The San Jose Group wins EFFIE Award for pork campaign
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 6, 2006
George L. San Jose, president and COO, San Jose Group
Photo: The San Jose Group
Chicago, Illinois – The San Jose Group’s “El cerdo es bueno” campaign earned a 2006 Bronze EFFIE® Award as the “best Hispanic marketing program of the year.” According to The San Jose Group representatives, the campaign increased pork consumption among Hispanics despite their initial misconceptions about pork’s health benefits and quality.
“Our office literally erupted in cheer when we were notified that we won an EFFIE,” said George L. San Jose, president and COO, The San Jose Group. “We pride ourselves on delivering results for our clients. To have our campaign judged as the year’s best in our industry is a career highlight for our team.”
“We are absolutely thrilled. It shows that we are not only capable of changing this by a margin, but we radically changed consumer behavior,” said Jennifer Woods, executive vice president, The San Jose Group. “We changed perspective and behavior which ultimately increases sales.”
The company launched the campaign, which translates into “Pork is good,” in 2002 on behalf of the National Pork Board to promote “the other white meat” to Hispanics. Initial research revealed that Hispanics had misconceptions about pork. Many thought pork was unhealthy because of its fat and cholesterol content and that it posed health risks like trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork.
Utilizing television, outdoor, radio and print advertising, website development, retail promotions and public relations, The San Jose Group embarked on an integrated marketing campaign to convince Hispanics that pork is healthy and safe to eat. The public relations component included an intense media relations effort that enlisted sources to provide culturally relevant information about pork’s nutritional value as well as pork production and quality control practices in the United States.
The San Jose Group believes that the campaign resulted in a 75 percent increase in pork purchase among Hispanics. Company representatives estimate that the editorial coverage they secured approximated 31 million gross impressions, and the equivalent of $1.7 million in media value.
The EFFIE® Award, sponsored by the New York American Marketing Association, is said to honor results. The San Jose Group, one of the oldest independent Hispanic marketing agencies in the U.S., was the only Hispanic agency to receive an EFFIE® this year. The San Jose Group is a consortium of marketing communications companies specializing in reaching the Spanish-speaking Americas. — Sergio Carmona
