App Hosts Campaign Encouraging U.S. Pork Purchases in Japan

U.S. pork mascot Gochipo is the star of a new USMEF retail campaign in Japan that uses a social media app to encourage consumers to purchase U.S. pork products online and at supermarkets.

Funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the United Soybean Board, the National Pork Board, the Nebraska Soybean Board and the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, the “U.S. Pork Must Buy” activity is hosted on LINE, a web-based messaging app that has nearly 100 million users in Japan. Known for its interactive nature and its popularity in the rapidly growing e-commerce sector, LINE represents a great opportunity for promoting U.S. products in Japan.

“Utilizing this LINE account, we can share information about U.S. pork more easily and effectively and we can utilize Gochipo to enhance the image of U.S. pork,” USMEF Japan Director Takemichi Yamashoji explained. “LINE users can see what their friends share and can exchange photos and videos. There is also an advertising component to LINE that attracts a lot of attention, especially for food products. It is a natural fit for Gochipo, who has already attracted many new fans through the app.”

The “Must Buy” campaign, which runs through the end of July, awards prizes to consumers who purchase U.S. pork cuts online or at supermarkets and then share photographs of the package label and receipt on the U.S. pork LINE account page.

SOURCE: USMEF