2007 Annual Report - Manitoba Pork Council

manitoba initiativesPublic Awareness • PromotionsManitoba InitiativesManitoba Pork Council 2007 Annual Report8PUBLIC AWARENESSWith the hog industry underpublic scrutiny for most of 2007,Council focused its advertisingefforts on educating the publicabout hog farming and thecontributions the industry makesto the province. According tomarket research conducted byCouncil early in 2007, the publicat large knows very little aboutthe hog industry in Manitoba.A multimedia advertising campaign waslaunched in March 2007 to educate thepublic about the benefits of the hogindustry, including job creation, economicimpact and environmental efforts. A fourpageinsert in the Winnipeg Free Pressentitled “Straight Talk on Pork” kicked offthe campaign in early March. The insert ranin the Steinbach Carillon, Portage la PrairieDaily Graphic and The Brandon Sun in April.Print ads ran in both the Winnipeg FreePress and Winnipeg Sun through May.Council also produced televisioncommercials and radio spots highlightingkey messages about the Manitoba hogindustry. These commercials ran on awide variety of stations from Marchthrough May to coincide with the CleanEnvironment Commission’s public hearingson the environmental impact of thehog industry in Manitoba. A secondseries of television commercials wasbroadcast in the fall. According to pollingconducted before and after Council’scampaign, public opinion of the hogindustry improved slightly, but it is along-term effort.Consumers were encouraged to “pickpork” when they tuned in to CTV’spopular “Great Tastes of Manitoba”television series. Two new pork showsaired in 2007 and positioned Manitobapork as a wholesome, healthy, versatileand delicious meat. This effort wascomplemented by the production anddistribution of new recipe brochures.Radio listeners listened to Council’sdaily radio program – Farmscape –which is heard on CKLQ in Brandon, inSaskatchewan (in partnership with SaskPork) and worldwide at www.farmscape.ca.As a core sponsor, Council continuesto be very active in Agriculture in theClassroom- Manitoba (AITC-M), whichprovides opportunities to educatechildren about agriculture. Council alsoeducates thousands of people about hogproduction at “Thru the Farm Gate” atBrandon’s Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, theRed River Exhibition’s “Touch the Farm”and “Amazing Agriculture Adventure.”PROMOTIONSManitoba Pork Council launched its PorkSports program in 2007. The goal of theprogram is to reach a wide consumeraudience through the sponsorshipof targeted sporting events. Councilsponsored two Winnipeg Goldeyes gamesand the New Year’s Eve game of theManitoba Moose. Both sponsorshipsincluded excellent promotion, includinglogo placement, commercial spots anda stress pig toss. Council also did aPork on a Bun barbecue prior to bothGoldeyes games, raising money for theField of Dreams Foundation. Council gotmore involved with curling in Manitobaby sponsoring the Manitoba CurlingAssociation’s (MCA) Men’s Bonspiel.The “Hurry Hog” curling program was asuccess in 2007 with participation of 62curling clubs.Manitoban Pork Council’s BBQ Cartprogram served up over 25,606 Pork ona Buns at 186 events. This included 42sponsored events, including 11 COOL Jazzgolf tournaments in support of various