Canada Pork chooses more aggressive marketing approach

The team at Canada Pork seeks to prioritise the quick resolution of technical market access issues, support a business-focussed partnership between the pork industry and government, and support trade agreements that involve pork. The association also collaborates with industry stakeholders to diversify export options in global markets.

Canada is the world’s third-largest exporter of pork after the European Union (EU) and the US, exporting 71% of production – and Canadian pork producers want it to stay that way. World competition for pork exports is fierce, with many countries looking to expand their market reach.

To develop diverse export options for Canada, social media is sometimes employed. For example, this year Canada Pork’s Japan office (collaborating with the government of Alberta’s office there) again promoted Canadian pork and Alberta barley on Instagram. Specifically, they paid a foodie ‘influencer’ with over 130,000 followers to post images and videos of original recipes she created using Canadian pork and Alberta barley.

Canada Pork notes that “this promotion had a positive effect on the Japan Instagram account, increasing followers from 2.700 at the end of April to over 3,000 followers at the end of May – a 10% increase in followers during this one promotion.”

Now that the pandemic has abated, delegations from Canada also actively promoted pork in person across the world this year, and this will continue in 2023.

As reported recently by Canada Pork’s Kevin Mosser, senior director of Global Marketing, representatives from Canada Pork and Canada Beef visited events in several countries in Asia. For example, the World Food Expo (WOFEX) was held in Manila, the Philippines, in August. There were over 50,000 attendees to this show.

Mosser also reported that while in Manila, Canada Pork worked with the Canada’s federal government business development bureau in the Philippines, enabling over 75 Filipino buyers to meet with Canadian companies over 3 days.

In September, Canada Pork and Canadian company delegates attended the Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) trade show in Singapore.

That month, Canada Pork also attended ‘China Meat Industry Week,’ which included a conference and trade show. Canada Pork co-exhibited at the show for the first time with Canada Beef. “Traffic to the booth was brisk and sharing the booth with Canada Beef allowed for the referral of clients between the 2 organisations.”

In September, Canada Pork also hosted meetings in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam between Canadian pork firms and local importers.

In October, Canada Pork also teamed up with Canadian pork exporters to attend the famous SIAL Paris, one of many ‘SIAL’ international food and beverage shows held each year across the globe.

October also saw the Canadians travelling to Anuga in Cologne, Germany, a food trade shows that attracts exhibitors and visitors from around the world. The organisation exhibited with a booth alongside Canada Beef and the Canadian Bison Association, the first time the 3 meat associations collaborated on a shared space.

This week from November 8 to 10th, Canada Pork will promote at FHC Shanghai, the leading comprehensive global food exhibition platform in China. In February, it will attend Expo Carnes in Monterrey, Mexico.