National Pork Board members kicked off National Pork Month by shedding light on new market opportunities for United States pork products.
New research finds, ?Latinos consume pork at a higher frequency than non-Hispanics.?
The National Pork Board (NPB) recently examined key behaviors, attitudes and cultural nuances of U.S. Hispanic shoppers. Jose D? Jes?s, director of multicultural marketing, says Hispanic shoppers ?present a compelling case? for the pork industry.
?It?s a market that has an affinity for the product, and I think it presents a compelling case for the pork industry to capitalize on,? D? Jes?s said.
The new report, Time to Tango: Latinos are Pork’s Future, outlines ways the United States pork industry can better serve its Latino consumers. The first step in achieving this goal is to provide greater access to desirable cuts.
?What that means is having products that are relevant to the Latino culture,? D? Jes?s said. ?They can?t buy the products now because they are not available at the store, so it?s (about) identifying products relevant in the culture and introducing them.?
The research also suggests ?Hispanics are six times more likely to buy fresh pork from an ethnic market than non-Hispanics.? Supermarkets must look into offering more authentic foods, as the Latino market is not ?one-size fits all,? due to cultural nuances.
?A Puerto Rican thinks differently than a Mexican. They have different behaviors and needs, and ultimately, their food preferences may be different. So you have to understand the market you?re playing in and do a hyper-local type of approach,? D? Jes?s said. ?(There is) also opportunities with flavor.?
Similar to all consumer markets, U.S. Hispanics struggle with misconceptions. National Pork Board members have called upon industry proponents to help share the health benefits of pork.
?All consumer segments have a little bit of misconception about pork. This report (shows) Latinos are no different. We?re calling for the industry to start addressing this with key messages, to start dispelling some of the myths,? D? Jes?s said.
