32 cuts. 32 emotions.
Sustained Success (SILVER)
Client Credits: Les Éleveurs de porc du Québec
Agency Credits: lg2
Strategic Planners: Marc-André Fafard, Julie Dubé
Creative team: Lysa Petraccone, François Sauvé, Christian Letendre
Creative team, web: Jennifer Varvaresso, Marilou Aubin, Alexandre Jourdain
Creative team, design: Serge Côté, Marie-Pier Gilbert
Strategic Planners: Marc-André Fafard, Julie Dubé
Clients Services: Audrey Lefebvre, Natacha Laflamme, Audrey Dignard, Élise Beauchemin
Clients Services: Brigitte Leblanc-Fortin, Nataly Lemire
Electronic Production: Julie Lorazo
Production: Maxime Giroux
Photo Direction: André Turpin
Production House: Les Enfants
Sound & Engineering Studio: Boogie Studio
Print & Web Production: lg2fabrique
Media Agency: Carat
Section I — BASIC INFORMATION
| Business Results Period (Consecutive Months): | August 2011 – December 2013 |
| Start of Advertising/Communication Effort: | September 12th, 2011 |
| Base Period as a Benchmark: | Beginning of the August 2011 – December 2013 perio |
Section II — SITUATION ANALYSIS
a) Overall Assessment
Quebec Pork Producers produces Quebec pork, one of the finest pork meats in the world. This is made ??possible through the producers’ expertise and innovative spirit. As a consequence of breakthrough farming methods, significant animal welfare care and regulated alimentation, the Quebec pork that you find on grocery store shelves nowadays is very different from the meat available 25 years ago.
However, pork isn’t on top of the grocery list. While food habits have radically changed over the years, Quebec consumers’ perception about pork is basically unchanged and a lot of barriers exist in their minds, making them stick to outdated buying behaviours, choose other trendy protein sources when at the grocery store, like chicken, or switch to meatless alternatives.
Pork isn’t a preferred meat
Pork consumption has slightly declined over the years (-8% since 1986), while that of chicken has increased significantly (+40% since 1986); beef consumption for its part has decreased (-27% since 1986). However, pork remains the third most consumed meat, behind chicken, first overall, and beef. Also, the two more popular meats in Quebec in terms of consumption, chicken and beef, have enjoyed considerable advertising investments, helping chicken and beef to be top-of-mind. In Quebec, the chicken industry (federation and specialized restaurant chains) invested more than $9 million in 2010, while the beef industry (steakhouse restaurant chains) spent $1.3 million. There are no pork-oriented restaurants in Quebec, so the only money used to promote pork to consumers in the province comes from the producers, falling annually around a million dollars.
Quebec pork is invisible
To make things worse, while Quebec pork is exported to more than 125 countries because of its excellence, Quebec grocery stores continue to buy low-end pork from around the globe. In fact, 30% of pork sold in provincial groceries is imported. These diverse origins don’t allow grocery shoppers to identify the origin of the product on the shelves, thus depriving Quebec pork of the local flavour argument when the time comes for consumers to make a choice.
b) Resulting Business Objectives
The main goal was to increase the consumption of pork, especially Quebec pork. This was not an easy challenge given the fact that pork consumption had slightly declined in Quebec in previous years and that it was impossible to create a way of identifying Quebec pork in store on a regular basis. Thus, we decide to break the major barriers to pork consumption according to our consumers.
Year 1 : breaking the fat perception
– Position Quebec pork as a healthy and modern meat
– Create a preference for pork meat over chicken and beef meats
– Create a preference for Quebec pork versus pork from other origins
– Create awareness among Quebecers about the different qualities/origins of pork cuts
– Increase by 5% the weekly consumption of pork meat (fresh cuts only)
– Increase by 5% sales of exclusive Quebec pork cuts (especially osso buco and racks)
Year 2 : breaking the conservative perception
– Position Quebec pork as a versatile and modern meat
– Create a preference for pork meat over chicken and beef meats
– Create a preference for Quebec pork versus pork from other origins
– Create awareness among Quebecers about the different qualities/origins of pork cuts
– Increase by 5% the weekly consumption of pork meat (fresh cuts only)
– Increase by 10% sales of exclusive Quebec pork cuts (especially osso buco and racks)
Year 3 : continuity of year 2
– Position Quebec pork as a versatile and modern meat
– Create a preference for pork meat over chicken and beef meats
– Create a preference for Quebec pork versus pork from other origins
– Create awareness among Quebecers about the different qualities/origins of pork cuts
– Increase by 5% the weekly consumption of pork meat (fresh cuts only)
– Increase by 15% sales of exclusive Quebec pork cuts (especially osso buco and racks)
In order to measure our efforts, we produced an Ipsos Pre and post-campaign study each year. Results are based on a pre/post campaign structure.
c) Annual Media Budget
$500,000 – $1 million
d) Geographic Area
Quebec
Section III — STRATEGIC THINKING
a) Analysis and Insight
Like most food products, Quebec pork has to fight to occupy a prominent place in the grocery cart of our target consumers: 35- to 54-year-old women: Primary Grocery Shoppers (PGS). A 2009 CROP survey found that our target’s perception about pork had remained unchanged for years. The survey discovered two principal barriers to pork consumption:
1.Pork is a fatty meat
One in four Quebecers thinks pork is a fatty meat. That situation can be explained from a socio-cultural perspective. Several colloquial expressions in Quebec French refer to pork in a negative way. We refer to people who eat too much as pigs and consider them unhealthy. Overweight people are also called “porkers.” And bacon, the best known pork part, is basically fat. So consumers think that every cut of the animal is calorie heavy. Over the years, consumers’ selection criteria have evolved and the health factor is becoming more important than ever when feeding their families. Indeed, 90% of Quebecers think about changing their diet to improve their health. Could the healthy eating movement be the main reason behind the 8% drop in pork consumption since 1986?
2. Pork is boring
When analyzing the CROP survey, we found that the two most popular cuts of pork were by far the tenderloins and the chops. After those two, cuts popularity drops heavily. Also, when looking at the website statistics, a disproportionate portion of the visitors were consulting only a few of the hundreds of recipes available on the website, and basically only recipes for chops and tenderloins. Even the shelf space in grocery stores attributed to pork is dominated by these two cuts. While having palates that yearned for distinctive textures and new flavours (Quebec is the Canadian province with the most food enthusiasts), pork itself is seen as a relatively bland product. Indeed, we find that Quebecers remained conservative and unimaginative when it came to pork: they almost always cooked the same 2 or 3 recipes with the same traditional and expected cuts.
However, the gap between consumers’ perception and the reality was tremendous.
– Due to their innovative spirit and passion, Quebec pork producers’ expertise ensures that Quebec pork meat is considered a lean meat. In fact, fresh pork cuts are approved by the Health Check program, the Heart & Stroke Foundation program regrouping food items that meet nutrient criteria developed by the Foundation’s registered dieticians based on recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide.
– Quebec pork is the meat with the highest number of cuts with 32. It is renowned by chefs all around the province for its versatility. Chefs treated Quebec pork like a blank canvas to express their personality. Some cuts, like the osso bucco, and the racks are exclusive to Quebec, a consequence of the high quality of the meat.
b) Communication Strategy
The overall communication strategy had to rest on the following key strategic elements:
– Differentiate Quebec pork from foreign pork by educating people on the superior quality of Quebec pork in ABL instead of putting forward recipes like everyone does these days to increase volume in the food category. In general, meat advertising presents recipes to consumers. However, with the Internet and proliferation of cooking books and shows, finding inspiration has never been easier. Nowadays, people give equal importance to the content of their plates and how they will cook it. Focusing on the raw product, the pork meat instead of recipes was a way to differentiate our message from the competition.
– Allow people to rediscover a product that they all know by presenting new pork cuts unique to Quebec pork. Quebec pork is the only pork in the world that is sold as osso buco and racks. Highlighting theses exclusive cuts, two of the most expensive fresh pork cuts available, raised the brand’s prestige and created an organic demand for Quebec pork.
– Use a call to action in every execution to invite people to ask for Quebec pork at POS. Using a pull strategy, put pressure on the retailers to put more Quebec pork on the shelves.
From these strategies, the big idea emerged: we decided to communicate the concept of “change” that has made it possible to improve the product.
Year 1 : breaking the fat perception
Use a meaningful nutritional fact to reach our target’s rational side. Provide a simple and evocative fact proving Quebec pork has changed that people will remember at POS which will increase our chances of it making it into the grocery cart. And the biggest change about Quebec pork is that it now has 30% less fat than 25 years ago.
Year 2 and 3 : breaking the conservative perception
To change the perception we decided to make Quebec pork the most versatile meat available: a meat which, thanks to the 32 cuts, guaranteed an enjoyable and tasty meal, regardless of the reason or the occasion, and highlight their usage through something else Quebecers love – their celebrity chefs.
Showing Quebecer’s love for different cuts of, specifically, Quebec pork was critical in all media to inspire action. However, we also needed to communicate how to prepare these new cuts.
Section IV — KEY EXECUTIONAL ELEMENTS
a)Media Used
Year 1 :
• Television 30 sec.
• Print: magazines
• Print: newspaper stunt
• Online: pre-roll, web banners and official website landing page design
• In-store tactical event
• Branding: logo redesign
• Launch event: “Gourmet Manifestation”
Year 2 :
• Television 30 sec.
• Print: magazines
• Print: newspaper stunt
• Online: pre-roll, web banners and official website complete redesign
• In-store tactical event
• Branded content : cook book launch
• Branded content : TV show integration
• Launch event: “32 cuts. 32 emotions”
Year 3 :
• Television 30 sec.
• Television : close captioning
• Print: magazines
• Print: newspaper stunt
• Online: pre-roll and web banners
• In-store tactical event
• Brand activation : partnership with famous chef Ricardo
• Branded content : TV show integration
• Launch event: “Chef battle”
b)Creative Discussion
From Snout to Tail is a good way to summarize the creative for the Quebec Pork Producers — from end-to-end we leverage various media vehicles to strategically accomplish different goals, the sum of the experience will deliver on our objectives.
The campaign used the notion of change as the backbone of all executions. The new line “Quebec pork has changed. Change for pork.” encapsulated the essence of the message and invited people to rediscover Quebec pork meat. Television, the centerpiece of the campaign, featured endearing characters resistant to novelty who finally evolve thanks to Quebec pork.
Year 1 :
• All executions communicated a simple but relevant fact: Quebec pork is nearly 30% leaner than 25 years ago.
• To amplify the notion of change, a new, more modern logo was also created. The colour blue was used to refer to both the product’s Quebec origins and the grocery store’s light blue visual code, which indicates healthy food.
• The paper dominations in La Presse featured various ways of preparing high-end Quebec exclusive cuts of pork. For each execution, partnerships with grocerie stores were made in order to increase the presence of these cuts on the shelves, cuts that they don’t usually carry that much
• The other pieces (print, web banners, official website landing page design, POS, newspaper stunt and in-store tactical event) also fit into the concept of change and illustrated a specific moment of evolution in how we live.
Year 2 and 3 :
• Television was used to communicate that pork is not bland. Three spots ran showing how eating pork is an emotional experience – each featured someone who used to be an “emotional eater” and is now “emotional when they eat”. The digital display showed the same characters getting excited by the website recipes that appeared rotating below them in the ad.
• Two branded content initiatives took place. First, in year 2, the TV show Et que ça saute!, the Quebec counterpart of Masterchef, dedicated an entire episode to Quebec pork, where candidates were invited to pick one of the 32 cuts and cook a magnificent dish with it. Then, in year 3, the TV show Appolo dans le frigo dedicated an entire episode to Quebec Pork, where the chef Giovanni Appolo was invited to cook for a Quebec pork producers entourage.
•A partnership with famous chef Ricardo has enabled Quebec Pork to organize a brand activation in grocery stores (breakthrough co-branding initiative with Quebec pork and Ricardo on shelves) and in Ricardo magazine to highlight the creativity of Quebec pork.
To further support the fact that Quebec pork provides unlimited creative freedom for consumers, a recipe book was developed. Repeating the visual of the campaign, the book, The Pig from Snout to Tail presents the 32 cuts in 107 recipes from 46 chefs. While the collection of recipes was available in bookstores, it was also available at grocery stores in special display stands in the meat section.
In year 2, the book was officially launched as part of the “Beast & Feast” gourmand event where 600 guests, including chefs, pork producers, retailers, personalities and consumers showed up to pay tribute to Quebec pork. In year 3, an event was organized to generate media and retail support. Tailored to 600 guests – retailers, press, consumers and producers, the event culminated during a live battle of the chefs presentation.
c)Media Discussion
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Section V — BUSINESS RESULTS
a) Sales/Share Results
According to a 2013 analysis of data from the firm AC Nielsen supervised by the Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), pork sales volume in Quebec grew by 6.62% from 2011 to 213, 5X the fresh meat industry (+ 1.47%) average.
Year 1 :
The campaign ran from September 19, 2011, to December 19, 2011. Changing the fat perception of pork was the right strategic choice. The perception that pork is a lean meat grew by 5 points among Quebecers, a 21% increase (from 24% to 19%).
When comparing the pre-campaign and post-campaign periods, we find that:
• The average weekly consumption of pork (fresh cuts only) grew by 9 points among Quebecers, a 28% increase (from 32% to 41%)
• The awareness level in regards to pork meat bought in Quebec not necessarily being Quebec pork grew by 6 points among Quebecers, a 10% increase (from 59% to 53%).
Also, according to Pierre Théroux, Head of Meat Marketing at IGA, the Quebec division of Sobeys, the campaign generated sales growth of 17% of the total pork category compared to the same period the year before. Again, according to Mr. Théroux, the campaign resulted in a 400% sales lift for pork osso buco and a 350% sales lift for pork racks, the two SKUs targeted during the event.
Year 2 :
Stretching from Sept. 17 to Dec. 16, 2012, the campaign generated very favourable results.
• The average weekly consumption of pork (fresh cuts only) grew by 4 points among Quebecers, a 10% increase (from 41% to 45% for the campaign period)
• Consumers report an increase that the origin of pork is important: (77%) + 5% compared to the end of 2011
• Consumers increasingly recognize the quality of Quebec pork (78%) + 5% compared to the end of 2011
• The campaign has generated a lot of interest for the various cuts of pork Quebec: 63% of respondents said that Quebec pork, thanks to its 32 cuts, allows them to express their creativity in the kitchen, a 21% increase (from 52% to 63% for the campaign period).
• The new Web site received 96,000 visits during the campaign, an increase of 13% compared to the same period the year before
• Less than 3 months after the launch, we sold 14,000 copies of the cookbook The Pig from Snout to Tail, or all of the first two runs of 7000 copies each at $30/book — $420,000 in revenue
• Significant increase at key banners during the campaign period: mean + 25% of sales on exclusive Quebec cuts.
Year 3 :
According to the omnibus post-campaign report produced in December 2013, the campaign, which ran from Sept. 9 2013 to Dec. 20 2013 garnered excellent results:
• The average weekly consumption of pork (fresh cuts only) grew by 4 points among Quebecers, a 10% increase (from 40% to 44% for the campaign period)
• Consumers increasingly recognize the superior quality of Quebec pork vs. pork from other provenances, a 15% increase (from 61% to 70% for the campaign period)
• The campaign has generated a lot of interest for the various cuts of pork Quebec: 63% of respondents said that Quebec pork, thanks to its 32 cuts, allows them to express their creativity in the kitchen, a 21% increase (from 52% to 63% for the campaign period)
• Significant increase at key banners during the campaign period: mean + 30% of sales on exclusive Quebec cuts.
b) Consumption/ Usage Results
c) Other Pertinent Results
d) Return on Investment
Section VI — CAUSE & EFFECT BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND RESULTS
a)General Discussion
By all measures, because of the specificity of the Quebec market, it can be certain that no other factors affected the results.
b)Excluding Other Factors
Spending Levels:
The total advertising spend was $920,000 per year, which is relatively small compared to the competition.
Pricing:
There were no pricing strategies related to pork during this period and no product enhancements.
Distribution Changes:
There’s was no growth regarding the distribution network. Quebec pork was already distributed in all the major grocery chains in Quebec before the covering period.
Unusual Promotional Activity:
With no other marketing activity or aggressive price promotion running at the time, the campaign is the key to the success of pork sales. According to an Ipsos post-campaign study, the statements directly related to the messages conveyed by the campaign are evaluated more positively by respondents who were exposed to the campaign.
(See files YEAR 1-2-3 IPSOS stat)
Other Potential Causes:
The target’s core audience, 35- to 54-year-old women (Primary Grocery Shoppers), which were directly impacted by the campaign, had learnt something relevant about a product they had been familiar with for a long time. Also, according to the Quebec Pork Producers, there’s nothing that suggests a seasonal effect in sales, since pork sales are usually steady all year. In fact, it is the first time since mid-2009, the last time the Quebec Pork Producers ran a marketing campaign to promote Quebec pork, that pork sales went up for three consecutive months.