Millions of social media users spend hours on their favorite platforms seeking information, news, entertainment, and thoughtful conversations. About 162,000 of those users are getting all of those things from a frozen meat brand’s Twitter account.
Steak-umm’s Twitter account has more than doubled its following since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to its clever and witty content focused on critical thinking, media literacy and data mining among other topics. The meat company’s Twitter platform, which has nabbed national attention, is an unlikely place where celebrities like Tony Hawk or public officials like Mayor Bill Peduto would search for commentary on how to combat misinformation during a global health crisis.
But tweets like, “today’s beef tip: screenshots on twitter are not credible sources” are attracting a large audience thanks to Allebach Communications, the Pennsylvania-based marketing firm that runs Steak-umm’s social media.
Thank you, ummm, PA-based frozen meat company. In a crisis, individuals and organizations should be guided by their “true north” of priorities and decisions based upon rational, data-driven analysis and methods.
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) April 11, 2020
There is wisdom in them meats. https://t.co/SUzAsWCQfU
What's so strange but bemusing sometimes is how organizational social media can play out. Yes, right now we're following @steak_umm on this topic. Admittedly and happily doing so.
— Pennsylvania Treasury (@PATreasury) April 17, 2020
But they are spot on about how important it is to be discerning with your information right now.
Account Director Jesse Bender said becoming a part of the online conversation has been the goal for Steak-umm’s brand since Allebach, located in Montgomery County, acquired the affordable meat company as a client in 2015. While the firm’s use of voice to engage an audience began years ago, Mr. Bender said the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic made his team carefully decide on how to carry that voice into a time of “uncharted territory.”
“Whenever this whole thing came to a head at the beginning of March, we all came together and we agreed that now wasn’t really the time for memeing or jokes or even creating levity at that point,” Mr. Bender said. “It was more, ‘Let’s just listen.’ Let’s just see what’s going on.”
Those conversations turned into a strategy that sought to bring people together during partisan and divisive times. Steak-umm’s Twitter account ran by social media manager Nathan Allebach began churning out threads like “how we can come together amidst this pandemic and economic crisis, despite the challenges of misinformation, media inundation, partisanship, and cultural polarization.”
here are some thoughts on how we can come together amidst this pandemic and economic crisis, despite the challenges of misinformation, media inundation, partisanship, and cultural polarization. THREAD
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 3, 2020
critical thinking beef tips, A THREAD
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 24, 2020
critical thinking is not a singular skill. it’s a constant state of metacognition, measuring evidence, and recognizing when to defer to experts. it's analyzing this tweet's substance, motivations, credibility, and source, not just reading it
The brand’s coronavirus content is backed by an authentic voice that attracts a millennial audience, said University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Center for Branding director Vanitha Swaminathan who believes Steak-umm’s content is needed during this period of uncertainty.
“I think Steak-umm had already ‘staked’ (no pun intended) out a presence on social media through their authentic voice, and their shift towards providing honest and clear information about the pandemic is an interesting and thoughtful shift,” Ms. Swaminathan said via email. “Given that audiences are looking for clear and honest information, in these scary and uncertain times where misinformation and polarization are proliferating, this move seems to be appropriate.”
Why Steak-umm?
Of the dozens of brands that Allebach has worked with, why would a marketing firm choose a frozen meat company to be the voice of reason during a pandemic? Mr. Bender said its because of the Souderton-based company’s relationship with this particular client.
Steak-umm’s marketing director, Joey Piazza, gave Allebach the reins to creatively execute the rebrand of a legacy item that isn’t well known among younger consumers. That freedom coupled with the company’s belief in sincerity and community made for a winning formula for a social media account that never sets intentions on going viral.
sadly, the rumors are true... i am a frozen meat brand managed by a marketing team
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 22, 2020
“We always ask ourselves, ‘Does this content make sense for our audience and will it bring value to our audience?’” Mr. Bender said. “Some of it is obviously silly and kind of off the wall, but we’ve been very critical of the information that we bring. Whenever we put something out there, it’s thought provoking because we value the relationship with the audience.”
Mr. Bender prefers the word “audience” over “consumer” because the Steak-umm account has followers that are vegan and vegetarian, a demographic that would tend to stray away from the frozen meat aisle. But the brand’s content has been able to attract nearly 100,000 new followers during the pandemic, a result of what Mr. Bender says is complete honesty about who they are and what the intentions are behind each tweet.
“We thought there was room for a weirdo kind of voice out there,” Mr. Bender said. “The Steak-umm brand is that kind of friendly but weird voice.”
Transparency is key
Allebach Communications strives towards being transparent with its marketing tactics. The social media team has made sure to remind Steak-umm’s followers that it is a frozen meat brand discussing issues related to a global pandemic, but at the end of the day the goal is always to get you thinking about their product.
On April 17, the account tweeted, “note: all companies have a bottom line, so anything we publish is a form of propaganda to encourage positive association and memory with our brand, despite whatever our intentions. remember to consume advertising and PR with skepticism, even if the message is ‘helpful.’ ”
Ms. Swaminathan called the company’s honesty “refreshing” while Mr. Bender says it’s intentional for many reasons.
“We’re in a callout culture. We’re going to beat you to calling us out,” he said. “Yes, we are trying to bring a product to the top of your mind. It’s a product that if you’re over 40 you know it well, you may have grown up on it or made it yourself. If you’re under 40 or even under 30, it’s a product that we have to make relevant again ... . If we are going to personify a brand, what better tactic to take than to be on Twitter and to get into conversations.”
note: all companies have a bottom line, so anything we publish is a form of propaganda to encourage positive association and memory with our brand, despite whatever our intentions. remember to consume advertising and PR with skepticism, even if the message is "helpful"
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 17, 2020
After the pandemic
Since Allebach began managing Steak-umm’s Twitter in 2017, the meat company has seen double-digit growth in sales year over year, according to Mr. Bender. Whether the COVID-19 banter has contributed to an uptick in sales is hard to say since grocery store aisles have been scarce of pretty much every product the last few weeks.
.@steak_umm bless.
— craig newmark (@craignewmark) April 27, 2020
Or, cult of delicious frozen meat, initiated... pic.twitter.com/hX0gq5m6n9
But what Mr. Bender does know is that Steak-umm’s presence will continue on post-pandemic as the brand looks to continue to challenge its audience. “Part of what allowed us to be part of the conversation is that at the core of the voice is a thoughtful, compassionate, thought provoking message…. Nothing is really going to change for us a whole lot. We will continue to question things, we’ll continue to encourage self-evaluation… that kind of stuff.”
As for social media user’s perception of the meat brand, one Twitter user described it best: Steak-umm has gone from “broke meat” to “woke meat.”
How you gonna be out here delicious and informative? When I was a kid you was broke meat, now you woke meat. https://t.co/o3K6S7uNka
— Corey Richardson (@vexedinthecity) April 18, 2020
Alexis Johnson: ajohnson@post-gazette.com and Twitter @alexisjreports
First Published: April 28, 2020, 7:31 p.m.