Even As A Vegetarian, I Can’t Get Enough of This Meaty Marketing Campaign

WHAT HAPPENED

It all started harmlessly enough. The Iowa State versus Northern Iowa football matchup was on tv, an early season blowout that is typical of an early September matchup. The camera pans to show the backs of two of Iowa State’s players: defensive lineman Tommy Hamann and linebacker Caleb Bacon. The following was then published on X, below:

WHY WE LOVE THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

It took one brilliant tweet to set a whole new, innovative, memorable social campaign in motion. By tagging the Iowa Pork Producers Association and Brent Blum, an Iowa State alum and the Executive Director of the We Will Collective (“supporting Iowa State athletes through NIL opportunities''), the author of the post, Jacob Ross, strategically set off the social media wheels into motion. It was this seemingly simple act, paired with the brilliant camera shot from the game, that would send the internets off to the races. Audiences everywhere, regardless of purchasing decisions, football interest, diet preferences, or knowledge of anything to do with Iowa were spreading the word, sharing with friends, and encouraging an NIL deal for these two players. For marketers everywhere, this was content gold, and the most organic at that. It was every marketers’ dream.?

MEAT HAMANN BACON

Ironically, just as the Cyclones were handling their opponents on the field, there was a cyclone brewing off of the turf simultaneously. The world of marketing moves fast (no matter where in the world you are), and within a few weeks, the Iowa Pork Producers announced their NIL deal with not just Hamann and Bacon, but also defensive back Myles Purchase and tight end Tyler Moore. The deal in turn, used the four teammates’ names and likeness to generate their new campaign, launched on X on September 25th:

“After the ‘Hamann Bacon’ photo went viral on social media following the Cyclones’ season opener, we knew we had to jump on this opportunity,” said Trish Cook, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “These four young men are not only great football players, they also have strong academic records, and great last names! We couldn’t be more excited to work with them in this fun initiative to publicize Iowa pork.”

PURCHASE MOORE HAMANN BACON

Despite this campaign launching in time for October’s National Pork Month (AKA “Porktober”, eesh), there are a few key lessons we can take away from this incredible campaign, even as it’s just kicking off:

1. Social Media is an essential part of a company’s marketing strategy, and ultimately, business success.We’ll have more stats on Iowa Pork’s KPIs in the coming weeks, but this campaign is a great example of how vital social media is to any company’s continued success. It’s where your potential customers discuss your product, and where they refer their communities to your company. If you aren’t even tangential to that conversation, you’re missing out on key opportunities for your business. Social media is so much more than that thing the kids do. It’s a gamechanger for your bottom line.?
2. Successful social media strategy isn’t just posting content. It’s intentional marketing.Jacob Ross has a background in journalism, and it looks like knows the importance of a good tag, including two key potential stakeholders in his post. Had he just posted the picture, it may have gotten some traction, but may not have been seen by Iowa Pork’s key decision makers. By tagging their handles, it increased the chances of traction and visibility, as others followed up the post by tagging them as well, and garnering their conversations with their tags included. More mentions means higher visibility and increased chances for conversation.?
3. Aligning campaign launches to time-sensitive events is essential to drumming up traction.While the timing of this viral campaign happened to line up right before Porktober, understanding your target audience and what may be impacting their purchasing decisions (such as football season) can make all the difference in the ROI of your campaign. In the case of Iowa Pork, Porktober ties to football already (I know I’ve seen a LOT of hotdogs in those stadiums, for starters, and isn’t a football unofficially called a “pigskin” anyways?), so tying these two concepts together is a natural fit, even without the perfection that is these athletes’ last names.?
4. Don’t underestimate the power of a brand-aligned, well-strategized influencer partnership.People don’t support companies, they support people and their perceived values. It’s part of the reason influencers hold so much sway in our social media-driven world: their audiences trust what they say, and who they recommend buying from. While these four players may not have been influencers to start, they play for a well-known collegiate team with a committed community, in the heart of Iowa Pork’s target demographic. Who wouldn’t be on board with that?
5. Consumers love a feel good campaign. Anytime, anywhere. The world has a lot going on right now, and people are exhausted. Desensitized. Overwhelmed. Mental health is at an all-time low. Anxiety is at an all-time high. People want to feel good! And they want to share content that makes them smile. (Um, anyone else reminiscing on all those Coca-Cola polar bear ads, or the Budweiser horses?) There’s nothing wrong with a G-rated campaign, just give it a little twist. Audiences will appreciate the innovation, without the over-complication.
6. Don’t be afraid to lean into audience-generated content for leads. Iowa Pork Producers Association didn’t create this initial campaign idea, and they didn’t reach out to these players until that initial post went viral (as far as we can tell from an outside perspective). But when they realized the potential this campaign could produce, it was a marketing no-brainer. Within weeks, deals were signed and content had been developed. Listen to what your audience is saying, and how they perceive your company. If it’s in a brand-aligned direction, don’t be afraid to tie into the conversation, and generate some organic, trustworthy dialogue. That engagement is essential!

IN CONCLUSION

Yes, I’m conflicted. As a vegetarian, of course I’m not a huge advocate for endorsing any meat-based marketing. However, that being said, a good campaign is a good campaign, and I have to give credit where it’s due. Will I be enticed to purchase a pork sausage anytime soon? Definitely not. BUT…I am talking about this campaign, and I’m sharing the content, and I’m spreading awareness for their marketing team. So in the end, I am helping Iowa Pork Producers Association’s ROI (danggit). Anyways. I can’t wait to see how this campaign continues to play out throughout “Porktober”, and I’m eager to see more deals that feature humorous, creative campaigns like this one. So Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon. SuperBowl season will be here soon.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2023/09/25/iowa-state-cyclones-football-players-iowa-pork-producers-ink-nil-deal/70963786007/
• https://www.iowapork.org/newsroom/news/purchasemoorehamannbacon#:~:text=The%20Iowa%20Pork%20Producers%20Association,Moore%20Hamann%20Bacon%E2%80%9D%20marketing%20campaign.
• https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38499128/iowa-state-cyclones-football-players-sign-nil-deal-pork-company

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