Bridging the Gap from Producer to Consumer
BOZEMAN, MONT. (Sept. 15, 2010) — “I’m here to share some good news; we’ve got some things to be proud of,” Tracey Erickson, vice president of marketing for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) told cattlemen as she kicked off the 2010 National Angus Conference Wednesday, Sept. 15, in Bozeman, Mont. More than 600 Angus breeders from 33 states and three foreign countries gathered in Montana for the three-day event, which included tours of several Montana Angus ranches as well.
Tracey Erickson“Beef is still king,” Erickson said, reporting annual sales of Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) have been growing despite the economic downturn during the last few years. “It is an interesting phenomenon with CAB. Being in a premium category, we have had staying power,” she stated. She noted that particularly in the retail sector CAB sales have remained strong, and for 2010 the restaurant market is beginning to rebound.
At present, CAB has 13,500 licensees worldwide and sells 3.1 billion servings annually. However, to continue CAB’s success, Erickson emphasized the need to continue bridging the gap from producers to consumers. She pointed out that many of today’s consumers are two or three generations removed from a family farm. They may not even know someone who lives on a farm.
“It’s a long road we all have to be engaged in,” Erickson said. “Consumers just don’t know our industry.”
To that end, Erickson explained that CAB is working to “bridge the gap” by working to better inform consumers about the attributes of CAB brand products. The company currently has three chefs on staff who travel frequently to home shows, ballparks and other events in urban settings to make sure the CAB message is in front of consumers.
Additionally, CAB has added brand extensions, including Natural, Prime and Prime Natural products. This diversification helps offer more choices for consumers within the CAB product, Erickson explained.
CAB has also created tabletop tents for display in restaurants. The displays feature Angus producers, putting the faces of real ranchers in front of the consumer, Erickson said.
Erickson encouraged Angus producers to get involved in informing consumers about the Angus product they raise. She suggested hosting ranch visits for chef or consumer groups, introducing themselves to retail and foodservice partners who carry the CAB brand, and becoming an “ambassador” for the industry through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA’s) Master of Beef Advocacy program and/or the brand ambassador tutorial now offered online by CAB. Programs such as these help give cattlemen tools to better communicate in terms people understand and begin to help bridge the gap from producer to consumer, Erickson concluded.
Click here to view the Brand Ambassador tutorial offered by CAB.
Click here to view the brand's website for consumers.
Click here to view the brand's web page featuring cattleman raising cattle for the brand.
© Copyright 2010 Angus Productions Inc.
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