Quality Meat Scotland focus on what’s behind the label in new consumer marketing campaign for Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb & Specially Selected Pork

Today, 16 September 2024, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has proudly launched its authentic and emotionally engaging new marketing campaign, ‘When You Know, You Know’ developed with Edinburgh-based creative agency, Multiply. It highlights to consumers that there is simply no match for the livestock born and reared in Scotland under the QMS whole of life, whole of supply chain quality assurance schemes.

Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork will take centre stage on television supported by outdoor, press, social media advertising and PR with messaging that is designed to educate consumers on the unique benefits of choosing quality assured red meat, taking them on a field to fork journey to fully understand the Scotch Difference.

Emma Heath, Director of Marketing at QMS, said: “The theme for the new campaign is to look behind the label and everything that Scotch stands for as this is ultimately at the heart of what we do and gives us a strong foundation to build on creatively over the coming years. Our new campaign highlights that choosing Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork means opting for unmatched quality that comes from our world-class standards that were introduced around 30 years ago making them one of the first in the industry. We want to shine a spotlight on the tireless passion and expertise across the whole of the Scottish red meat supply chain.

“People want to feel confident in what they’re buying, and our campaign provides that peace of mind. Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork are more than labels— they represent trust, pride of provenance and perfection in taste. This campaign reinforces why there’s simply no substitute and where people have a choice, they understand the benefits of choosing Scotch.”

The campaign targets a segment of consumers QMS has identified as the ‘conscious lifestyler’ — those who care about health and wellbeing, where their food comes from and who prioritise high standards and animal welfare. Uniquely, the ‘conscious lifestyler’ spans across traditional demographic targets, making this campaign appealing to a mixture of people at different life stages.

Under the watchful eye of Multiply’s Creative Director Graeme Clark and directed by Richard Oliver, the ad was filmed across multiple Scottish locations, and features Stirlingshire Monitor Farmers Shona and Bruce Duncan, who rear cattle and sheep on their Inveruglas and Lands of Drumhead farms. It also highlights Adam Gallacher, a young apprentice at Saunderson’s Butchers in Edinburgh, promoting the future of Scottish butchery, and head chef Laurent Labede of Thirty Knots in South Queensferry, bringing a culinary touch to the ad.

Bruce Duncan said: “It’s an incredible honour for our family to be part of the upcoming ‘When You Know, You Know’ campaign. Being able to demonstrate the passion and dedication we put into rearing our cattle and sheep is deeply rewarding. We’re proud to share the story of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb with the world, and we hope that consumers will feel the same pride in choosing the quality and care that defines Scottish farming.”

Graeme Clark, Creative Director at Multiply said: "It's rare to get the chance to tell such an incredible and authentic story from start to finish. The experience of working on this campaign for Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork has been nothing short of spectacular - the animals, people and environments we captured are stunning and so uniquely Scottish. The team at Multiply are immensely proud to have worked on this, and it stands out as a career highlight for me personally."

The first burst of the campaign will run for around six weeks and features a dynamic 60-second TV advert airing on STV, Borders TV, and STV Player, complemented by two further 30-second cut downs of the ad. This campaign also includes prominent billboard placements in 21 key Scottish locations, with high-impact full-motion displays at Edinburgh and Glasgow train stations.

Premium online coverage will feature interviews with Scottish farmers, butchers and recipe inspiration placed in The Times and The Scottish Sun online. Targeted digital ads on popular foodie websites and social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, will drive traffic to makeitscotch.com. To further boost visibility, a Scotch Difference masterclass for media and influencers will enhance the campaign's reach and impact. A new suite of simple and inspiring recipes will also be promoted as part of the activity.

Emma Heath concluded: “Through our varied media mix, we are set to reach over 70% of Scottish adults in the initial six week launch period. We want consumers to discover more about our brands and experience that moment of realisation, clarity, and deeper understanding that truly changes the game when buying red meat. Once you grasp the Scotch difference, you’ll wonder why you’d choose anything else. We will share more detail on our planned Christmas campaign in the coming weeks”

For more information about Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork, visit makeitscotch.com.