Olympic medalist Hayley Wickenheiser appears in Maple Leaf Foods’ latest marketing campaign, ‘Protein Builds.’
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is choosing its words carefully.
A new online advertising campaign, launched this week, promotes meat as a source of protein, B vitamins and amino acids, while avoiding any mention of the less savoury side of processed meats such as the ones Maple Leaf sells – including preservatives, which are a source of nitrates and nitrites, and higher sodium levels.
The campaign, called "Protein Builds," actually features very little Maple Leaf branding: It focuses on a larger nutritional message.
It comes at a time when processed meats have been making headlines. Last month, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer announced that processed meat is linked to a slightly elevated risk of colon cancer – although, in contrast to some headlines, describing it as a carcinogen that is as dangerous as tobacco is misleading. The Canadian Cancer Society advises people to consume red meat no more than three times a week, and to view processed meat as a food to be consumed on special occasions.
While Maple Leaf says its new videos are not a direct response to those headlines, they are an attempt to appeal to consumers who are more aware than ever before of health and wellness issues when making their food-buying decisions.
"People are a little bit more conscious of what they are feeding themselves and their families," said Adam Grogan, senior vice-president of marketing, innovation and product development at Maple Leaf. "A lot of people, when it comes to health and nutrition, their first place to go for information is the Internet. So that's where we'll talk to them."
The videos feature Olympic gold-medalist Hayley Wickenheiser – who has been a spokesperson for nearly two years – and Mary Ann Binnie, described in the video as a "home economist," and who is also manager of nutrition and food-industry relations with the Canadian Pork Council. Maple Leaf is currently speaking with others who may feature in similar videos it is planning to produce.
Maple Leaf is the country's leading producer of processed meat: Its Maple Leaf and Schneider brands together have nearly a 40-per-cent share of the $4.7-billion Canadian market, according to research firm Euromonitor. Its closest competitor is Olymel LP, which has a combined 9-per-cent share with its Olymel, Lafleur and Flamingo brands.
In general, the sector is still growing. Processed-meat sales in Canada are up 3.6 per cent this year, according to Euromonitor.
Maple Leaf has seen the increasing popularity of protein-rich foods, which are often touted as important in helping people to feel full and therefore not to overindulge. It is hoping to capitalize on the same trends that have driven sales of snacks such as nuts, protein bars and Greek yogurt. In 2013, it launched a line of snacks called Protinis, which has "taken off like wildfire," Mr. Grogan said.
But while protein is in fashion, processed foods are not. Food companies are trying to respond to consumers who demand more "natural" foods. Loblaw Cos. Ltd., for example, promised in 2012 to strip out all artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners from its President's Choice line of packaged foods. The WHO news was a hit to the processed-meat category.
"On the retail side, we saw a drop," said Robert Carter, executive director at market research firm NPD Group. "Consumers respond to that like never before. They pay much more attention to those messages."
How marketing is used to respond to those messages is not something the industry is keen to discuss. Representatives for Hormel Foods Corp., Sofina Foods Inc., Olymel LP and Kraft Heinz Co. declined to be interviewed for this article.
Maple Leaf says its approach is a longer-term focus on nutrition in its marketing.
"It would be a disservice to consumers' health if they chose to move away from the product category," Mr. Grogan said.
But dietitian Rosie Schwartz takes issue with the marketing of processed meats being presented as nutritional education.
"Just saying you need to be eating meat is not giving a better understanding of nutrition," she said, adding that there is a need to balance the sources of protein in our diets – including fresh meats as opposed to processed, as well as fish and legumes. "I think it's problematic. Canadian consumers need to be told that processed meats are an occasional food. Yes, meat is part of a healthy diet. But processed meats should not be looked on as something you would make for lunch every day."
Editor's note: A Friday Report on Business article on Maple Leaf Foods Inc. incorrectly listed Maple Lodge as one of its brands.