“There’s Nothing Better Than Beef,” and U.S. beef is safe, delicious an...

“There’s Nothing Better Than Beef,” and U.S. beef is safe, delicious and nutritious. To deliver this message to South Korean consumers directly, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) developed a series of three newspaper advertisements to remind them of the warm feelings aroused in the past by beef.

The Korean market has remained closed to new shipments of U.S. beef since the discovery of a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the U.S. Even though USDA and the U.S. beef industry have had firewalls in place to protect the beef supply this discovery led to a further tightening of rules to prevent the spread of the disease in the cattle herd, while at the same time new protocols ensured that materials most likely to cause the infection were removed from the food supply. These expanded efforts, however, have not yet convinced the Korean government to resume beef trade with the U.S.

Despite the Korean ban on new imports, however, large frozen stocks remained in inventory. USMEF-Korea worked with retailers to promote sales and the new ads were in support of this effort. The three advertisements featured the tagline “There’s Nothing Better than Beef,” but had separate, carefully chosen Korean themes: Beef as a gift, beef soup, and the Korean beef dish, bulgogi. [See attached photos] More than 25 years of experience in export markets have taught USMEF that marketing that is more culturally in-tune with its audience is more successful —  what works in one country may not work in another.

Reminding consumers of the Korean reverence for beef and its traditional role as a New Year gift, the ad copy for the first ad was:

“When we were young, we used to prepare beef as a gift for family gatherings for New Year’s Day. Only a small amount of beef made the whole family happy. Beef was the most precious one. As you enjoyed beef at that time, enjoy beef now without anxiety.”

Beef soup has a universal and specifically Korean association with becoming healthy:

“When I was sick as a child, my mother used to cook beef soup for me. ‘Beef soup is the best for your health!’ The soup was warm like my mother’s heart. Beef was the most precious one. As you enjoyed beef at that time, enjoy beef now without anxiety.”

Bulgogi (barbecued strips of beef from the short rib served on lettuce leaves with garnishes)  is a dish associated with celebration:

“At middle school graduation day, I had bulgogi at a restaurant for the first time in my life. My father said he was not hungry and offered me more bulgogi. Beef was the most precious one. As you enjoyed beef at that time, enjoy beef now without anxiety.”

The ads were in South Korea’s three major newspapers; Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo. The bulgogi ad was also placed in The Daily Focus, a tabloid with a large circulation. The advertisements generated 22 articles written by Korean journalists worth at least $155,000 in advertising costs.

USMEF explained the purpose of the advertisements and asked for support from other interested associations in South Korea. As a result, six associations agreed to place their names in the advertisements, along with USMEF: the Hanwoo Association, the Korea Federation of Meat Purveyors, Korea Restaurant Association, Korea Cooks Association, Korea Super Chain Association, and Korea Tourist Hotel Supply Center. It is the first time that the Hanwoo Association has joined in a USMEF activity.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –

Photo 1:    Beef as a gift Ad

Photo 2:    Beef soup Ad.

Photo 3:    Bulgogi Ad.