Post on 25-Dec-2015
Public Perceptions of Animal Health in the Cattle Herd
January 17, 2013
Carrie ThomasMerck Animal Health
Food Animal Resource Management
Consumers are confused by conflicting messages about beef:
Organic advocacy Animal welfare activists Media/popular authors
Beef industry must help consumers feel more confident about beef by:
Understanding what shoppers believe and want
Providing shoppers with a strong reason to believe in traditional beef
Beef is at a Crossroads
Love / Hate Relationship
TasteBurgers & Steaks
GrillingCows
Cowboy ImageryVersatility
Hormones & AntibioticsFood, Inc.
Corn-fed vs. Grass-fedSaturated Fat
“Factory Farms”
Love Hate
“A relatively doomed diet, because of environment& health implications.”
“I feel conflicted about beef”
“It’s American comfort food”
Source: NCBA
Today’s Discussion Topics
1. Better understand the “public”
2. What questions drive public perception? Are we sending the right message? In the right way?
3. User-friendly beef resources
A Deep Investigation into Shopper Attitudes Toward Beef (2010 - 2011)
Just Ask a Woman Expert Salon: Opinion leaders,
food editors, trend-spotters and nutrition experts
Just Ask a Woman Live: TV talk-show style research with 100 moms
DocuDiaries: A deeper understanding of shopper behavior
The Hartman Group Survey of 2,818 beef consumers focused
on moms and thought leaders
Who is She…Really?
There is a spectrum of shopper personalities, each of which has an impact on the beef industry.
35-year-old mother of two
High school graduate
Works full time outside the home
Annual household income: $50,000
Large social network and active in the community
Meet Julie, a Typical Mom
Primary shopper Favorite stores: Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s Club
and Costco Purchases beef often (primarily traditional) Top purchasing criteria: Safety, quality,
appearance and value Believes:
She knows what is best for her family Likes the choices she has when buying meat The food her family eats is safe Beef is as safe as other meat Regulatory agencies (USDA, FDA, etc.),
farmers and ranchers keep her family’s food safe
Organic food can be too expensive
Julie’s Purchase Behavior
Gary: The orator– 50-year-old college graduate– Married empty nester who works full
time– Household income: $60,000– Asserts his opinion through traditional
means
David: The techie– 33-year-old college graduate– Single, no children– Household income: $40,000– Asserts his opinion online
Meet Gary and David, Thought Leaders
Beliefs Less convinced that food is safe Organic food may be more expensive, but it’s
better for you Experts are credible sources and gatekeepers
for what the family eats
Behavior Less focused on price, more on perceived
quality More likely to buy natural beef More likely to consider the opinions of others Considers factors such as sustainability, animal
welfare and buying local Confident in selection Seek information
Beliefs and Behaviors for Thought Leaders like Gary and David
Beef Consumers by the “Bucket”Bucket 1 Bucket 2 Bucket 3
Positives strongly outweigh negatives30% of population
Positives somewhat outweigh negatives47% of population
Negatives somewhat outweigh positives15% of population
• Surprised and motivated by beef’s health story
• Most DO NOT want to hear about production
• Surprised and motivated by beef’s health story
• Willing listeners when someone shares what they have heard
• Skeptical about beef’s health benefits
• Actively researching/ reading/talking about beef production issues
Source: NCBA
Limiters of Demand Study (May 2012)
Source: NCBA
Moderate beef eaters eat beef 1 – 2 times per week. Moderates are a target segment because they represent the segment of beef consumers who are most likely to be persuaded to increase beef consumption by one more beef meal a week.
Millennials Younger consumers born between 1980 – 2000 and currently represent about a third of all adults. Largest generational cohort at 80 million (larger than the boomers). Highly educated, not very health conscious, difficult to market to. Decisions and information driven by social media. Just now finding their niche in life and society.
Total 18-65 Year Old Consumers100%
42%
35%
Top Limiters of Beef Consumption(Top 10 Frequent Limiters for each consumer segment)
PRICE CONCERNS Percent Frequently Limiting Beef Consumption because of concern
Source: NCBA, May 2012
Top Limiters of Beef Consumption(Top 10 Frequent Limiters for each consumer segment)
Source: NCBA, May 2012
Percent Frequently Limiting Beef Consumption because of concern
QUALITY & SAFETY CONCERNS
They like Farmers, but not the Farming…
What is your attitude towards…
42%
75%
31%21%27%
5%
The ways food is grown and raised The farmers and ranchers who grow and raisefood
Favorable (Top 2) Neither Unfavorable (Bottom 2)
Source: Maslansky survey, October 2011
Who Should Tell the Story?
Who Should Tell the Story?
What matters?
Source: USFRA
People want good food, not cheap food that may have long-term health consequences
– Closer to home: Keep me and my family safe first
What concerns you most …?Total
Unintended long-term health effects 37%Poor treatment of animals 23%Environmental harm 12%Unintended short-term health effects 11%None of these really concern me 17%
“Do I want low cost at the
expense of a healthy item?
NO.”
– Opinion Influencer, New York
“Do I want low cost at the
expense of a healthy item?
NO.”
– Opinion Influencer, New York
What questions drive public perception?
Source: USFRA
What we’re answeringWhat they’re asking
“How are modern farming practices
affecting my family’s long term
health?”
What do they want to hear?
Source: USFRA
What do you believe America’s farmers and ranchers should try to accomplish? Total
Continuously improve the methods they use to provide healthy food 44%
Help consumers know more about where their food comes from 40%
Reassure consumers their food is safe and healthy 37%Identify and share best practices 29%Start a dialogue about how food is grown and raised 25%Give consumers a chance to connect directly with the farmers and ranchers who grow America’s food 25%
“I like hearing that farming is evolving.”– Opinion Influencer, Washington, DC
“I like hearing that farming is evolving.”– Opinion Influencer, Washington, DC
Consumers want to hear from the farmers and ranchers who raise cattle and produce their beef
Make sure you answer their questions and speak in their terms
Consumers have powerful memories associated with beef
Telling the Beef Story
Rethink Your Terms
Resources for Consumers
USFRA: FoodSourceFoodDialogues.com
NCBA: FactsAboutBeef.com & @BeefFacts
FoodSource Search Optimization
Source: USFRA
FoodSource Launched October 24, 2012 27,594 unique visitors to date (representing 26% of all visitors to
fooddialogues.com over the same time period) Average Time Spent with FoodSource: 2:50 (almost triple the site wide
average) 31,511 pageviews FoodSource branding established Extensive StumbleUpon and SEM program launched Nov. 26 FoodSource already being used as landing page/destination to combat
negative press (e.g., Consumer Reports — per ad below) FoodSource callout above the fold to debut mid-December Work already starting on FoodSource2.0 (in the context of wider site
revamp)
Source: USFRA, as of December 2012
FactsAboutBeef.com & @BeefFacts
Source: NCBA
FactsAboutBeef.com & @BeefFacts
Source: NCBA
2,048 views of FactsAboutBeef.com during the week of Dec. 10
About 1.6 million impressions from 322 @BeefFacts Twitter mentions
Doubled @BeefFacts Twitter followers (200 at beginning of week to 400 at end of week)
FactsAboutBeef.com Videos – More than 200 views combined
Focus the Beef Story on Consumers First focus on aligning shared values,
then on specific topics related to beef-production technology
In order to be credible, speak to consumers in their language and address their personal benefits and values
Despite basic level of comfort, concerns about beef technologies must be addressed
Majority of consumers eat beef and are comfortable with traditional beef
Questions?E-mail: beef@merck.com