Buoyed by record volume gains, Certified Angus Beef unveiled a new consumer brand advertising campaign to its members this fall. The campaign includes print, outdoor and radio ads that heavily emphasize a quality message, under the tagline “The brand experts trust.” Each of three ad creatives features a chef, rancher or retail meat cutter as a brand spokesperson representing expertise in raising, preparing and/or cooking the product.
The ads were a recently completed, nine-month consumer research project that identified the impact of high-credibility spokespeople in aiding brand recall, awareness and confidence. The chef, for example, was popular with consumers because of his role in preparing meals; the rancher was considered credible because of his connection with the cattle; the retail meat cutter was well-regarded because of his overall product knowledge.
Ad copy emphasizes three key marketing points for the brand: Certified Angus is "a cut above" USDA grades, based on its 10 brand-certification standards; that CAB's standards ensure consistent flavor and tenderness for the consumer; and that only 8 percent of beef meets CAB's standards.
CAB also introduced a new trade advertising campaign that will target producers and foodservice operators. With a series of taglines, such as "Start to finish, delivering exceptional quality," and "Rancher to restaurateur," the ads focus on quality consistency throughout the food chain—from producer to retailers to chefs.
The new ads were unveiled amid a celebratory atmosphere, with the brand posting its single-biggest month in history with 56 million pounds shipped in June, followed by nearly the same poundage in July and August.
CAB President John Stika said international sales this year will grow 40 percent and that foodservice sales will exceed 200 million pounds for the third consecutive year.
