Scotch Beef PGI Campaign Delivers Strong Results

Quality Meat Scotland’s recent marketing campaign behind Scotch Beef PGI has delivered strong results for the industry.

More than 70% of QMS’s external spend is allocated to marketing and consumer-facing activities such as the recent Scotch Beef campaign which drove an 8.8% increase in the volume of sales of Scottish-origin beef.

Analysis by independent market research organisation Kantar Worldpanel, reveals the increase in sales during the campaign was worth £1.3 million.

Notably the results of analysis by independent market research organisation Kantar Worldpanel reveal that Scottish-origin beef maintained an average price differential of 15% over home-produced beef – ie shoppers were willing to pay 15% more.

During the campaign the penetration of Scottish-origin beef in the GB market also increased by 12%.

The 13 week campaign showcased Scotch Beef and the flavour, provenance, traceability and integrity which underpin the brand’s PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status.

With the strapline of “There’s beef, there’s Scottish beef, then there’s Scotch Beef”, the campaign targeted 10 million consumers across Greater London and the Home Counties during February, March and April and aimed to inform, educate and inspire them to use Scotch Beef when they cook. The campaign also ran in Scotland during March and April.

A key objective of the 2016 campaign was to clearly differentiate Scotch Beef, and the marketing push included billboard and press advertising as well as on-line activity.

Three hundred independent butchers, who are members of the Scotch Butchers Club, also received promotional packs with steak sauce recipe cards and resources to help them boost their sales of Scotch Beef steaks.

Suzie Carlaw, Marketing Controller with QMS, said that the results confirmed that the campaign had delivered strongly for the industry.

“One notable group of shoppers who were particularly influenced by the campaign were those under 45 years old.

“We saw an increase in demand from this group of 26%, with beef grilling cuts and mince being particularly sought after by these buyers,” said Ms Carlaw.