Late last year, the National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff launched their Real Pork campaign to help drive demand for pork products by highlighting and celebrating everything special about pork raised in the United States. The program was tested right out of the gate, being launched in the middle of a global pandemic. However, instead of feeling challenged, the program was able to use the health crisis as a way to thrive when people were seeming to ask endless questions about cooking pork at home.
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Angie Krieger is the Vice President of Domestic Marketing at the National Pork Board. She talks about how the situation during the launch of Real Pork was not what we had been used to during the planning stages. Krieger highlights how the world was changed for the food industry, and how they were able to harness that period of change.
Real Pork helped consumers really see what other cuts of meat were out there besides the standard pork chop or bacon. They were able to learn how to recreate their favorite meals right at home. Krieger says ground pork became a very hot commodity for consumers.
The next step is to bring the program forward as society moves out of the pandemic. Now, that Real Pork proved itself under stressful circumstances, it is time to see it live up to its reputation in the manner it was originally designed for. Krieger says that food service is still going to be slow to get back to where it once was. Once it does come back, the National Pork Board wants to see more pork options on the menu. Options that consumers learned to cook at home and have come to love.
Later this summer, the National Pork Board will be launching the United States of Pork. It will be a friendly competition that highlights the top pork dish in every state.
Learn more about Real Pork, the Pork Checkoff, the United States of Pork, and the National Pork Board at pork.org
