The team at SA Pork recently returned from a trip to Cape Town where we briefed the various media houses on the SA Pork’s strategic intentions for 2023. This article gives a brief overview and insight into our strategic intentions for the remainder of the year, but, before we do that, we would like to share with you three key annual benchmarks successes of 2022.
Successes of 2022
1. Point-of sale campaign: 4,7 million new SA Pork QR code contact points
Starting on the 23 May 2022, this campaign was an initiative whereby partnerships were forged with various retailers in order to promote pork recipes and instil a sense of confidence in pork preparation at point of sale, namely in the fridges where fresh pork is sold. An SA Pork QR code sticker was applied to every fresh pork product, incentivising shoppers to scan the QR code for recipes, as well as the option to win a voucher or prize. Over 4,7 million stickers were printed in total and applied to fresh pork products in these retailer partners stores.
2. SAPPO Selekt Season 1 videos: More than 3,5 million people reached
The SAPPO Selekt Season 1 short film series, comprising of six episodes, was launched towards the third quarter of 2022. Its primary purpose is to ‘close the gap’ between farmers and consumers. Each short film not only documents the various pork farmers’ love for farming, but also their passion for people, the environment, biodiversity, wildlife, birdlife, education, and many more areas that we simply do not know about. The objective is to educate not only consumers of pork, but everyone who is interested in who produces their food in this day and age. Some of the films also give the viewer a snapshot into the modern farming practices that contribute to creating sustainable food production for the future. Through various social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, these videos have reached over 3,5 million people.
3. SA Pork communications 2022: Community reach of 109 million
SA Pork achieved this milestone through effective communication of delicious pork recipes in both print and digital media environments throughout the year. The total figure is made up of print readership (50 788 5468), individual campaigns (20 407 1675), digital engagement (4 427 289), recipe video views on the SA Pork website (940 9782), total impressions (15 898 208), and social media reach of 7 992 256.
2023 focus areas
1. Pork consumption
We will continue to generate awareness and stimulate consumers to buy and eat more pork by continuing to build on the successes of 2022 through our print, digital, website, and point-of-sale campaigns. We will further investigate innovative ways to communicate utilising additional pork recipe editorials, build retail partnerships in order to add value to customers, and launch a series of tips and tricks on selecting pork cuts, preparation of pork for cooking, and storing pork pre- and post-cooking.
2. Pork integrity
Our main aim is to promote the integrity of South African pork to instil a sense of trust and confidence in the product. We aim to achieve this by promoting the intrinsic value of pork through a series of short videos and infographics portraying the nutritional value of pork, as well as the various health benefits associated with it. We will also address the misinformation and disinformation around pork and continue to conduct a myth-busting campaign to address all the myths of pork. We further aim to increase our research in this area in order to educate consumers and retail partners on the benefits of pork.
3. Sustainability
Here, we will also continue to build on the successes of 2022, especially in closing the gap between consumers and our pork produces. We will continue to complete Season 2 of the SAPPO Selekt series, which will include topics such as biosecurity, growth, biogas, and solar technology. We further aim to educate younger consumers on ‘everything from farm to fork’ in order to instil a sense that pork should be the first choice in healthier meat purchases.
Watch this space
Throughout the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing with you some of the specific campaigns and creative work that will be developed in order to achieve the outcomes required to ensure that the category of pork continues to maintain its attractiveness to consumers today.
