of consumer products sourced from Tohoku, ranging from rice and vegetables to sake – all perfect for enjoying with red meat from the United States. It is one element in the “Recovery” side of the larger USMEF Japan Relief and Recovery Effort that has been underway since the spring.

“This unique promotional campaign generated significant broad-based support from all areas of Japan’s economy,” said Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO. “The level of response from our business partners in Japan (152 companies with 5,844 outlets) was outstanding, involving organizations from retailers and food service outlets to packers, importers and distributors. Everyone wants to support Tohoku, and the promotion of U.S. meat with locally produced products was unprecedented and very impactful.”

In addition to building support for the Tohoku region, the campaign also provided a new platform for U.S. beef and pork producers and others to demonstrate their support for their friends in Japan. On the “Relief” side of the USMEF campaign, U.S. producers have funded through their generous donations an estimated 180,000 meals for people in the region who were left homeless by the tragedy.

“American producers have been both generous and aggressive in their support of those displaced by the natural disaster in Japan,” said Seng. “More than $550,000 has been donated thus far to provide needed meals containing nutritious U.S. beef and pork for those who, in many cases, have gone weeks or longer without a balanced, hot meal.”

Seng noted that every dollar contributed to the campaign has provided multiple benefits. The immediate beneficiaries are the displaced people of Japan. In addition, each dollar was spent in collaboration with U.S. beef and pork industry partners in Japan, furthering relationships the U.S. industry has with processors, distributors and other key players across the Pacific Ocean. On another level, the campaign has helped stimulate spending in the region with a goal of speeding economic recovery.

“This campaign made a bold statement,” Seng added. “By showing our support for the agricultural sector of Tohoku, which has been under considerable scrutiny since the March 11 disaster, the U.S. red meat industry with USMEF has forged strong bonds that will yield benefits for years to come.”

The two-month “Tohoku Recovery Campaign” was promoted locally by each of the participating companies while USMEF supported it with separate ads focused on U.S. beef and pork in national newspapers (Asahi newspaper with 7.9 million in circulation and Yomiuri newspaper with 10 million in circulation) as well as ads in Tokyo stations, which serves an estimated 8.7 million riders daily, and the Tokyu regional railway.

The promotion helped drive traffic to the participating business partners in Japan while generating nearly 30,000 sweepstakes applications for one of 1,800 prizes of food products from the Tohoku region.

“We know that retailers have been seeking the opportunity to draw in consumers and restart the stagnant economy,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF-Japan senior marketing director. “The Tohoku Recovery Campaign provided the dual opportunity to support our business partners in Japan while giving U.S. beef and pork a high visibility platform. It also has earned a lot of goodwill for U.S. producers.”

The health of the Japanese economy is critical for U.S. beef and pork producers. Despite the general downturn in the nation’s economy since March 11, exports of U.S. beef and pork have prospered. In the first seven months of 2011, Japan remains the No. 1 value market for U.S. pork, importing 287,466 metric tons (633.7 million pounds) valued at $1.1 billion – increases of 11 percent in volume and 14 percent in value versus 2010.

U.S. beef exports to Japan are up 45 percent in volume and 50 percent in value over last year to 94,428 metric tons (208.2 million pounds) value at $502.9 million.

The USMEF Japan Relief and Recovery Effort has received contributions from the National Pork Board, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Federation of State Beef Councils, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Minnesota Pork Producers Association, Nebraska Beef Council, National Pork Producers Council, Washington beef producers, Arkansas Beef Council, Indiana Pork and a number of individual supporters.

Links to the USMEF Japan Recovery Campaign promotions can be found at:

Beef: http://www.americanmeat.jp/csm/present/110701/beef/index.html
Pork: http://www.americanmeat.jp/csm/present/110701/pork/index.html