CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Twenty-five years after establishing one of the nation's most iconic food brands, America's beef farmers and ranchers are leveraging the strong equity of Beef. It's What's For Dinner. to reintroduce the brand to a new generation of consumers. The relaunch will blend the strongest assets from the long-loved brand – such as the famous Aaron Copland "Rodeo" music and the famous tagline – and couple those with new creative assets. In total, the effort showcases the pleasure that beef brings to meals, the people who raise it and the nutritional benefits (such as protein) that beef provides.
"Consumers love beef, and as with all foods, today's consumers want the whole story about the beef they buy." said Alisa Harrison, senior vice president, Global Marketing and Research, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the beef checkoff, which funds the campaign. "Our research shows that the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. brand is still extremely popular among consumers, including millennials. So, in honor of its 25th Anniversary, we have refreshed the brand and updated our resources to make beef information available to consumers where they want it, when they want it and how they want it."
The overall effort was designed with millennial media preferences in mind. The campaign launches Oct. 9 with digital advertising and a new digital platform at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, a single, comprehensive location that provides an interactive experience on all things beef, from cuts and cookery, to a robust collection of beef recipes to an inside look at the lives of the people who raise beef.
"Beef is one of the most popular foods among consumers, whether it's your favorite steak or burger. But it can also be one of the most confounding, with questions ranging from the right cut, to the right way to cook it to where it came from," said Harrison. "That's why we wanted to make beef easier to enjoy. We're setting out to answer the biggest questions that consumers have about beef, all in one place."
To launch the campaign, NCBA has produced an "anthem" video that features the familiar children's song, "Old McDonald Had a Farm," with a new twist, to celebrate the American tradition of ranching while shedding light on what's new about raising food today. This summer, the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. team traveled more than 3,800 miles from coast to coast to capture video, images and the stories about the real people who raise beef. The new series of videos and content will feature only real farmers and ranchers from across the country. While cattle and beef are raised differently in California than in Florida, or Iowa or Washington, the passion and commitment to care for the animals and land is the same.
Harrison explained that through the video series, consumers will learn about each step of the beef production process, from the farms and ranches, to feedlots, to processing and retail and to the consumer.
"Today's farmers and ranchers blend time-honored traditions with cutting edge innovations to raise beef, from drones and GPS tracking on the range to apps and other electronic tools that ensure precise and nutrient-filled rations in the feedbunk," she said. Later in the year, new advertisements that celebrate beef's unique qualities as a protein source will launch to appeal to consumers' genuine love for beef, along with virtual tools such as 360 degree videos that show how beef goes from pasture to plate.
This all comes at a great time to enjoy beef. The recently completed National Beef Quality Audit, funded by the beef checkoff, shows a higher percentage of beef is grading Prime and Choice – the two highest grades USDA assigns – than it has in more than 35 years. Steak tenderness has achieved its best tenderness scores since testing began in 1990, according to the National Beef Tenderness Study.
To launch the campaign, NCBA is working with its new digital advertising agency of record, VML. VML created the new digital platform, BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
"Digital is a powerful medium that turns marketing on its head because of the power given to the consumer. Instead of telling people what to think, digital platforms – whether it's BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com or the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. Facebook page or Instagram feed – allow people to discover beef the way they want to," Eric Baumgartner, VML executive vice president said.
To help launch the new Beef. It's What For Dinner. brand, VML worked with NCBA to produce the "anthem" video and the series of beef producer videos, as well as designed the new brand logo.
To share the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. brand story through public relations and earned media efforts, Ketchum will continue to be NCBA's public relations agency of record.
To learn more about the new digital platform, click here.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is the marketing organization and trade association for America's nearly one million cattle farmers and ranchers. With offices in Denver and Washington, D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry. NCBA is the national trade association representing U.S. cattle producers, with more than 28,000 individual members and several industry organization members. Together, NCBA represents more than 175,000 cattle producers and feeders. NCBA is also a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. NCBA works to encourage the humane treatment of farm animals, the wise stewardship of natural resources and the implementation of good husbandry practices.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program
