MATADOR™ Beef Jerky 'Sticks It' With Outstanding Product Line Up

MINONG, Wis., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- MATADOR™ Beef Jerky continues to grow its presence in the snack aisle with its fun and edgy "Stick It" retail campaign. Since its inception, consumers have proclaimed that the brand absolutely "nailed it" with the bold flavor, snappy texture and spicy taste of its MATADOR snack sticks. Now, with momentum and awareness continuing to build, MATADOR launches a new campaign inviting even more meat stick lovers to experience the bold and spicy flavor of MATADOR snack sticks for themselves, with the belief that once they try MATADOR they'll never go back.

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Jack Link's Beef Jerky, the No. 1 U.S. meat snack brand and fastest-growing meat snack manufacturer worldwide, launched the MATADOR brand in the spring of 2009 as a bold snack for those with an action-driven and social lifestyle. Backed by a tremendous early response to MATADOR, Jack Link's and Frito-Lay North America, a business unit of PepsiCo, formed an exclusive distribution partnership on the MATADOR line of snacks.

"Within one year, MATADOR Beef Jerky introduced three stick flavors and four jerky flavors, and expanded our distribution nationwide," said Mark Catlin, director of marketing, MATADOR Beef Jerky. "And in less than two short years, MATADOR has already earned its place as one of the top national meat snack brands."

Packing the flavor profile that teens and young adults crave, MATADOR is now the No. three brand in the category(1). But, it's not stopping there. The brand is making bold moves and is challenging consumers to grab a MATADOR snack stick instead of the stick they might normally purchase. As soon as they sink their teeth into a MATADOR, jerky and stick lovers will be convinced that MATADOR's product quality and great flavors can't be beat.

Over the past decade, the meat snack category has experienced tremendous growth due, in part, to consumers' increasing interest in protein-based snacks. After all, beef jerky and other meat snacks are convenient, satisfying, great tasting, and generally low in fat, calories, and carbs. It's no wonder that meat snacks have quickly become the third largest salty snack category, behind only potato and tortilla chips, with growth surpassing even nuts, pretzels and popcorn.(2)

MATADOR Beef Jerky proudly sponsors pro athletes in action sports fields including Scotty Lago in snowboarding, Dennis Enarson in BMX and Adam Taylor in skateboarding. The brand also partners with top action sport events including the Dew Tour, which consists of five major, multi-sport events spanning across the country; Camp Woodward, a premier action sports training camp; and Major League Gaming, the first professional video game league.

MATADOR Snack Sticks are available in Original, Mild and Flamin' Hot and MATADOR Beef Jerky is available in Original, Teriyaki, Sizzling Sweet and Smokin' BBQ flavors.

MATADOR Beef Jerky

MATADOR Beef Jerky is a bold snack brand for teens with an action-driven lifestyle. MATADOR Beef Jerky is produced by Jack Link's Beef Jerky, the No. 1 U.S. meat snack brand and fastest growing meat snack manufacturer worldwide. The Jack Link's family of brands represents a heritage of quality and consumer trust. In addition to its premium products, Jack Link's Beef Jerky is known for its popular Messin' with Sasquatch advertising campaign which has achieved nearly cult-like status. The commercials feature pranksters playing sophomoric pranks on an unsuspecting Sasquatch. Check out www.MATADORsnacks.com and www.JackLinks.com for more information on the MATADOR Beef Jerky and Jack Link's brands.

Frito-Lay North America

Frito-Lay North America is the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, and the Snack Chat blog, www.snacks.com.

(1) AC Nielsen Custom Database, 4 weeks ending 5/15/10  (All Channels - FDMxC)

(2) ACNielsen Custom Database, 24 weeks ending 9/5/09 (Convenience store)

SOURCE MATADOR Beef Jerky