Special report – The Marketing of Meatloaf in America is in Crisis!
We, at AMA Tampa Bay, came to the startling realization that, despite the striking similarities between meatloaf and hamburgers, “The Loaf” gets no love and hamburgers take it all! This is a sad situation, folks, and the marketing of meatloaf is clearly at fault. As the professional marketers that we are, it is OUR goal to save the day and win some love for the loaf! Meatloaf will no longer live in the shadow of its smug attention-hog brother, the burger.
Our survey determined that 95% of Americans actually favor the burger over the loaf. Our survey was fun and has no actual research merit, but we hypothesize that the results are true. Ask any American whether he/she would prefer a burger or meatloaf. Most will prefer the burger. If you hold up a picture of a burger next to a picture of meatloaf, the burger will get a smile and the loaf will get…all sorts of unpleasant faces. Also, check out the meatloaf.com website. It’s about as exciting as a trip to the DMV. You get the picture, here.
Now, the funny thing is that people in other countries (like Bulgaria) love and celebrate the loaf. Why do Americans make fun of it, make faces at it, and discriminate against it? This discriminatory treatment of meatloaf makes absolutely no sense. Meatloaf is real, cooked, and freshly served beef…just like burgers, so why the hating? Don’t say it’s because burgers have ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and a bun because no amount of dull salad garnish and cheap prepackaged bread could be responsible for this large of an image discrepancy. If we plunked all of these boring extras on top of a meatloaf, this change would not save the loaf. The crisis is clear here. We need you, marketers of Tampa Bay, to help us stop it. After all, the loaf is meat too!
Give us Feedback
You might think this is silly. However, this is a clear example of how, sometimes, brand image influences consumers’ attitude toward a product more than the product’s actual characteristics do. It provides a wonderful experiment for us collectively as marketers to see what we can do. And we need your opinion. What do you think is wrong with the branding of meatloaf?
Seeking the Love
This is just the beginning of our larger plan to transform the brand perception of the loaf. We contacted Martin Scorsese and asked him to direct a commercial showing the need for meatloaf acceptance. He showed an under-appreciated meatloaf being smuggled over the border because it’s needed elsewhere.
Then, there is the full-length action movie featuring director Michael Bay and staring the Meatloaf Transformer, a meatloaf-loving protagonist who saves the world. Meatloaf and hamburgers become Meatbots and Hambots and it ends in hamburgers being exterminated from the world. In A World Gone Dry, every hamburger wants to be a meatloaf!
Ok.. so none of that is really happening but it could! The point is, it’s not about the meat itself anymore (after all, a vegan co-authored this pro-meatloaf article). It’s about the brand!
Help us share some meatloaf pride!
Tweet an image, a concept, a story, your grandma’s recipe, a video, write a guest blog, conduct some research… yes all about meatloaf. Please help us with this fun experiment to change public perception of the loaf. Include the hashtags #activism and #savetheloaf.
About the Authors
Fany Georgieva
In 2006 Fany landed in Florida straight from Bulgaria and brought with her two Bachelor’s degrees – Broadcast Journalism and Film Production. With such diverse, yet related academic background, she decided the right thing to do was to get a Master’s degree in “something similar”. So, she graduated from the University of South Florida with her Master’s in Strategic Communications. Currently, Fany is a Production Assistant at AVI-SPL Creative Show Services and is constantly on a quest for learning and gaining professional knowledge to establish herself in the field of Communications.
Chiara Tedone
Vegan Who Supports “The Loaf”
Chiara is Digital Content Creator and Blog Manager for AMA Tampa Bay. She is Co-founder and Director of Winning the Fight, a non-profit organization specializing in neurodegenerative disease research. Chiara is also a freelance digital marketer for small businesses and is finishing up her MBA with a specialty in marketing from the University of South Florida. Prior to moving to Florida, Chiara lived in Washington, DC. She earned her BA in International Studies from American University’s School of International Services in 2007 and worked for Booz Allen Hamilton and the Department of Defense thereafter. Her hobbies include obstacle racing, running, swimming, kayaking, SCUBA diving, and opera/classical singing. She also loves country music and chocolate!
Contact Chiara
Email: Chiara at [email protected]
Social Media: LinkedIn