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Gut check: Consumers choose trusted brands when shopping for meat

Buying from brands that align with their values is especially important to today’s consumers, and retailers can boost sales by sharing information that helps create an emotional connection between brands and shoppers.

3 min read

Food

Gut check: Consumers choose trusted brands when shopping for meat

Image: Felipe Paes/Pexels

This post is sponsored by Tyson Fresh Meats.

When consumers fill up their grocery carts, they aren’t just checking price tags and ingredients labels — they’re also looking for brands that align with their values. Stocking brands that consumers deem trustworthy — and sharing their stories with shoppers — can help retailers boost sales and forge important relationships with customers.

This type of pre-purchase gut check is happening more than ever before, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust in 2020, which found that 70% of respondents said trusting a brand is more important today than in the past. More than half (53%) of respondents said trusting the brand or the company that makes a product is the second most important factor when purchasing a new brand, with price being the most important.

Shoppers seek out brands that do better

When it comes to shopping for meat, buying from brands that align with their values and focus on transparency are important factors for many consumers. Almost half (47%) of consumers say they reward brands that share their values, according to the 2020 Power of Meat report by The Food Industry Association. The report also found that 80% of shoppers look for “better-for… products, whether better for them, the farmer, the environment or the planet.”

Commitment to responsible practices is a key pillar of the Open Prairie Natural* Meats brand, and its Openness Promise outlines “our commitment to providing a product that is responsibly produced and independently verified,” said Kent Harrison, vice president of marketing and premium programs at Tyson Fresh Meats. “Through this promise, we share all of our production processes, from the prairie to the plate, so they can trust the brand and meat they are purchasing.”

Transparency equals trust

“We are constantly listening to the consumer and incorporating their feedback into the brand,” Harrison said. “We know that the natural meat consumer is looking for meat that was produced without antibiotics or added hormones.”

He also remarked that animal well-being is among shoppers’ top concerns, and the brand focuses on traceability and transparency to build trust with consumers by showing them where their food comes from.

“As consumers want to learn more about where their food originates and how it got to their table, retailers will need to ensure they have resources readily available to inform shoppers,” said Harrison, who noted that retailers who stock Open Prairie Natural* Meats have access to marketing tools and other materials needed to share this story with consumers.

Sharing stories that highlight the values brands share with consumers can create strong brand loyalty, and consumers prefer manufacturer brands for pork by a 2 to 1 margin versus store brand products, according to Midan Marketing’s Consumer Monitor report for Spring 2019.

“Building brand loyalty with shoppers will keep them coming back for repeat purchases, driving sales in the meat department,” Harrison said.

Learn more about building brand loyalty and the Open Prairie Natural Meats story.

*Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients.