Japanese Influencers Experience Nebraska and its Beef to Draw New Audience

The visit was organized by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in partnership with the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Beef Council, with additional support from Nebraska pork producers, the North Platte Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Diplomats. 

The influencers, Takeda Barbecue, a meat-cooking and outdoor content creator, and Daichi Sugawara, a professional golfer and golf influencer, were selected as part of an effort to connect Nebraska directly with Japanese consumers. The opportunity grew from increased interaction between Japanese and American social media users following the introduction of an automatic translation feature on X. 

With Japan being the platform’s largest user base, American barbecue and meat-related content gained popularity among Japanese audiences. Nebraska worked with a Japanese marketing firm to identify influencers who could help build on that interest and narrowed the list to Takeda and Sugawara. 

During their visit, the influencers began in Omaha, where they learned about different cuts of beef, visited restaurants and had opportunities to prepare and cook steaks. They also met with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Past President Buck Wehrbein to learn more about what makes Nebraska beef unique. The group then traveled west to experience Nebraska agriculture firsthand, visiting Diamond Bar Ranch near Stapleton, golfing at Dismal River Club, where they had prime tenderloins served to them from TD Angus out of the Sustainable Beef packing plant. They also golfed at CapRock Ranch, and visited North Creek Ranch to see its bison herd and participate in a barbecue challenge. 

 “We really wanted to identify people who have a large enough audience that they could speak directly to consumers and create a positive image of Nebraska,” said Cobus Block, director of international and business recruitment with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. 

 The effort also aims to increase recognition of Nebraska among Japanese consumers who may recognize American beef but not distinguish between individual states. 

 “There's a recognition that, oh yeah, this is Nebraska,” Block said.