Nice to Meat Ya: Jennifer Kiko

Facebook, Pinterest, blogs — to some, nothing more than time thieves. But to the Certified Angus Beef ^® brand and so many other businesses, these outlets are invaluable marketing tools with remarkably low costs.

But they weren’t always seen as so impactful. And without Jennifer Kiko, there’s no doubt the brand wouldn’t be reaching the number of consumers it does today.

Previously a communications manager for the brand, Jennifer pushed for the leap into social media and has spent the last few years as online community manager. In a nutshell? That means it’s up to her to find creative and fun ways to tell CAB’s stories, educate consumers and improve brand loyalty on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the blog GoRare.com.

But in the beginning, she wasn’t only selling consumers on quality beef. She was selling her coworkers on the importance of joining the online conversation.

“For the first several years, people didn’t see the value in it, because they didn’t understand social media and most of them were not using it themselves,” she says. “But I kept pushing for a blog, mostly because I had one personally and I saw the value.”

Once she got the green light on the blog, it took a little while to work out the kinks and find the right voice. But once they realized who the perfect audience was — home cooks who are also foodies — everything else fell in to place.

Facebook, on the other hand, is geared toward the more typical consumer: home cooks and busy moms who want easy recipes and quick tips for beef preparation.

Twitter is a combination of the two, but sets itself apart as the place to interact with the brand’s retail partners.

The two new kids on the block, Pinterest and Instagram, are growing rapidly and giving the brand new opportunities to connect visually with a wide variety of audiences.

If it sounds like Jennifer’s entire day is spent connected to a computer, tablet or Smartphone, you’re not far off. But lucky for her, it’s a lot more than a job.

“It’s almost a 24/7 commitment,” she says. “Maybe 18/7.”

“I think the great thing about working for Certified Angus Beef is, after you’ve been there for a little while, it becomes more than just this job and these tasks that you have to do.  It becomes your way of life, and a way of seeing everything around you.”

And at the end of the day? She’s just trying to make connections.

“We talk about how great this beef is, but to really connect with people on the consumer side of the fence we have to appeal to their senses. Sharing a little bit about the ranching families behind the brand is one way to do it; food is another. We want people to look at a photo of a steak or burger or roast and say, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks so good. I have to try it!’”

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PS–Want to catch up on the whole series? Check out these links below:

• Introduction: Nice to Meat Ya
• Day 1: Ashley Pado
• Day 2: Scott Redden
• Day 3: Jesse Stucky
• Day 4: Bridget Wasser
• Day 5: Amanda Barstow
• Day 6: Josh Moore
• Day 7: Ruth Ammon
• Day 8: Bill Tackett
• Day 9: Dan Chase
• Day 10: Danielle Foster
• Day 11: Eric Mihaly

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