While the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has coordinated a 4th of July pork promotion with Fareway supermarkets for the past 14 years, this year’s month-long event took a new twist with text coupons, social media campaigns and other innovative marketing tools.
“Fareway has been an excellent partner for us, and we were proud to team up with them this summer to create some excitement for this annual pork promotion,” said Joyce Hoppes, IPPA’s promotion and consumer information director.
In addition to colorful meat case signage to help drive pork sales, the “Have Flavor Fireworks for the 4th of July with PORK!” campaign included:
• Cookouts with producers. To kick off the fun, pork producers hosted cookouts at all 93 Fareway stores across Iowa from June 24 to 26.
• Text coupons. Consumers could text “Pork” to 25827 to receive a coupon code for $1.00 off their purchase of Chairman’s Reserve® Premium Pork. In addition, more than 100,000 pork coupons were distributed during the promotion. The front side of the coupon included a $1.00-off coupon for Chairman’s Reserve® fresh pork tenderloin. The back side of the coupon drove consumers to Fareway’s revamped website (FAREWAYSTORES.COM) for a $2.00 savings offer for Chairman’s Reserve® fresh pork purchases.
• Pocket cards for meat department employees. Posters and laminated pocket cards with basic pork preparation tips and proper cooking temperatures were developed for Fareway’s meat department. This educational information was designed to help these employees promote pork to consumers more effectively.
• Facebook campaigns and more. New for 2010, a social media campaign on Facebook helped spread the word about Fareway’s pork specials, said Hoppes, who noted that a consumer press release and statewide radio advertising were also included in the promotional effort.
• Recipe booklets. To encourage consumers to add more pork to their summertime meals, Fareway distributed recipe booklets featuring ground pork, pork tenderloin kebabs, pork chops and more.