Think power, think prosperity, think U.S. rice!
Feb 14, 2024
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Saturday, February 10, marked the start of the Chinese New Year when the zodiac sign of 2023, the rabbit, made way for the mighty dragon in 2024. The Chinese horoscope predicts a prosperous year for the dragon, representing authority, prosperity, and good fortune.
Chinese New Year or Lunar Year celebrations last for around 15 days, and U.S. rice, which remains a particular favorite among the Chinese community in the UK, is consumed in large quantities in a wide range of traditional Chinese dishes.
USA Rice partnered with two major U.S. rice brands in the UK during the lead up to Chinese New Year with a bigger than ever collection of outdoor billboards, influencer posts, and targeted Instagram reels on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and search pages like Google, all promoting U.S.-grown rice.
In total, 188 digital poster sites plus digitally animated screens were created and installed in Chinatowns and Chinese commercial hubs throughout the UK’s largest cities – London, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham – as well as areas populated by new arrivals from Hong Kong.
“This year we’re delighted to see the enthusiasm and creativity shown by our partners in embracing the year of the dragon promoting U.S. rice,” said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “The Chinese sector is still one of the most important segments for U.S. rice sales in the UK, and festivals and events are an important part of that culture, which in turn allows USA Rice to participate and help increase awareness and sales for U.S. rice.”
The UK is the single largest U.S. rice market in Europe, importing on average 25,000 MT each year of long, medium, and short grain, as well as wild rice. Diverse market segments here, including Chinese, Afro-Caribbean, Japanese, and Korean, as well as the mainstream retail market are all consumers of different types of U.S. rice, creating opportunity for continued growth in all segments.