Los Angeles, CA - The Oberto Sausage Co formally launched a public-education campaign teaching consumers about the nutritional benefits of Natural Style beef jerky.
This outreach effort in Los Angeles will be implemented with the help of two Snack Attack teams, traveling throughout Los Angeles in a 15-foot box truck outfitted with bright, new Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky logos and packaging.
One-on-one consumer outreach will be conducted by Snack Attack team members dressed in Oberto uniforms consisting of T-shirts and hats appearing with bikes and backpacks. The Snack Attack teams will provide product samples and premium items to consumers throughout the Los Angeles basin.
The meat-snack industry generated more than $860 million in sales during 1997, and is forecast to reach $1 billion in sales by 1999. Traditionally the category has not drawn much attention despite the fact that meat snacks constitute the fastest growing snack-food category, with 20 percent growth in 1997.
The Oberto Sausage Co. is the No. 1 marketer of Natural Style jerky in the United States, and it controls more than 46 percent of the dollar share in the western United States.
Natural Style Jerky Compatible with Popular Low-Carbohydrate, High-Protein Diets
Natural Style beef jerky interest has benefited from a consumer shift toward healthier, more convenient snacks that appeal to “on-the- go” lifestyles. Oh Boy! Oberto Natural Style beef jerky is a 97 percent fat-free product, with 80 calories and 1 gram of fat per 28-gram serving. In addition, Natural Style jerky can be considered a great source of protein, with approximately 10 grams of protein in each 28-gram serving.
The most important snack-food attribute for consumers could be considered taste, and a recent poll proved consumers think Oh Boy! Oberto Natural Style beef jerky tastes best by a margin of 5 to 1. Further studies reveal that Hickory Smoked, the newest flavor in the Oh Boy! Oberto line, is the most popular flavor for beef-jerky lovers.
New Product and Packaging Debuts In Stores
Oh Boy! Oberto's new, brightly colored packaging will appear in stores beginning summer 1998. According to Tom Barbitta, vice president of marketing, package design and product refinements are the result of extensive consumer research.
“We've talked to thousands of consumers to learn everything that we need to know about how to make both the product and the package the best,” said Barbitta.
“We've tested and re-tested the product and hired a world-class package- design firm -- Tim Girvin Design in Seattle -- to create a package that sets us apart from our competition and screams `health snack food here',” exclaimed Barbitta.
In a recent study the new packaging proved to be more eye catching to consumers than the old design by a margin of 7 to 1.
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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