Meat+Poultry - April 2018 - 8

C O M M E N TA R Y

Behind the smoke
After attending the National Barbecue
& Grilling Association (NBBQA)
2018 National Conference in March,
it became clear to me that the world
of barbecue is very different than it
was 10 years ago. It's now populated
by competitive and savvy business
operators looking to capitalize on
every available technology and social
media-based marketing opportunity.
Today's pitmasters and barbecue
restaurants are recognized with
national culinary awards and regional
rankings create heated debates as ribs,
brisket and pork butt are sought out by
diners across the country. The variety
of spice rubs, sauce and the array of
high-tech gadgets are almost endless.
What might have once been considered
a passive community of fire-loving,
beer swilling wannabe pitmasters, has
evolved. The barbecue industry today
is comprised of a passionate and tightknit community of competition teams,
resilient restauranteurs, innovative
suppliers and world-class marketers.
A perfect example is Chad Ward,
owner of Whiskey Bent BBQ, a
competition team in Lakeland, Florida.
Ward's prowess as a pitmaster put
him on the map, but it's his infectious
personality and barbecue expertise
that has made him a superstar online.

As the director of marketing - BBQ
for Traeger Pellet Grills, Ward draws
thousands of online views, likes
and shares with his Traeger cooking
demonstrations in addition to his "In
the Pit" barbecue show each week on
outdoorcookingchannel.com.
An early adopter of blending
technology and barbecue, Greg Rempe
was a presenter at a session titled,
"The Age of Digital Content." Rempe
hosts a live, weekly podcast, "The BBQ
Central Show," which he started in 2005
and in 2008 evolved to a "live" weekly
podcast on internet radio. He refers
to his show as the "ESPN of the live
fire cooking industry." He interviews
competitive barbecue cooks, cookbook
authors and other barbecue experts.
The wildly popular show also spawned
The BBQ Central Show website, a
sponsor-supported information portal
that includes news and archived
podcasts from previous interviews
along with links to the show's social
media platforms.
He attributes his success to his
access to a steady stream of guests,
committing to a schedule and
consistently following the schedule,
all to avoid what he calls pod-fade,
which happens when a podcast loses
momentum and ultimately dies on the
virtual vine.
Malcom Reed, pitmaster with
Killer Hogs BBQ, found gold with his
HowToBBQRight YouTube channel,

which has a following of about 238,000
subscribers. The channel provides
weekly barbecue tips and recipes in an
unpretentious style.
"We just kind of found our way in
the YouTube world," Reed said during
the NBBQA's digital content session.
He and his wife began producing the
videos using a flip phone and uploading
them to YouTube so subscribers to their
newsletter could view them. They've
since upgraded cameras slightly, but
videos are still produced from the
couple's home and a new one is posted
each week. The videos drive viewers to
the Killer Hogs website, which includes
an online store where barbecue tools,
sauces, rubs and promotional hats
and t-shirts are sold. He attributes the
success he's had on YouTube to his
genuine approach.
"I handle my videos and my content
like I'm talking to my buddies; like
they're there cooking with me," he
said. Never did Reed fathom he'd have
the following he does when he started,
but he believes YouTube is appealing
to the masses.
When it comes to digital marketing
though, "the worst thing you can do is
not do anything," Reed said, "whether it
be blogs, podcast or videos. Marketing
is changing. You can reach so many
more people without spending as much
money by doing social media now. It's
changing the face of business."
J O E L C R E WS, E D I TO R | j c r e w s @ s o s l a n d .c o m

The barbecue industry today is comprised
of a passionate and tight-knit community of
competition teams, resilient restauranteurs,
innovative suppliers and world-class marketers.

8

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Meat+Poultry - April 2018

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