Objective
Fineman PR was tasked with providing Foster Farms, the largest poultry producer on the West Coast, counsel in protecting their market share during the Avian Influenza media panic.
Challenge
H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI) was front and center in U.S. media as it spread throughout Asia and Eastern Europe. Coverage forecasted an imminent pandemic brought on by proximity to poultry, effectively devastating U.S. poultry producers.
Unlike overseas, H5N1 was not present in the U.S., and domestic poultry were well-protected in the states. Privately-held Foster Farms wanted to safeguard its sales and fill an evident gap in the dialog about AI with a responsible communications program challenging misleading media reports.
Tactics
- Foster Farms’ offered AI FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) in both English and Spanish specifically for consumers, customers and media awareness.
- Ranch tours and interviews with the company’s veterinary experts were scheduled with local Central Valley newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the national media, including CNN and USA Today; statements were crafted outlining the company’s stringent biosecurity practices.
Results
USA Today cover-story placement branded Foster Farms as a consumer market leader. The USA Today cover story and the Associated Press feature in early 2006 represented the turning point in nationwide coverage of the AI issue. Both stories illustrated the preparedness of the U.S. poultry industry by showing the “pains” it was taking – with Foster Farms as its shining example – to prevent AI from ever reaching its flocks and becoming a threat in the U.S. This effectively ended all coverage previously dedicated to forecasts of imminent epidemic. Additionally, if not most importantly, the campaign protected the brand against any declines in sales. In fact, there was an increase in Foster Farms’ sales volume.
