By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Beef is back for dinner, thanks to millennials.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is bringing back it’s 25-year-old tagline, “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.”
But promoting beef is more complicated now than it was in 1992 when the campaign was first launched.
That’s why “Rethink the Ranch” was created.
The new marketing campaign aimed at millennials targets their childhood memories of the catchy slogan and references the “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” nursery rhyme. It combines those elements of millennials’ childhood with the modern story of how farmers and ranchers raise beef using technology.
The campaign includes a social media component, even a hashtag—#RethinktheRanch. That’s something that wasn’t in the ‘90s campaign.
The original campaign, however, was known for its TV and radio commercials with Robert Mitchum’s voice-over, Rodeo music and recommendations for tasty beef recipes.
But checkoff funds declined while the cost of TV commercials drastically increased, leading to budget cuts for the iconic campaign.
The audience, tactics and budget have changed with Rethink the Ranch. The message has changed some—focusing on the families behind the ranches and quick and easy recipes.
Because beef is, in fact, back on the table.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects an increase in beef production, which the agency expects will lower prices and drive up demand.
In an effort to appeal to a younger audience who wants to know more about their food, NCBA is using checkoff dollars to resurrect the campaign with a twist.
“We had an iconic brand with 25 years’ worth of equity,” Alisa Harrison, NCBA’s senior vice president of Global Marketing and Research, told the Wall Street Journal.
But rather than a few channels and radio stations, consumers now have a menu of options to satisfy their craving for food information and brand awareness.
NCBA is focusing its efforts in those arenas. A new website will feature cooking tips, food information, stories from family farms and virtual farm tours, which are expected to launch later this fall.
Texas ranchers help contribute to the campaign through their checkoff dollars, according to Rachel Chou, senior manager of Consumer Communications for the Texas Beef Council.
“Half of our national dollar goes to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board who is contracted by NCBA,” Chou said. “We also use all of the content that they create, as well as the consumer research and market research.”
Gone are the days of textbook marketing plans. The digital age has changed the game, and beef is stepping up to the plate.
To learn more about the new digital platform, visit www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.