The_Ledger_Fall_2019

LOGIST ICS  NE I L EFFERTZ Target Marketing

the animals and we love having animals that they can be around, and that’s what these are.” Barbour recalls one of his favorite parts of the fair experi ence this year was watching his young grandkids interact with fair goers, answering questions and teaching them about the cattle. “I just love to help educate people – help them under stand what farmers and ranchers do and what it takes to put food on somebody’s plate,” he says. Barbour continues to proudly promote and support the American Aberdeen breed, serving as the current vice president of the Northeast Aberdeen Association as well as being the Northeast representative on both the American Aberdeen Association Strategic Planning Committee and the Bylaws/Rules/Resolution Committee. “We just want to help where we can and do what we can, and that’s why we’re involved with the Northeast Aberdeen Association. I’m excited with where we’re headed and to have family coming along with us.” TL H unting season is here! What does that have to do with the American Aberdeen breeding business? To be a good hunter, you must be equipped and you must be able to hit what you are aiming at. You must also know exactly WHAT you are aiming at. It’s simple logic, but let’s apply that to the American Aberdeen breeding business. Before you know what kind of American Aberdeen cattle you want to raise, you should answer these questions: 1. What is my target market? 2. Who am I producing the animals/beef for? 3. How will I make them aware of my animals or beef that I have for sale? 4. What can I do to boost my operation’s image to entice more customers to inquire about the ani mals or beef that I have for sale? 5. How can I make breeding decisions for my herd that will best suit the needs of my target market? With that mindset you should be able to narrow down some marketing decisions that will help you begin to hit what you are aiming for. I have noticed many new and existing Aberdeen breeders struggle with marketing, and they never focus on their potential customers until they realize that they have more animals on hand than what their farm or ranch can hold and become desperate to get rid of some. That is not marketing! As Steven Covey says in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , “Begin with the end in mind.” Before you get to the stage of “getting rid of some,” determine what is it that you want to sell – breeding stock, show calves, commercial bulls, replacement heifers, butcher steers, halves of beef, retail beef cuts or combina tions thereof. If you truly begin with the end in mind, you will under stand that the breeding decisions you make now won’t

have marketing consequences for two years, when the calves produced by those decisions are weaned. However, the right service sire (AI or natural) can dramatically affect the marketability of the seedstock you are selling in the next few months. And the reverse is also true, the wrong service sire will also dramatically affect marketability. Plan ahead! Next, determine your target market for that production. It is important to consider that it is especially difficult for smaller operations to be all things to all people. You are always going to be more effective if you are focused on producing for a specific market. Your cattle should reflect that focus. That enables you to have an identity for your herd that can help set your cattle/beef apart from any potential competition. Once you focus on your potential customers, their needs and what you can sell them to help them accom plish their goals, you can narrow down your marketing approach to get that message delivered precisely to them. In other words, just like the successful hunter, you can hit your target. Remember, it is hard to hit your target if you don’t first know what you are shooting at! Demographics, the study of populations (potential mar kets), can help you identify and find your target market. If you are selling breeding stock to small farms (fewer than 50 cows) the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a nice analysis of small-scale beef operations that is worth check ing out, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/ nahms/smallscale/downloads/Small_scale_beef.pdf . As you make your selections for next year’s breeding program, stop and think, make a list and develop a focus for your herd’s genetics. Breed for your market. Begin with the end in mind. I am hopeful that this information will help a lot of American Aberdeen breeders market their stock instead of just getting rid of them. TL

Olivia Martin (17) volunteers her time at the local fair with the Barbours to help educate people about the Ameri can Aberdeen breed. James Barbour (14) exhibits his half American Aberdeen steer at the local fair. The Barbours appreciate the docility of the breed, especially around their grandkids.

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