DES MOINES, Iowa – A new branding position touting US pork's ability to offer a wide range of options in the kitchen – named “PORK Be inspired” – was announced March 4 by the National Pork Board. This current branding position places a new focus on reaching home cooks who already prepare and enjoy pork. The new campaign highlights pork's role in almost any menu, day part, cuisine and lifestyle.

"Our research shows that pork's top consumers are looking for more than basic education; they're looking for inspiration,” said Ceci Snyder, NPB vice president of domestic marketing. “While our new target represents our biggest fans, we believe they have the potential and desire to enjoy pork more often - and to inspire others to do the same."


Including national advertising, public relations, social media, retail and foodservice marketing, as well as activation by state pork associations, the new campaign will roll out this March and April. Advertising media spending for 2011 has more than doubled that of recent years.

Based on recent NPB consumer segmentation research, 82 million Americans are considered medium to heavy fresh pork consumers “with a strong passion for pork that they are eager to share,” NPB says. This group represents almost 28% of US households, roughly 68% of all in-home fresh pork consumption and 50% of all away-from-home fresh pork consumption. They also enjoy cooking and experimenting with new flavors in the kitchen, understand how to cook pork, and look at life with a positive outlook, NPB points out.

The “Pork The Other White Meat” campaign was conceived almost 25 years ago to reposition pork as a healthful protein source. “Pork Be inspired” promotes a deeper, more personal level of engagement with existing pork consumers, Snyder said. The Other White Meat campaign isn’t being scrapped; it will play a role as a heritage brand, with use on the consumer website and in nutrition communications. However, the Other White Meat campaign will no longer be featured in advertising.

Digital advertising begin on March 7 with paid search and websites that reach the NPB’s new target, with creative directing to a new website URL,www.PorkBeInspired.com. National television advertising, which includes both network and cable, begins April 11. Print advertising also begins in April in food and lifestyle publications, using a unique, three-page, consecutive right-hand pages “to communicate pork's ability to inspire numerous meal ideas,” according to the NPB.