Retail Promotion Encourages Colombian Consumers to Purchase More U.S. Pork

Working to increase U.S. pork retail sales across Colombia, USMEF teamed with Atlantic Food Service – a major importer and distributor – to encourage consumers to purchase frozen U.S. pork cuts at 13 locations in eight Colombian cities. Funded by the Pork Checkoff, the effort centered on point-of-sale promotions at butcher shops and meat counters.

T-shirts promoting U.S. pork were given to consumers who purchased U.S. pork at 13 retail locations in eight Colombian cities

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T-shirts promoting U.S. pork were given to consumers who purchased U.S. pork at 13 retail locations in eight Colombian cities

“The Colombian retail sector is a promising distribution channel for U.S. pork — some at modern retail, but mostly at butcher shops and traditional wet markets – so we made sure to diversify the locations in this promotion,” said Jessica Julca, USMEF representative in South America. “Atlantic was an excellent partner, and they are interested in growing sales of U.S. pork. The company’s U.S. pork imports in 2017 totaled 4,730 metric tons, making them the fourth-largest U.S. pork importer in Colombia.”

T-shirts given to consumers came in two designs

Atlantic has locations in Colombia’s largest cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Cali, Cúcuta and Bucaramanga. Last year, the company announced it was enhancing its foodservice operations.

During the recent U.S. pork promotion, Colombian customers were offered a U.S. pork T-shirt for every 5 kilograms (about 11 pounds) of U.S. pork they purchased.

USMEF’s South America office worked with Atlantic on the t-shirt design, and Atlantic produced about 1,500 shirts. One shirt featured a silhouette of a hog and the words “I Love BBQ,” while the other had an illustration of pork cuts and the words “Come carne de cerdo,” which is Spanish for “Eat pork.”

“Colombian consumers are starting to learn about the quality attributes of U.S. pork and what sets it apart from the competitors’ products, that’s why this promotion was important to create awareness among consumers and provide them with a good experience with U.S. pork,” said Julca.