Agricultural News
Beef Checkoff Touching Consumers Through Engagement
Mon, 13 Apr 2015 12:40:09 CDT
Cattle industry leaders have had to be innovative in stretching producer's dollar invested in the nation's beef checkoff. A couple of years ago, Cattlemen's Beef Board leaders saw the number of cattle in the US shrinking along with the available resources through the beef checkoff. These leaders took a new direction in regards to advertising beef. The checkoff moved away from traditional print ads and moved its advertising to a digital platform. The first full year of results are in and they are mighty impressive, according to Cattlemen's Beef Board Chief Executive Officer Polly Ruhland. With more than 3.6 million page views on the beefitswhatsfordinner.com website and more than five million views on their recipe videos website.
"There's a lot of ways that we engage consumers and I think the important word is 'engagement'," Ruhland said. "Old time advertising was more of a 'tell'. This is more a discussion that we have with consumers about how we raise cattle, about the nutritional benefits of beef, about everything about beef that consumers may be asking questions about or that they may not be sure about. Engaging them through videos, through discussions, through bloggers, through amplification of opinions of third parties. All of those kinds of things is the way we use social media to really get message about beef out and to incorporate discussion into our beef marketing plan."
Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays featured Ruhland on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap on the LISTEN BAR below to listen to today's Beef Buzz.
Making the switch to a digital platform was a risk, but Ruhland said the producers that make decision for checkoff dollars looked at the market research. She said that risk has paid off as the reward has been big for the producers that made that decision. She is 100 percent behind the switch.
The beef checkoff continues to develop new products like the Flatiron Steak in finding ways to extend the value of the beef carcass. Ruhland said that's especially important as consumers are paying more today to enjoy beef.
"So, it's our responsibility in the beef industry to continue to innovate and continue to improve the value that consumers get for that price," Ruhland said. "In times of high prices, that value is the most important to consumers. We can not stop innovating, we can't stop continual growth as far as providing increased value to producers when they put beef on their plate."
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
