Posted May 31, 2012

 

People are rekindling the flame with their grill as they put everything on the table for Walmart’s new “Dibs on My Ribs” contest.

 

“Walmart was so pleased with the Pork Checkoff’s support for the ‘No Ordinary Burger’ promotion last year that they are following up with this new contest, which will run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day,”says Rob Kirchofer, national retail marketing manager for the Pork Checkoff.

 

“Dibs on My Ribs” is inspiring consumers to share their favorite pork sparerib recipes for a chance to win free groceries for a year.Recipes can be entered in one of two categories, including outdoor preparation (grilling or smoking) or indoor preparation.

 

Promoting beyond the meat case

The Pork Checkoff has teamed up with Tyson, McCormick seasonings and Kraft barbecue sauce to sponsor this national contest, which is being promoted at Walmart.com, a new Pork Checkoff microsite, social media outlets like Facebook, and signage and tear pads in Walmart stores.

 

“The signage is located in other places beyond the meat case, which helps expand pork’s reach in the store,” says Kirchofer, who adds that the Pork Checkoff is working with select bloggers to generate excitement for the contest.

 

Entrants’ rib recipes will be posted to the Pork Checkoff’s microsite, where consumers can vote for their favorites. In mid-October, finalists will compete at Tyson’s headquarters in Springdale, Ark. Some contestants will use Tyson’s test kitchen to prepare recipes in the indoor cooking category, while other contestants in the outdoor cooking division will prepare their rib recipes outside.

 

The next day, six winners will be honored at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., including three in the indoor cooking category and three in the outdoor cooking contest.

 

Pork contests celebrate good taste
The “Dibs on My Ribs” contest builds on the success of Walmart’s “No Ordinary Burger Recipe Contest” with the Pork Checkoff, which gave the burger a pork-inspired makeover in 2011. 

The contest developed when Johnsonville introduced two frozen pork products, including the Johnsonville® Brat and Italian Sausage Burgers. To promote these new products, the “No Ordinary Burger Recipe Contest” offered consumers a chance to win free groceries for a year.

Pork and prizes are back in 2012 with “Dibs on My Ribs,” which is off to a strong start,Kirchofer says.“Walmart is a great partner for the Pork Checkoff, and we’re pleased to work with them on innovative contests like ‘Dibs on My Ribs’ that promote pork across the country.”