Hey Everyone, and welcome to another episode of The BBQ Beat Podcast, where it’s my pleasure to share great stories related to BBQ and Grilling as told by the awesome people who inspire them.
I am your faithful host, Kevin Sandridge… and today we’re delving just a little bit into the world of BBQ and Grilling influencers – in this case as the topic pertains to a company called Meat District.
Understanding the word influencer can sometimes be interchanged with ambassadors, people who companies ask or sometimes contract and pay to promote products or services. I’m sure I don’t need to go into any more detail about what influencers are, but it might be worth considering who they are.
Meat District and the Product Ambassador Model
When companies select social media accounts for their marketing campaigns, they seem to choose several routes.
Brands, products, and services that are household names typically align themselves with A-List influencers with massive online followings across multiple social media platforms.
If a company has a solid product or service and is at the beginning phases of establishing a presence in one or more major chain locations or other such sales channels, they might take a different route. This route might involve reaching out to a broader mix of potential influencers who might have social followings that range from the millions down to a few thousand.
I like this second approach because it targets those who actively follow celebrities and seek to mirror or at least appreciate their style, as well as those who are just now developing their own tribes of fanatic followers.
This second, smaller-scale group generates some really cool energy. They present a level of passion, excitement, and grassroots energy that you can only find in someone who is just finding their way and gaining some initial momentum.
One such individual on the BBQ and Grilling side of things is Zack Phillips, who you can find on Instagram as dads_food_n_brews.
Meet Grilling Enthusiast Zack Phillips
A veteran of the US Army with experience in law enforcement and investigations, Zack fuels his Instagram feed with tasty food. To his credit, he makes it very clear that his skills are stronger on the cooking side of things, crediting his wife’s photography skills and her ability to turn the food and drink pairings he puts together into the shots we see most recently on his feed.
At present, the Dads Food ‘n Brews Instagram channel serves up content to just over 3,900 followers and features images of deliciously grilled burgers and steaks, chops, tacos, and seafood, all paired with carefully selected beer or wine selections. Of late, some tasty bourbon and whiskey varieties have been making their way onto Zack’s feed.
Some time back, Zack and several other BBQ and Grilling Instagrammers with Instagram follower numbers ranging from 3,000 to all the way up to 145,000 were brought on board as influencers by a company called Meat District.
A press release delivered by Meat District’s PR agency in February of this year provides the following for the company’s bio:
“Meat District offers butcher-crafted, premium burgers, party wings, tri-tip, sausages, and more. With chef-inspired recipes and premium ingredients, Meat District unlocks more flavorful choices when it comes to your favorite meats. Produced and packaged locally in Los Angeles, Meat District promises all the quality and flavor without hormones or antibiotics. Meat District products can be found at all major retailers and club stores and are distributed nationally on a weekly basis and online at Buy.EatMeatDistrict.com.”
Now, to be fully transparent, I have received and have grilled up some products from Meat District, provided at no cost to me. I received no other compensation for this podcast interview with Zach.
I share my opinions of the Meat District products I cooked for some friends at the end of the show. But the focus of this interview is to learn more about Zack’s background and his relationship with BBQ and Grilling.
Zack has a great MRE story he shares in this episode about at least one MRE Master Meal he used to cobble together, and he then ranks the MREs he recalls eating during his time on active duty. If you are currently serving in the US Military, first, thank you for serving this great country of ours. Secondly, shoot me an email or DM me on social to share some of your own MRE “Master Meals.”
We’ll learn about some of Zack’s early food failures, and he’ll share some tips and words of encouragement for those of you who might be struggling a bit with your BBQ and Grilling game.
Finally, we’ll get into Zack’s partnership with Meat District and learn about some of the cool things they have going on. There’s a funny “My wife says I have too many grills” story Zack shares that I am pretty sure has taken place in some form or fashion in homes all over the globe.
Be Sure to Listen to More Episodes!
If you enjoyed this episode of the BBQ Beat Podcast, you can see the full podcast archive here. Or, simply catch up on some of the other most popular BBQ podcast conversations listed below.
- Talking with Jason Hardee About The Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown
- Grilling Up Meat District Delights with Zack Phillips
- Talking Traeger Grill Patent Litigation with BBQ Expert Derrick Riches
- BBQGuys.com Randy Watson is Living his Best Live Fire Life
- Always Hustling – Ray Sheehan on Crafting Flavors and Promoting Your BBQ Brand
- Talking with Robert F. Moss, Author of Barbecue: The History of an American Institution
- BBQ in Britain with Kevin Edge of Edge BBQ
- Sous Vide Meets Live Fire Cooking with Darrin Wilson
- Daina Falk of Hungry Fan Talks Eating Well on Game Day
- Saffron Hodgson of Bushcooking.com
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