A new industry campaign will try to replicate the success of Veganuary.
‘Meaty March’ was created by meat industry insiders in a bid to promote animal products amid the growing interest in plant-based food. The idea was initially floated in 2018, but did not come to fruition.
A number of industry organizations – including the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) and the Q Guild of Butchers are supporting the campaign, among others.
Meaty March
Tony Goodger, a spokesperson from AIMS, told Meat Management: “Our focus is to challenge the negatives around meat consumption, and we are tired of hearing broadcasters suggest that non-meat diets are healthier than balanced diets.
“For this reason, The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) are fully supportive of Meaty March and will be encouraging our members to support the initiative.
“Meaty March will provide the whole of the meat industry with an opportunity to promote the benefits of meat and poultry in the diet as well as to challenge the notion that plant-based diets are somehow better for a person’s health.”
Why follow Meaty March?
? Have your say on the meat industry
? Combat the negative narrative
? Dispel any disinformation around YOUR industryWe want your help to spread the message of Meaty March! Follow us and have your say #MeatyMarch pic.twitter.com/XcA5NGbrh8
— MeatyMarch (@MeatyMarch2020) February 12, 2020
Februdairy
The latest marketing campaign follows Februdairy – a pro-dairy initiative aimed at promoting milk. Februdairy appears to have failed to have captured the public’s imagination in the same way Veganuary has.
Since the campaign launched in 2018, the hashtag has been hijacked by vegans on Twitter, who have used it to share undercover footage from dairy farms, as well as data about the environmental impact of milk.
A hashtag analysis of Februdairy shows that the most strongly associated hashtag is ‘vegan’ and at the time of writing, the first 19 of the top 20 Februdairy tweets were pro-vegan.
Meaty March’s Twitter handle is @MeatyMarch2020, as @MeatyMarch is already an anti-meat handle.