Steak-umm emerges as a surprising voice of reason during COVID-19

Who would have thought that a brand that sells frozen steak meals would become a voice of reason during the pandemic?
Steak-umm, the Philadelphia-based meat purveyor, became trending on Twitter on Tuesday for warning about the proliferation of misinformation, and users are finding it to be some of the most helpful advice on pandemic living.
In a Twitter thread, which the brand began posting at 10 p.m., Steak-umm urges people to follow accredited news sources that rely on data, not anecdotes.
“It can be difficult to know what to believe in a time when institutional trust is diminished and the gatekeepers of information have been dismantled, but it’s more crucial now than ever before to follow a range of credentialed sources for both breaking and data collection,” reads a tweet in the thread.
Steak-umm’s Twitter account, which has approximately 74,000 followers, is well known for its rants in an effort to seem like a regular Twitter user—a strategy with which many brands, including Wendy’s and MoonPie, have found success.
Nathan Allebach, who handles social for the brand, shared last night on Twitter that he often posts about whatever is on his mind at the time. Through Steak-umm, he has spoken out for young people and the trials they face and has mixed in random analyses of society. He is most often seen on TikTok, where he personifies the astute brand with a giant Steak-umm box as his head.

In the thread, Steak-umm shows its self-awareness, admitting that it is “ironic” that “a frozen meat brand posting ads inevitably made to misdirect people and generate sales” is sharing serious advice.
“This is peak irony, but hey we live in a society so please make informed decisions to the best of your ability and don’t let anecdotes dictate your worldview ok. Steak-umm bless,” reads a tweet.
Steak-umm is also encouraging people to donate to the nonprofit Feeding America, to which the brand is donating $25,000.
Regardless of the brand's posts, its voice is resonating. The coronavirus thread has generated more than 11,000 retweets, 42,000 likes, hundreds of comments, and has garnered the attention of professors, analysts, attorneys and writers—many of whom acknowledge the irony of thoughtful pandemic advice from a frozen meat brand.