| | Market research digs deep into perceptions about beef, pork and Canadian origins among thousands of consumers in seven U.S. states.
They say the customer is always right. These days, given how quickly consumer sentiment can change, it’s getting harder than ever to pin those preferences down.
Understanding consumer feelings about beef and pork was the goal of a two-part market research study commissioned by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD), with survey design assistance from the University of Alberta. The focus was on consumers in seven states in the western U.S.: Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The Hartman Group carried out the beef portion of the study, while AC Nielsen looked after the pork component. In each case, the company performed a web-based survey of more than 1,000 households.
Moving target for consumer preference
According to ARD Consumer Analyst Diane McCann-Hiltz, a survey of this scale takes time to assess fully, but some important findings have already emerged.
“In both the beef and pork surveys, consumers emphasized the importance of packaging and price,” says McCann-Hiltz. “It is important for exporters to understand that consumers want to see the product through the package and they also want a clean package. Price is always one of the most important factors consumers consider when making a purchase.”
Not surprisingly, the western U.S. consumers surveyed expressed a strong preference for buying U.S.-raised beef and pork.
Consumer Analyst Diane McCann-Hiltz with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development explains how packaging and price influence consumer purchases.
“We found when consumers were asked to express their preference for countries of origin outside the U.S., Canada rated comparatively well,” says McCann-Hiltz. “Somewhat reassuring was that they chose Canadian beef over Australian beef, and Canadian pork over pork imported from Denmark. When prices were introduced into the equation, we found most consumers are not willing to pay a premium for U.S.-labeled beef or pork products.”
McCann-Hiltz and team members Clinton Dobson, John Paul Emunu, Sharon Faye, Darren Chase and Sarah Oliveira are continuing to analyze the findings of the Hartman Group and AC Nielsen studies. They’ll be asking a host of questions about how Alberta beef and pork can more closely meet the evolving needs of this important market.
“The findings on country of origin are not all negative,” says McCann-Hiltz, “and what we learned about the importance of attributes such as humane treatment of animals, as well as natural and tender attributes, provides opportunities to develop differentiated products for this market. These findings also support the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy’s product differentiation initiatives.”
For more information on the beef and pork consumer studies, please contact Diane McCann-Hiltz at 780- 422-6081(dial 310-0000 for toll free) or email diane.mccann-hiltz@gov.ab.ca. |
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