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the language of pork production National Pork Board

June 2013

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who we are

your truth

their truth

communication that works

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what we believe

It’s not what you say,

it’s what they hear [ ]

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what we’ve done

+ 11 three-hour Qualitative Instant Response Sessions

• Unique Instant Response Dial technology provides insight into

consumers’ gut reactions to messages

• Research conducted with food-engaged Opinion Elites and

Millennials

+ Online Quantitative National Surveys

• Range of issues and topics facing pork industry

• Designed to uncover best messages for NPB and channel

partners

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the audiences

+ Food-Engaged Opinion Elites

• Moveable middle

• Top 20% of society in education + income

• Watch/read news on politics and food issues regularly

• Most likely to influence others in community

+ Millennials

• Actively engaged in social media

• Seek out information on food issues

• Emerging decision-makers

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the goal

more productive dialogue

throughout the food chain

+ the big picture

the issues

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audience profiles

opinion elites millennials

Awareness of

pork

vulnerabilities

Low Low

Response to

conflicting

Information

Emotional, disgust Skeptical, curiosity

Biggest

concerns

My long-term health, my

family’s long-term health

My long-term health,

animal welfare

Engagement

Strategy Acknowledging concerns

Providing more

information

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key findings

+ The starting point: awareness is low

+ The good news: consistent language and action can bring

results

+ The less-good news: there are deeply held beliefs that the

way food is being made today is not in consumers’ best

interest

+ The bad news: consumers are easy prey for misinformation

about food because of low trust and distance from food

production

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perceptions of pork

“Wait…have they found

horsemeat in pigs, too?” – Millennial, Boston

“If I eat bacon-wrapped anything, I know it’s

not going to be good for me. But it’s going

to taste fantastic.” – Millennial, San Diego

“Inhumane pork…that’s pigs

that are hurting people?” – Millennial, San Diego

“We might think we’re all for animal

welfare, but at the end of the day it’s

the price at the grocery store that really

matters.” – Opinion Elite, Chicago

“I knew they castrated chickens,

but not pigs.” – Opinion elite, Washington, DC

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advocates at work

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the reality

images are upsetting

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what they care about

“It’s bigger than you and

me. It’s all about ME.”

– Stephen Colbert

+ Consumers’ interests begin – and end – with themselves

+ They’re not interested in sustainability arguments or even

animal welfare as positive proof points

+ They just want to know that THEY are going to be safe

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what doesn’t work

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they’re asking questions

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a communication framework

+ Acknowledge concerns

+ Take responsibility

+ Engage your audience

+ Provide Transparency

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making connections

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the big picture

the issues

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section contents

+ Millennials and social media

+ Sow housing

+ Pain management

+ Beta-agonists

+ Antibiotics

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why social media matters

advocates have created buzz

millennials and social media

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activists?

“I would retweet, but just for the

sheer shock value. Not because I

believe in the message.” – Millennial, Boston

“OK, we get the undercover video.

Now let’s see the other side.” – Millennial, Austin

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invite a conversation

RT Click Un-

Follow

53% 62% 7%

18% 39% 23%

Conversation openers: would you _____

the following tweet?

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what engagement looks like

Do Don’t

Recognize that they are

engaged and interested

Assume that they are more likely to

side with activists

Invite them to a conversation

that includes back-and-forth on

social media

Use social media simply to

broadcast a message to them

Use a realistic tone that takes

their skepticism and cynicism

into account

Give them a reason to question your

true motives or poke holes in your

story

Provide them with information

that allows them to draw their

own conclusions

Attempt to discredit other sources of

information as less trustworthy or

credible

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sow housing: the bottom line

There are many different opinions on the best way to house sows

during pregnancy. But veterinarians, animal care experts, and

farmers all agree – none of the housing methods available

for housing sows today is perfect. [ ]

sow housing

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language of sow housing

When we offer you and your families wholesome food, we also have an

opportunity to help you connect with how that food was produced. That means

keeping you in touch with what happens on the farm.

We want our consumers to know, decisions about animal welfare are not taken

lightly, and they are never made by one voice alone. This is especially true when

we talk about an issue like sow housing.

There are many different opinions on the best way to house sows during

pregnancy. But veterinarians, animal care experts, and farmers all agree – none of

the housing methods available for housing sows today is perfect.

It’s not enough to focus solely on one method over another. We need to make

sure that animal well-being is the top priority. That that means working with

veterinarians on the farm whose job it is to work with farmers to raise healthy

animals.

And we need to talk to everyone: farmers of all sizes, animal behaviorists,

veterinarians, even from animal welfare groups, to understand what the options are

today, and what’s being done to improve how farmers care for their animals.

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pain management: bottom line

Farmers take care of their pigs in a number of different ways. But

they know that certain procedures on the farm have the potential

to cause real concerns for consumers. That’s why they’re

making themselves available to you – to answer questions

you may have. [ ]

pain management

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language of pain management

It’s not enough to produce food that’s safe and affordable. We must also provide you

with food that you want to eat. And that means making all the information

available to those who want it.

Pain management on the farm is no different. Farmers take care of their pigs in a

number of different ways. But they know that certain procedures on the farm have

the potential to cause real concerns for consumers. That’s why they’re making

themselves available to you – to answer questions you may have.

First, there is no excuse for mistreating animals. We hold all of our farmers to

strict standards of animal care.

But we also encourage our farmers to do more. Pig farmers are always looking for

better ways to do things on the farm. We encourage them to look into even better

ways of caring for their animals through comprehensive training programs and

supporting research to better understand how to care for all their animals.

This is true of all pain management practices on the farm, and if you want to know

more, we encourage you to connect with some of our suppliers to learn about

their farms.

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beta-agonists: the bottom line

One of the improvements farmers have made in raising healthy

pigs is a feed ingredient, given as part of a healthy and

balanced diet, that allows pigs to convert the calories in their

feed into lean muscle, instead of fat. [ ]

beta-agonists

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the language of beta-agonists

Recently, the beta-agonist ractopamine has been popping up in headlines. But no

one is really talking about what beta-agonists actually do. Or why they are

a safe, important part of raising pigs on American farms. It’s time we opened up

the table for questions, and offered you some real answers.

So just what is ractopamine?

Ractopamine is just one of the improvements farmers have made in raising healthy

pigs. It’s is a feed ingredient, given as part of a healthy and balanced diets, that

allows pigs to convert the calories in their feed into lean muscle, instead of fat.

And beta-agonists like ractopamine are eliminated quickly by livestock, within

hours, so they are not stored in the body. And they are widely used by farmers

and ranchers in the U.S., Canada, Australia and many other countries across the

developed world.

Our suppliers are continuously working with researchers to understand how these

additives can best interact with the animals’ digestive systems, and exactly how

much should be given to each animal.

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antibiotics: the bottom line

It’s important to answer questions about why antibiotics are

used on the farm, and to talk about what else farmers are doing

to raise healthy animals. [ ]

antibiotics

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antibiotics: the bottom line

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language of antibiotics

We know consumers today want more information about where their food comes

from. It’s especially important to answer questions about why antibiotics are used

on the farm, and to talk about what else farmers are doing to raise healthy animals.

Antibiotic use on the farm is a complex issue. There are many different types of

antibiotics, and they’re used in different ways to treat, control and prevent illness.

Bacteria that cause illnesses and infections need to be kept under control in order to

preserve human and animal health. So farmers use antibiotics to help lessen the

risk. They work to remove or inhibit the growth of bacteria that could potentially

harm the animal and pose a food safety risk. They also promote good bacteria, the

kind that helps the animals digest their food more efficiently.

There are many other things that are equally important, and sometimes even more

important than using antibiotics, like maintaining high standards when it comes to

nutrition, so that animals get the right diet to keep their immune systems strong.

It's not what you say,

it's what they hear®.

New York 200 Varick Street, Suite 601

New York, NY 10014

www.maslansky.com

Clint Sievers Senior Director

O 202.756.9338 | M 571.641.0926

csievers@maslansky.com

Washington, DC 2000 L Street NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036