Time to Talk Turkey

Since the dawn of the turkey, humans have been drawn to this particular
bird to share with family and friends during holidays and special
occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Served alongside mashed
potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie and – of course – stuffing, you create a
meal fit for a king. And, although turkeys do appreciate being labelled
and listed as a “special” feast, it is time for people to begin
broadening their menu selections to include turkey in their diet.

Since the dawn of the turkey, humans have been drawn to this particular bird to share with family and friends during holidays and special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Served alongside mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie and – of course – stuffing, you create a meal fit for a king. And, although turkeys do appreciate being labelled and listed as a “special” feast, it is time for people to begin broadening their menu selections to include turkey in their diet.

Turkey anytime The Alberta Turkey Producers are finding that promoting the healthy alternative side to turkey has allowed them to catch consumers’ attention quickly and effectively. Advertisement

Over the past six months, Alberta Turkey Producers (ATP) has been marketing turkey as a healthy choice through our “Choose Healthy. Choose Turkey!” advertising and article campaign. We have had the opportunity to work with numerous talented and brilliant individuals, such as Nikki Broom, a model originally from Drumheller, Alta., and now working with Global One Model and Talent Management in Los Angeles; and Karla Heintz, nutritional educator and author of the book Picky? Not Me, Mom! The overall idea of the campaign is to raise awareness of the benefits of choosing turkey at least once or twice a week.

Not only is turkey a leader in the “lean meat” category, turkey is an excellent source of protein, providing the essential amino acids necessary for the renewal and maintenance of body tissues, and provides food energy. “Now more then ever before it is important for me to watch what I am eating on a day-to-day basis. Turkey helps me to lose the weight I want and keep it off!” Nikki tells consumers. “Making turkey a part of your everyday diet can maintain weight loss and still allow you to eat as though you aren’t dieting at all… minus pop and chips!” she jokes.

Consumers are beginning to take notice. The ATP has received numerous comments from consumers who are pleasantly surprised when they realize that turkey provides numerous meal options any day of the year. Here are a few examples: “You can really buy ground turkey? I thought that was a BEEF ONLY thing? I am very excited for this as I enjoy turkey a lot. Thanks!” – as told to ATP by Debbie in Grande Prairie, or “The model in your ad has really encouraged me to eat more turkey. It is crazy, but I never think to use turkey meat in meals on a weekly basis because my natural instinct was always to grab ground beef and chicken breasts to freeze. Thanks for another option!” from Anna in New Jersey.

Health and weight are constants on everybody’s mind. By promoting the healthy alternative side to turkey, we have been able to catch consumers’ attention a lot more quickly and effectively; having a well-known model to draw the eye to the ad is a key factor, as well. Our website has also seen an increase in visits coinciding with the launch of the new advertisements. Our goal is not quite world dominance and leadership, but we are hoping there will be turkey in lunch kits, for after-school snacks, and as part of healthy family dinners added into the weekly schedule (but still shared among the holidays, too).