Checkoff Revolutionizes 20 Years of Foodservice Marketing

What a difference 20 years makes. Back then, McDonald’s new McRib® sandwich was in and bacon was out.  Chefs were cooking pork loins, not pork jowls, cheeks and shanks.  Then the Pork Checkoff  shook things up.

“Through Checkoff-funded programs, we’ve been driving success instead of chasing it,” said Jeff Pigott, director of foodservice marketing for the Pork Checkoff.

“The Pork Checkoff is focused on providing the information and tools that allow restaurants and foodservice operators to get closer to their customers and provide the new pork products they want,” Pigott said.

Checkoff Helps with Long, Arduous Process

Creating a new menu item is a long, arduous process for many foodservice outlets.  Six to 24 months can pass from the time the concept is developed until the new product is added to the menu.

“It’s also a huge risk to add a new item to a menu,” Pigott said.  “A restaurant has to make sure this new item meets an unfilled need.”

That means today’s pork products must focus on quality, flavor and convenience.  Applebee’s, for example, wants center-of-the-plate proteins that are pre-cooked or partially cooked. 

“In today’s chains, food isn’t cooked so much as it’s assembled,” Pigott said.  “The more chains dominate the foodservice industry, the more we need to provide ingredients that fit within their operations.”

A growing number of foodservice outlets also want multi-purpose ingredients.

“Pre-cooked, pulled pork provides an excellent option,” Pigott said.  “It can be included in carnitas, salads, fajitas, sandwiches and more, depending on the sauce that’s added.”

It can also showcase a variety of flavors, including everything from barbeque to Mexican to Asian.

“Pre-cooked, pulled pork is a versatile choice,” Pigott noted.  “This becomes even more important as consumer demand for authentic ethnic flavors continue to grow.”

These kinds of considerations weren’t a priority 20 years ago when the Pork Checkoff was created.  Back then, many consumers believed that bacon epitomized all that was wrong with pork.

Bacon Goes from Drag on Market to Bonus

“You couldn’t give bacon away,” recalled Larry Cizek, director of culinary/niche marketing development forn the Pork Checkoff.  “Health-conscious consumers wanted lean products, and pork bellies were being ground into trimmings.”

Cizek added, “But then it became popular to add bacon to to burgers as a flavor enhancer.  And when Hardee’s came out with the Frisco Burger, bacon really took off.”

The Pork Checkoff worked with chains to promote bacon.  When McDonald’s launched its “Make It with Bacon” option, for example, customers could order bacon on a host of menu items.

As chains discovered the popularity of pork, other underutilized cuts made their way onto menus. Applebee’s riblets, for example, drove demand for pork cuts that used to end up in the bone barrel, Cizek said.

“The whole rib explosion has really driven pork demand, and the Checkoff has developed a number of promotions through the years to capitalize on this.”

Chefs Utilize Whole Hog

The next revolution in pork foodservice marketing emerged in the late 1990s when the Checkoff reached out to the industry’s leading culinary professionals.  The new Celebrated Chefs program enhanced the efforts already underway through the Pork Checkoff’s popular Taste of Elegance competitions (see sidebar).

“We wanted to educate the foodservice industry on how the country’s leading chefs were preparing and featuring pork,” Cizek said.

Thanks to these Pork Checkoff-funded programs, underutilized items like fresh pork bellies, shanks, jowls and cheeks  became as popular as tenderloins.

“This has been a great way to utilize the whole hog,” Cizek said.

To keep pork at the forefront of menu trends, the Checkoff is now targeting culinary educators.  For the past two years, the Checkoff has supplied educational materials, including “Beyond the Chop,” and has sponsored pork cooking competitions for culinary students.

“We’ve come a long way since the Pork Checkoff was launched 20 years ago, and we continue to look for the best ways to invest Checkoff dollars for maximum impact in the foodservice industry,” Pigott said.