Eye-catching Advertising Driving Awareness of Scotch Beef in London

Four million Londoners are currently being targeted with eye-catching Scotch Beef billboard advertising as part of a high-impact campaign being run by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), with a focus on London and the Home Counties.

The campaign includes the use of high-impact billboard adverts which are currently appearing in carefully-selected locations across the city of London. The impressive array of advertisements aims to build awareness of Scotch Beef and trust in the brand, reinforcing the message that it is the best beef money can buy.

Digital screens are currently located in high footfall commuter areas of London such as Waterloo station, Liverpool Street station and Fenchurch Street station. The ads carry messaging on the quality of Scotch Beef PGI. Traditional and digital adverts outside retailers are also in place, targeting shoppers during the final stages of their purchase journey.

The billboard advertisements alone are estimated to reach over four million Londoners featuring various cuts of Scotch Beef including a focus on roasting joints.

The two-month long campaign, which QMS is delivering on behalf of the Scottish red meat industry, is set to improve the already strong brand awareness of Scotch Beef PGI in the key GB regions. Currently 89% of the target market in Scotland recognise the Scotch Beef PGI logo and 37% in Greater London and the Home Counties are aware of the brand.

In addition to the billboard activity throughout March and April, over 8.2 million consumers will have been targeted across GB via press, digital, broadcast and billboard advertising, to inform, educate and inspire them to use Scotch Beef when they cook.

A radio partnership with Classic FM is communicating with the target market through a trusted and loyal medium throughout Greater London, the Home Counties and Scotland, early feedback has suggested that this partnership has been incredibly successful, helping QMS reach a key target market.

There are also features in key magazines such as Good Housekeeping, The Observer Magazine, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph throughout the campaign, to ensure the target market associates Scotch Beef with quality, heritage and premium provenance.

The 2018 campaign is being complemented by a range of PR activities which focus on roasting joints as the core cut, celebrating eating occasions, and the ritual of sitting round the table with family and friends to enjoy a delicious roast dinner.

New research, commissioned by QMS as part of the campaign, shows that the British tradition of sitting down to a family meal together is in danger of becoming a thing of the past, with 57% of people no longer sitting down to a daily meal with their family or housemates. 

Londoners are least likely to eat with family or housemates, with only a quarter (26%) sitting down to eat together on a daily basis – while at the opposite end of the scale, in Wales, 53% of consumers dine as a household every day.

Working hours were named as the biggest barrier to eating together (48%), while a quarter of respondents were too busy with hobbies and leisure pursuits to make time for regular meals with loved ones or friends.

Even when people do get around the table, good food and conversation often lose out to TV and mobile phones.  A staggering 64% of Brits regularly watch TV while eating; one fifth browse the internet on their mobile; 19% use a tablet; while 15% regularly text or email over dinner. Six per cent even chat via social media or use Facetime or Skype as they eat.

During this campaign, many of the activities is focusing on roasting joints. Whether it’s a Sunday roast with all the trimmings or a midweek meal, a roast offers an ideal time to enjoy good food and good conversation.

Commenting on the campaign, Suzie Carlaw, Marketing Controller at Quality Meat Scotland said: “We have worked incredibly hard over the last few years to build the Scotch Beef brand and every single person involved in the process, from farm to fork, should be proud of its success to date.

“The very positive image of Scotch Beef PGI which the QMS campaign aims to further cement in London is particularly important. London consumers greatly value the quality of products they buy more than the average British consumer.

“The campaign will continue to build on Scotch Beef’s reputation as the best possible beef from Scotland, increasing awareness and sales,” said Miss Carlaw.