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USDA-NIFA-SBIR-004553

Small Business Innovation Research Program - Phase I


Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture

PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENHANCED


BEEF MARKETING STRATEGY
ABSTRACT
Decades of insufficient marketing efforts have driven the beef industry into a state of crisis. The
national beef cow herd has been shrinking for years and has reached historical lows (Earth Policy
Institute, 2012). Meat consumption in the U.S. has been on the rise, though consumers have
moved away from beef. As a result of the decline in beef consumption, several beef production
facilities have been forced to close, leaving hundreds out of work. Immediate measures must be
taken to improve the marketing of beef and products associated with beef production to avoid
further loss of jobs and a potential total market collapse. The primary marketing campaign of the
beef industry has remained unchanged for 20 years. Historically, beef producers on an
individual level have refrained from contributing to the overall marketing campaign. The
implementation of an enhanced marketing strategy, however, will require input from small
producers throughout the country. In order to spread awareness about the necessity for action
and to encourage participation, an initial campaign to reach out to producers must be funded and
carried out.
NARRATIVE
Funds provided through this grant will be utilized to fully plan and carry out a campaign to reach
out to U.S. beef producers with information about the current marketing catastrophe. Beef
producers on every level must become involved in the overall effort of overhauling beef
marketing for a new campaign to be as successful as possible. Producer consensus on the nature
of the market and consumer demand for beef indicates a general lack of awareness surrounding

the issue of receding marketability. Through strategic use of mass media outlets and educational
resources, the industry as a whole will attempt to overcome this widespread apathy.
The beef industry in the U.S. has been a major component of domestic agriculture for decades.
Beef production occurs on some level in every state in the country and has a significant impact
on many other sectors of agriculture. After modern commercial cattle production practices
became widespread during the 1940s, beef dominated the marketplace for decades as the primary
source of meat consumed by Americans (Earth Policy Institute, 2012). Consumers moved away
from pork during this era and fueled massive expansion in the business of beef production. With
this industry growth came feed lots, trucking operations, farms focused on producing feed grains,
packing facilities, and a massive support industry. Thousands of jobs were created in response to
Americas appetite for beef.
The pinnacle of beef consumption in the U.S. (per capita) came about in 1976. Since that time
nearly forty years ago, a trend toward alternative dietary protein sources has been occurring, and
beef is no longer the most sought after meat source in the U.S. In fact, the trend away from beef
by U.S. consumers indicates a staggering loss of marketability. While poultry claimed a much
smaller share of the U.S. consumer market during the 1950s and 1960s, the increase in poultry
consumption during these decades paralleled that of beef. Poultry became the primary meat
product of domestic consumption in 1993 as demand for beef began to plummet (Earth Policy
Institute, 2012).
The most drastic measure taken by beef producers collectively toward improved marketing as an
industry came with the Beef Research and Information Act of 1985. This legislation, a
component of the USDA Farm Bill, created the Beef Checkoff Program which is still a part of
the industry today (Beef Research and Information Act, 1985). Under the Beef Checkoff
Program, $1 per head is collected on every live cattle transaction and set aside for the purpose of
improving the marketability of beef through ad campaigns, research, public relations, and other
communications programs (NCBA, 2014). In 1992, the well-known Beef: its whats for
dinner campaign was funded using Beef Checkoff funds. These popular TV advertisements
received a digital counterpart in 2014 when the Cattlemens Beef Board (CBB) and the National
Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA) collaborated to form www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

using Beef Checkoff dollars. The website is part of an effort to modernize beef marketing and
appeal to younger generations of consumers.
Aside from this advertising, which has become familiar in American households, funding for
scientific advancements in cattle production have come from Beef Checkoff funds. Several
organizations regularly award grants for research aimed at improving the efficiency and
consumer appeal of beef. This can be very challenging though, as efficiency and consumer
appeal generally tend to have an inverse correlation (Savell, 1989). As cattle are raised with
increasing efficiency, they tend to be removed increasingly further from their natural state. This
often leads to consumer concern and a decrease in marketability. Raising cattle to have more
consumer appeal, on the other hand, is often associated with decreasing efficiency and higher
input costs. This leads to higher consumer costs, which become mixed with other socioeconomic
factors in determining overall demand for beef (Lamb, 1998).
The proposed action plan for initiating change will be carried out in three phases. The first phase
will be the selection process for recruitment of a marketing agency to design a new campaign to
reach out to beef producers. Several marketing agencies throughout the country will be ranked
on their perceived ability to connect with the beef production community. Once a marketing
agency has been chosen, the second phase will begin. This phase will involve working with the
selected marketing agency to create a plan for the outreach campaign. A thorough assessment of
beef industry demographics will allow for an efficient, focused campaign. The marketing
agency will be called upon to provide a plan for efficiently connecting with beef producers. This
phase will also involve the development of an interactive website that will serve as a resource for
beef producers as interest develops around the campaign. The final phase of the action plan will
be the actual outreach and connection with members of the beef community, including packers,
ranchers, stocker operators, cattle feeders, brokers, traders, veterinarians, byproduct vendors, and
all of those in supporting industries. Outreach will include utilization of local and national media
outlets. Maintenance and upkeep of the producer resource website will be critical during this
period and in the following months. The timeline for carrying out this entire action plan will be
one year. Overall success of the efforts will be assessed on the basis of the response from the

beef production community and measures being taken towards creation of a new beef marketing
campaign.

REFERENCES
Beef Research and Information Act (Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985), 7 U.S.C.
2901-2911 (1985).
Earth Policy Institute. (2012). Meat Consumption in the United States, 1909-2012. Retrieved
from http://www.earth-policy.org/data_center/C24
Lamb, Russell L., and Michelle Beshear. "From the plains to the plate: can the beef industry
regain market share?." Economic Review-Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 83 (1998): 4966.
NCBA (2014). Directions: 2014 Statistics. National Cattlemen.
http://www.beefusa.org/CMDocs/BeefUSA/Producer%20Ed/Directions_2014_Statistics.pdf
Savell, J. W., et al. "National consumer retail beef study: Interaction of trim level, price and
grade on consumer acceptance of beef steaks and roasts." Journal of Food Quality 12.4 (1989):
251-274.

BUDGET
Item
Marketing agency
production cost printed
media
Marketing agency
production cost
recorded audio
Marketing agency
production cost
recorded video
Press package prepared
for distribution

Cost

Quantity/Duration

Total

$1500

$1500

$2500

$2500

$8000

$8000

$750

$750

Distribution of pressrelated materials


(printing/shipping)

$200

$200

Website development
fees

$1500

$1500

Website hosting
monthly (domain
name/server/maintenance)

$15

60 months

$900

Advertising fees

$800

3 spots/day x 15 days
(45 total)

$36,000

$2750

10

$27,500

30-second television spot

$3780

1 spot/day x 15 days
(15 total)

$56,700

Newspaper half-page
(estimate based on
national distribution in
High Plains Journal)

$8000

2/week x 4 weeks
(8 total)

$64,000

Total Budget:

$199,500

30-second radio spot


(syndicated national
network)
2-minute radio spot
(syndicated national
network)

TIMELINE
Item

Estimated Timeframe

Website
Development

6 Months

Advertisement
Development Radio Ad

14 Days

Advertisement
Development Newspaper Ad

1 Week

Advertisement
Development Television Ad

45 Days

Radio
Advertising
Campaign

1 Month

Newspaper
Advertising
Campaign

1 Month

Television
Advertising
Campaign

1 Month

Target Audiene
Response and
Interaction
Through
Website, Radio,
TV, etc.
Total Project
Timeframe

12 Months

Other Considerations
Creation of written and
video material by
experts, editing and
revisions, domain name
decisions, server issues,
etc.
Time for agency
consideration,
neogiations, and
initiation
Extra time for agency
selection and
improvements
Post-production time
considerations/ time for
agency consideration
and negotiations
15 broadcast days
distributed over 1
month following
advertisement
preparation
Weekly advertisments
for 1 month following
advertisement
preparation
15 broadcast days
distributed over 1
month following
advertisement
preparation
Website must be
thorough before
launching ad campaign.
Interaction time will
follow.

Deadline

9 Months

1 Month

1 Month

3 Months

2 Months

2 Months

4 Months

1 Year

1 Year

CURRICULUM VITAE
University of Idaho

NAME: Stephen Tamm

DATE: 03/13/2015

RANK OR TITLE: Graduate Student


DEPARTMENT: Animal and Veterinary Science
OFFICE LOCATION AND CAMPUS ZIP: Ag Biotech 332, 2330

OFFICE PHONE: (208) 885-7370


FAX: (208) 885-6420
EMAIL: stephent@uidaho.edu

DATE OF FIRST EMPLOYMENT AT UI: 08/03/2014


DATE OF TENURE: Untenured
DATE OF PRESENT RANK OR TITLE: 08/03/2014
EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL:
Degrees:
B.S. Agriculture/Animal Science, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, 05/14/2012
Certificates and Licenses:
Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine. 08/25/2010 08/25/2014
EXPERIENCE:
Teaching, Extension and Research Appointments:
2010-2011
Supplemental Instructor, Principles of Nutrition
2010-2011
Supplemental Instructor, Animal Anatomy and Physiology
2014 (Fall)
Teaching Assistant, Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Mammals
2014- Current
Research Assistant, University of Idaho
Academic Administrative Appointments: N/A
Non-Academic Employment including Armed Forces:
2003-2007
US Marine Corps, Platoon Sergeant
2012-2014
SarTec Corporation, Regional Sales Representative, Texas and New Mexico
Beef Industry Experience:
2014
SarTec Corporation, Feedlot Nutrition Consulting Representative
2010-2012
Nance Ranch, Canyon, TX, Ranch Hand
2010-2011
WTAMU Research Feedyard, Canyon, TX, YardAssistant
2010
Getten Ranch, Cleveland, MT, Ranch Hand
2009
Blaine County Veterinary Service, Chinook, MT, Veterinary Assistan

SCHOLARSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Jack B. Kelley Leadership Scholarship Recipient, 2011
Publications, Exhibitions, Performances, Recitals:

Refereed/Adjudicated: N/A
Peer Reviewed/Evaluated:
November 2011
The Textbook Workout, Student Health 101
May 2012
Your Core Conditioning Guide, Student Health 101
October 2012
Exercise Your Way to Success, Student Health 101
November 2012
Staying Active No Matter the Weather, Student Health 101
December 2012
Managing Semester-End Stress, Student Health 101
January 2013
13 Apps for 2013: getting the technological edge on fitness, Student Health 101
February 2013
How to Get More from Your Core, Student Health 101
Other: N/A
Refereed/Adjudicated (currently scheduled or submitted):
Myogenic regulatory factors are increased in bovine satellite cells by polyamines and their precursor
amino acid ornithine, Presenting author on abstract submitted for American Society of Animal
Science 2015 Joint Annual Meeting
Peer Reviewed/Evaluated (currently scheduled or submitted): N/A
Presentations and Other Creative Activities:
Student Health 101 FitnessU Section Video Articles: TRX Workout, November 2011; Calisthenics
Exercise, December 2011; Weight Training, January 2012; Core Training, February 2012;
Stamina Workout, March 2012; Five Big Mistakes in Fitness, April 2012; Aerobic Workout,
May 2012
Professional Meeting Papers, Workshops, Showings, Recitals: N/A
Patents: N/A
Grants and Contracts Awarded:
Principal Investigator: Gordon Murdoch, Understanding changes in muscle cell growth with age and
changing microenvironment?, Idaho Beef Council, July 2014 July 2015, $58,019
Honors and Awards:
2011-2012

Outstanding Animal Science Senior, West Texas A&M University

SERVICE:
Major Committee Assignments: N/A
Professional and Scholarly Organizations:
2010- Current
American Society of Animal Science
2011- Current
American Physiological Society
Outreach Service: N/A
Community Service: Founder and first President of West Texas A&M University Veterans Network
Honors and Awards: N/A
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Teaching: Washington State University Muscle Development Group Seminars 2014-2015

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