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Stonestreet addresses consumer misconceptions through Real Pork
By National Pork Board
More than half of pork producers rank promotion and telling the industry’s story as extremely important to the future success of the industry1. Real Pork is the industry’s trust and image brand differentiating pork from the alternatives. It is the identity of the industry, from farm to fork, that celebrates everything authentic about pork.
Coupled with Checkoff- funded consumer insights showing nearly 40% of consumers want to know more about where their meat comes from2, National Pork Board (NPB) is leveraging Real Pork to increase consumer confidence in pork and help protect producers’ freedom to operate.
The producer-led Real Pork Barriers Task Force set out to understand top consumer concerns and questions about pork production and found there is a spectrum of consumer myths, which could be barriers for consumers.
Stonestreet and Real Pork Real Pork puts an emphasis on an emotional connection to pork and its ability to unite people through food. It is the answer for consumers who are questioning what they can trust within a cluttered food environment.Checkoff-funded consumer research indicated 25% of pork consumers are at risk of decreasing their pork consumption3, citing concerns around the health, safety and ethics of pig farming as their rationale.
NPB partnered with Emmy-award winning actor Eric Stonestreet as a credible spokesperson to address these misconceptions.
“Farmers are my people. Pig people are my people,” says Stonestreet in a Pork Checkoff online seminar in July 2021. “I knew when this came across my plate that it was an opportunity to re-tether myself to where it all started for me.”
Stonestreet, a Kansas native and former pig farmer, helped NPB launch the Real Pork Mythbusting campaign through a series of five videos and digital content that (re)define common pig-related idioms and phrases. For example, “pig-sty” may refer to a mess, but today’s pig barns follow significant biosecurity and cleanliness practices.
The campaign targeted consumers in urban areas with kids at home who prioritize criteria like health and sustainability in their food decisions. Research shows 48-54% of consumers are more favorable for the pork industry and 34-36% more likely to buy pork after viewing the content4.
Stonestreet participated in a media day during National Pork Month in October 2021, speaking with mainstream broadcast, print, radio and digital media about his passion for the pork industry, support for pig farmers and why he was compelled to participate in the campaign.
“Our personal story is very valuable, and we should be loud and proud about what we do,” says Rich Deaton, a NPB board member and producer from Ohio. “Having somebody outside of the industry say, ‘listen to these guys’ makes the impact exponentially bigger; I could not be more excited to have someone speak the truth.”
This landed positive coverage in outlets like People and Fox News. NPB tested two of the videos to see how people felt after viewing; more than 86% felt Stonestreet was a very effective spokesperson.
Scientific research from Pork Checkoff The We Care® Ethical Principles ensure producers uphold the highest standards and constantly strive toward improvement. Real Pork brings the principles to life for consumers who want to know where their food comes from and show how pork is produced by a transparent, trustworthy and genuine industry.
"Pigs are crowded and mistreated," "producing pork is bad for the planet" and "producing pork is bad for society" are more specific and need evidence to address consumer concerns.
NPB partnered with state associations and used Checkoff funding to invest in scientific evidence and provide accurate information to decision-makers and the public.
This research is especially important since nearly 4 in 10 consumers who indicate they spend more on brands and products that are better for the environment5.
Two examples for Pork Checkoff-funded public health research include:
Two examples for Pork Checkoff-funded water quality research include:
Real Pork is not a marketing campaign Real Pork shows up differently, and allows producers, state associations and NPB to address consumers’ questions and concerns to build trust in pork production and add value by increasing affinity for pork.
Real Pork is the industry’s trust and image brand; Mythbusting, We Care and Checkoff-funded research are examples of Real Pork for consumers and decision makers. They exhibit how Real Pork is about Real Farmers who live on Real Farms raising Real Pigs to produce Real Pork that is Real Nutritious and Real Sustainable.
1. National Pork Board Annual Producer Survey, 2020 2. Pork Checkoff “At Home Meat Tracker,” Q2 2020 3. Pork Checkoff-funded Barriers Tracking Research, Consumer Online Poll, conducted by PSB, May 2021 4. Pork Checkoff-funded Barriers Tracking Research, Consumer Online Poll, conducted by PSB, September 2021 5. Pork Checkoff “At Home Meat Tracker,” Q3, 2021
