Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has released a report highlighting the success of one of its specific marketing activities in the United States (US) last year which has reached millions of ‘conscious foodie’ consumers.
In December 2019, B+LNZ, Atkins Ranch, First Light and Silver Fern Farms hosted five social media influencers and one freelance journalist on a week-long familiarization trip (FAM Trip) to New Zealand.
The purpose of the trip was to educate the attendees on the benefits of grass-fed meat from New Zealand, its production as well as distribution, and laid the foundation to building a deeper understanding of the country and its uniqueness among consumer audiences.
To-date, the trip has generated 98 pieces of content with an online and social reach of more than 40 million and garnered nearly 126,500 social media engagements.
B+LNZ’s Global Manager – New Zealand Red Meat Story Michael Wan says it is a fantastic result and reflects the real interest in New Zealand’s origin brand story.
“B+LNZ researched and identified consumer media and writers who regularly publish relevant content and invited them to New Zealand. In sharing their experiences with their followers, they have generated an overwhelming interest in New Zealand as an origin brand, particularly from US conscious foodie consumers.”
“We will continue to work with a number of these influencers on further program activity.”
During the trip, attendees generated 61 posts, 102 thousand engagements and 11.8 million reach through their social networks.
Following the trip, the attendees continued to create discussions online about New Zealand’s premium food and farming systems. They posted 37 times after returning home and generated an additional 24.5 thousand social engagements which has had around 28.9 million potential reach.
This includes an article written by freelance journalist, Fiona Tapp, which was picked up by Forbes Magazine and has had around 19.7 million online reach.
Campaign results to date
Six FAM Trip attendees generated:
- 9 new recipes
- 200+ trip photos/assets
- 98 placements (blog posts, social media posts, articles)
- 40,823,032 online and social impressions
- 126,500+ social media engagements
- Garnered positive attendee feedback on the trip, and positive sentiment toward grass-fed beef and lamb from New Zealand
- Established solid relationships between attendees and brands; exploring future content and partnership opportunities
National Broadcast Media in the US
B+LNZ participated in a Super Bowl food-themed segment with Chef George Duran on Good Morning America, a top national morning show in the U.S., during the week leading up the Super Bowl.
George highlighted key New Zealand grass-fed lamb messages, including quality and flavor, and the show talent sampled the recipe on-air.
There was an estimated viewership of 3.5 million with an online and social reach of 72.5 million. The article and video were picked up online by ABCNews.com and Yahoo!
We also participated in a second Good Morning America segment with Chef George Duran, which George conducted via Skype, themed around recipes to make at home while social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because this was a weekend segment, George was able to include New Zealand grass-fed lamb messaging, as well as mention the Atkins Ranch brand and showcase retail packs on camera, which is a rarity for an earned segment on a broadcast show of this caliber in the U.S.
The weekend segment had an estimated TV viewership of 2 million with an online and social reach of 66.9 million. The article and video were picked up online by ABCNews.com and Yahoo!, and GMA shared the recipe on their Instagram.
Building consumer awareness with Silver Fern Farms
B+LNZ is working on an ongoing campaign to build consumer awareness with Silver Fern Farms. Initially, we created a mat release (an advertorial article associated with public relations and advertising) spotlighting an easy, healthy recipe to make at home with Silver Fern Farms lamb steaks, which was regionally distributed to the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT).
The release received 46 placements and had more than 21 million impressions.
What to know more? Webinar for farmers: Global Market & Taste Pure Nature Update
Join B+LNZ’s Global Market & Taste Pure Nature Update on Thursday 25 June from 2–3pm.
In this webinar you will get a global perspective on the red meat sector’s supply chains from one of New Zealand’s largest processors ANZCO, and gain insights into Taste Pure Nature’s marketing activities in both the United States (live from Crafted Communications in California) and China. You will also hear how the sector has pivoted in response to COVID-19 and the plan going forward in a post COVID World.
Speakers include:
- Rick Walker: General Manager Sales and Marketing for ANZCO.
- Kari Ramsey: Senior Vice President, Crafted Communications.
- Michael Wan: Global Manager – New Zealand Red Meat Story for Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
This is your opportunity to hear directly from the people involved and ask your questions in a Q&A session.