The_Ledger_winter_2019

Branding the Aberdeen Breed Marketing Efforts Target Additional Sector of the Beef Industry

BY AGTOWN TECHNOLOGIES, GREELEY, COLO. I magine this: a swoosh, a golden “M” or a green mermaid. These companies are so well branded that they immediately conjure up images of sneakers, a Big Mac or cof fee. Nike, McDonald’s and Starbucks have spent years of hard work and countless dollars to create a positive experience, a recognizable brand and products that are staples in our every day lives. The key to their success is the positive experience you have with each purchase. This distinct brand recognition didn’t happen overnight. It’s a result of a well-executed, all encompassing marketing effort. In the fall of 2017, the American Aberdeen Association (AAA) tagged full-fledged marketing firm AgTown Technologies of Greeley, Colo., to tackle the Aberdeen breed’s branding efforts. With 19 years of experience, AgTown specializes in agriculture and has worked with clients ranging from small breeders to large ag businesses from across the country. The firm designs logos, builds websites and creates print materials, but also has a large technology arm that can create customized programs and applica tions. AgTown was chosen by AAA because of the staff’s firsthand knowl edge of the commercial and purebred segments of the beef industry. To get started, AgTown staff, AAA leadership and Aberdeen breeders

met to brainstorm and estab lish immediate priorities, as well as long-range goals for the breed. At the meeting’s end, the group decided to continue to zero in on its niche mar ket of smaller herds, but also develop strategies to grow the breed by targeting the commer cial cattle industry. A rebrand was sought to reignite interest for the original Aberdeen cattle brought to America for their moderate frame and efficiency. AgTown co-owner Tonya Pérez says this meeting jumpstarted her team with a strategic plan to address the priorities established in the roundtable discussions. First up, a new look was needed. “When we started the rebranding, we developed an all-encompassing logo that has longevity to represent the breed across multiple facets of the cattle business,” Pérez says. “We wanted something that gave the breed a new professional and polished identity.” The September 2017 World Cattle men’s Cow Efficiency Congress in North Dakota provided an important opportunity to showcase the breed. AgTown staff recorded every session to capture the impressive data pre sented at the event.

“The World Cow Efficiency Con gress was worth every dime spent,” Pérez says. “These videos are price less because it’s third-party spokes people talking about the cattle vs. breeders talking about themselves. The videos contain factual data from researchers and professors outside the breed.” Along with the video shoot in North Dakota, AgTown set out on several photo and video shoots to capture imagery of the breed. “These images are worth a thou sand words,” Pérez says. “Without good images, it was really hard to promote and market the breed to the full extent.” With these assets collected, the team developed five promotional vid eos that have been spotlighted on the AAA website, Facebook and YouTube. The videos have touched a larger, dif ferent audience than traditional print methods, and have ignited conversa tion about the Aberdeen breed out side of the current breeders’ realm. With 15,000-45,000 views in just the first few days posted, the videos have provided the breed the most ex posure of anything done so far. Pérez Continued on page 14 

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