CHICAGO - Newspaper advertising space devoted to beef increased during the first half of 1997 and lean ground beef ads have appeared more frequently this year, according to a beef industry study.
A Meat Featuring Analysis Program (MFAP) conducted by the National Cattlemens Beef Association and Cattle-Fax, a cattle industry analysis firm, showed advertising space devoted to beef during the first six months of 1997 was record large.
``Beef has been and continues to be very competitively priced compared to other meats, especially pork,'' according to a Cattle-Fax release.
In July, beef's share of retail meat advertising space was 50 percent, versus 17 percent for pork. Beef's share was down two percentage points from a year earlier, but three percent greater than the five-year average, the release said.
Beef ads in the first half of 1997 increased an average of 15 percent from a year ago and were up 27 from 1995, the release said. In the second quarter, beef ads accounted for 49.3 percent of total meat advertisements, up 1.3 percent for the 1996 second quarter and up 6.6 from the five-year average.
Lean and extra-lean ground beef advertisements have increased the past 12 months, rising to 47 percent of all ground beef advertisements so far in 1997, according to the MFAP. Advertising for ground beef that is less lean has declined mid-1980s while advertising for leaner ground beef has increased.
Lean ground beef is 80 to 89 percent lean and extra lean is 90 percent or greater lean.
``This evolution has been a result of retailers responding to requests by consumers for leaner and more healthful ground beef,'' the release said.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
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