National Pork Board @ The San Jose Group.

The National Pork Board has selected The San Jose Group as its first-ever Hispanic advertising, marketing and public relations agency of record after an eight-month review.

Best known for its “The Other White Meat” campaign, which successfully motivated mass-market audiences to embrace pork as a healthy, delicious alternative to chicken and beef, the National Pork Board is one of the nation’s largest livestock commodity organizations, coordinating national and international product promotion, marketing, production, research and education programs.

“According to initial research that The San Jose Group conducted, we know that pork is widely consumed in the Hispanic household, but it is likely limited to traditional dishes that call for it,” said John Hagerla, The National Pork Board’s assistant vice president, Foodservice/Retail Marketing. “We also believe that we may have to overcome many misperceptions that Hispanic consumers face relative to the safety of pork. Therefore, we will be taking an educational approach to build our brand in a culturally relevant way, and expand the consumption of pork within the Hispanic household.”

Hagerla added that The San Jose Group was selected primarily because of its fully developed integrated marketing expertise, brand-building and creative capabilities, as well as its overall fit with the National Pork Board ‘s corporate culture.

Efforts in 2001 will include in-depth consumer research and strategic planning, building a solid brand platform to determine the most effective media marketing mix for 2002. The Pork Board and The San Jose Group foresee a program that will most likely include radio, outdoor and magazine advertising; retail sales promotions; and an aggressive public relations program.

“There was an enormous amount of due diligence and thoroughness to this review,” said George L. San Jose, president and COO of The San Jose Group. “We are honored to have been chosen to launch The National Pork Board’s first-ever Hispanic marketing program, and we’re looking forward to applying our background in packaged goods and retail to increase consumption levels in the Hispanic market.”