An eye-catching label on packages of pork is proving to be a small but mighty tool to drive pork sales at major supermarket chains like Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly in South Carolina and Winn-Dixie in Florida.
"This is the year of the label in the Southeast," says Mike Walser, retail marketing manager, eastern division, for the Pork Checkoff, who noted that 276 high-volume stores in the U.S. military's Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) are also interested in the on-pack labels. "Recent research has shown that labels increase retailers' sales by 6 to 10 percent, and we're glad to help retailers implement labeling programs for pork."
The Pork Checkoff has worked with Yerecic Label to design an "Easy Cooking" labeling program that's being implemented at the retail level. The on-pack, triangular-shaped corner labels can feature a pork recipe, a photo of the pork dish, cooking instructions, nutritional information and a coupon, in some cases. The label recipes can cover a variety of pork products, including roasts, chops, ground pork and more.
"On-pack recipe labels are the basic component of a successful meat case marketing program, because they offer an effective way to provide consumers with new mealtime solutions," Walser says.
To keep the labeling program fresh, the Pork Checkoff works with retailers to include new pork recipes on the labels as the seasons change. In addition, a color-coded system that clearly identifies pork products can be used to coordinate the appearance of the on-pack labels, in-store signage and advertisements, making it easier to consumers to shop the meat case.
"Once retailers implement a labeling program, they tend to stick with it, because it lays the foundation to build pork sales for the long run," Walser says.
For more information, contact Mike Walser, MWalser@pork.org, 239-566-9672.
Source: The Pork Checkoff
