Premium Beef, Premium Production
The best place to reach consumers is at the meat case - that's why there are so many labels on products. To be successful, brands must create messages that resonate and matter to its ideal customer.
The Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand is often advertised as "the best," and taste secured its growth around the globe. As a younger generation of consumers has more buying power in the market, their expectations of high-quality beef are expanding.
"Our product has to taste great every time and the consumer has to feel good about what the brand stands for," said Nicole Erceg, CAB communications director. "They seek products they think are good for them, the animal and the planet."
During a Learning Lounge session at the 2023 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show CAB shared how it’s meeting customers’ expectations. There, Erceg and Kirsten Nickles, Ph.D., CAB animal care and sustainability scientist, shared how the brand is responding to consumer research findings.
Leaning into Consumer Curiosity
When asked about sustainability, animal welfare is the number one consumer concern, Erceg said, followed by the environment.
"The way we reach most consumers is at the meat case," she said. "So as we think about telling your story, it has to be simple and fit on a package."
Starting in 2023, consumers may see the statement "Dedicated to Humane Animal Care and Climate-Friendly Practices" on packaging and marketing of the brand.
"We landed on this statement through consumer research," Erceg said. "It’s obviously not something that connects with cattlemen; those aren’t words we’d use to describe cattle production. But it is what cattle producers are doing and it resonates with consumers."
Supporting the statement requires more information on production practices to verify how you’re caring for cattle and managing the land.
Sharing a Stronger Story
Quantifying practices at the ranch is challenging, but accredited certifications like Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) verifies producers' dedication to animal welfare to consumers. That’s why CAB is asking Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen to share their BQA or equivalent certification with the brand.
"It’s doing things like BQA certification, keeping good production records and having a grazing management plan," Erceg said when speaking about increasing consumers’ trust. "As a food marketer, I can take that information and use it to garner more value for your product."
If you’re BQA certified and would like to share your certificate with CAB, visit CutTheBull.info.
Investing in the Future
The best beef used to be a great-tasting, consistent steak–and that’s still important–but now we have to deliver more.
While we must meet consumer preferences, it’s driven by the supply chain delivering beef to consumers at grocery stores and restaurants and their sustainability commitments.
Whether you’re marketing Angus bulls or commercial feeder cattle, the more information you can collect on an animal, the wider your customer base is, Erceg said.
"That’s really what we’re trying to do at the brand, look for ways to add value along the chain," she added. "And producers are at the very beginning and have the most information to share about that calf."
