Chances are you’ve seen quite a few of these in your lifetime. Although maybe not directly, they’re usually greeted with a smile of anticipation.
If you find yourself in a steakhouse on a Friday night, you probably don’t give a second thought to this little detail.
But we do.
Today we’re talking about 2.5 million–the number of Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB ®) brand steak picks we ship from our warehouse each year.
That’s a lot of little plastic brands arriving at the tables of hungry beef eaters each day, but did you know it’s about a lot more than just adding pizzazz?
This isn’t my area of expertise so I caught up with former industry information intern turned assistant director of account marketing Emily Whiting to learn more.
These steaks picks and dozens of other point-of-sale materials are not only good for us (she said things like “elevating the brand’s presence” and “building equity”) but they’re also good for the partners who bring the beef you raise to market.
Whether we’re talking restaurant table tents and branded burger wrappers or grocery store banners and meat case dividers, every piece that is dreamt up, designed and stored in Wooster, Ohio, is there to help our licensed partners sell more of the good stuff.
When they see our CAB logo, 94% of consumers recognize it and 75% “perceive it as the ultimate mark of quality among Angus beef brands,” Emily says.
“When a partner is carrying Certified Angus Beef, that quality perception is carried over throughout their business,” she says. “Our partners are committed to quality and using the logo at the dining table or meat case helps them showcase that.”
But it’s marketing backed by knowledge. We don’t just send aprons to the waitstaff and say, “good luck.” We arm them with training so that they can talk confidently tableside. We don’t just send meat cutters branded hats and package stickers and hope they can answer the next consumer question. We teach them.
Emily says her team gets interesting requests from life-size model bulls to branding irons, but they always try to work with anybody who is excited about showcasing CAB.
“Each of our partners goes to marketing a bit differently and we want our resources to fit seamlessly into their plans,” she says.
Some want to tell your story, highlighting the ranchers who raise the product. Others might be all about the marbling.
Regardless of the how, if our marketing helps drive sales and helps build the brand’s image (you probably already know where I’m going with this), it’s good for you by way of the premiums that will undoubtedly filter back through the system.
May your bottom line be filled with black ink,
Miranda
PS—We’re on a month-long quest called, “Every number has a story.” Follow along—it’ll be fun.
Day one: $6.93
Day two: 2.5 million
Day three: $204.10
Day four: 12.1 million
Day five: 11/13
Day six: 8 million
Day seven: 139
Day eight: $39
Day nine: 30.1%
Day 10: 120 million
Day 11: -2.26
Day 12: 12 to 15 minutes
Day 13: 30%
Day 14: 32 million
Day 15: $154,000