Have y’all seen the Paris Hilton commercial where she is promoting bringing pets to a Hilton hotel? It’s a very pink, blingy, and you can’t miss it, kind of a commercial. Honestly, I am not a fan of Paris Hilton, but I do stay at Hilton properties and when I first saw this commercial, I paused and started thinking about a vacation where I can take my sweet Oakley Mabel (golden retriever). Even though I am not a fan of the commercial, it did make me think and it is making me talk about it here on a national blog. Commercials do work. When you have the right spokesperson, people listen, and it can be a great messaging tool.

At this point I think we all may be familiar with Taylor Swift (again not a fan) and her notion of decreasing egg prices by talking to her fanbase. The TikTok headline was “Taylor Swift's adoring and loyal fanbase have single-handedly caused the price drop of eggs by 13%.” Her “there is nothing that they (my fans) can’t accomplish” attitude has been given credit for this reduction in egg prices. The day after this announcement, egg prices dropped. We know this is coincidence but there are many believers out there, especially that younger generation. They listen to their “heart throbs” just as we did when we were younger.

We (the poultry industry) have never been very good at promoting ourselves. We have had some amazing marketing campaigns, but in general we try and stay low key. I am not sure we can continue to be low key anymore. Since they have taken agriculture out of the classroom, consumers have no clue what we do or what happens between farm and table. We don’t do a great job of promoting ourselves and educating consumers.

So, here is my thought: We need a hero, a “heart throb,” a spokesperson for our industry. I would love to see George Strait but that may not fit the profile for a younger generation. Can you imagine George Strait talking about food safety and meat quality? He can be in his kitchen with a thermometer not washing his chicken and not cross contaminating while he makes his meals. I can picture it. If you can’t picture it, then think about your favorite celebrity. Who would that be?

Whoever it is, we need to do something drastic. We need a spokesperson to dispel these myths and provide some good content that people will listen to and follow. We need someone that has influence and that can educate and promote. We are getting to a point that consumers are creating their own issues – have y’all even seen the prepping in the kitchen sink TikToks? They are cringe worthy!

I have shared my two cents about a spokesperson, but who do you want to see? Let’s figure this out and make it happen. George Strait has my vote!

Our industry needs a George Strait

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