‘Potential, not a problem’

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 20

‘Potential, not a problem’

An increase in the consumption of lamb in the United States by only one pound per person per year would require a further 100,000 tonnes of lamb supplies. Present United States consumption is 1.51 b (0.68 kg “This is what the marketers would call not a problem but a potential,” said the North American director of the N.Z. Meat Board, Mr M. A. Jones, in Christchurch last week. Mr Jones was here for the annual meeting of the Laipb Promotion Co-ordinating Committee, a joint venture between New Zealand and the United States to “generi-

cally” promote lamb in the United States market. Mr Jones said a study commissioned by the L.P.C.C. in the late 1970 s showed that 50 per cent of Americans would be happy to eat lamb in the right circumstances. Now the L.P.C.C. was putting together a promotion for lamb which stressed the nutrient value, simplicity and versatility of the meat. The programme administrator for the L.P.C.C., Mrs LeAnn Nelson, explained that the main target group for the campaign was called the “new wave.” These people were mostly in their 20s or 30s, ' were spur-of-the-moment shoppers, liked vari-

ety, were creative cooks and reasonably affluent.

Other targets were older lamb eaters who could be influenced to increase their consumption and the average medium-income family, which would buy more lamb if it had the money. Most of the budget of the L.P.C.C. promotion, to which the N.Z. Meat Board has contributed $200,0(10 a year for two years, would be spent in 12 cities where it was judged there was the best chance of making an impact with a generic campaign on lamb. It would be mostly a television campaign, with some radio and newspaper advertising. The campaign would employ a presenter, who was a well-known food expert called Bob Lape. He would be going on daytime TV talkshows, which were aimed at the homemakers.

“Americans have a good deal to learn about the merits of lamb,” said Mrs Nelson. “To create an awareness in the minds of consumers is very important.” Mrs Nelson is also employed by the American Sheep Producers’ Council, in Denver, Colorado.

She said that a major part of her work 1 in promoting lamb was dealing with the female nutrition extension officers who wrote newspaper articles and commented on TV programmes about food and its preparation.

She also promoted lamb among the home economics teachers in schools where it was most likely that teen-age girls in cooking classes had never prepared or eaten lamb.