Over the last year or so, I have been helping the local bison and elk associations to obtain funding to undertake marketing campaigns to sell their bison and elk meat.
Here are some of the things that these associations have been doing that have proven to be successful. These strategies and activities should be emulated and considered by other associations wishing to develop their meat markets.
1. Consumer websites - most associations have a website that is designed for their members and producers. It is a good idea to set up a separate website for buyers of venison products. These consumer sites should have information on such things as: a)nutritional and health benefits of venison; b) preparation and cooking tips; c) recipes; d) quality assurances and safety information; and e) where they can buy the meat products - information on farm-gate sales, farmers’ markets, specialty stores, on-line sales and restaurants.
2. Consumer shows - these are events such as home and garden shows, women’s shows and so on, which cater to the general consumer. Booths at these shows are intended to increase awareness among consumers of the availability of farmed venison. Samples and brochures should be given out. If possible, get a celebrity chef to demonstrate preparation and cooking of venison products.
3. Industry trade shows - these are events such as restaurant and food services trade shows, meat conferences and so on. These are the places to make restaurant chefs and specialty meat stores aware of your products. Booths should provide information and samples and collect possible leads for future follow-up.
4. Food festivals - these are events where people come to eat. The Taste of Edmonton and the Heritage Food Festival are two examples of these events. Booths at these events can provide free taste samples and also sell venison products to the consumer to eat and/or to take home. These events are also a good place to have preparation and cooking demonstrations. Be prepared to move a lot of food!
5. Culinary programs - both the bison and elk associations have developed partnerships with the local community colleges that offer chefs’ training programs. The associations and their members donate bison and elk carcasses for students to learn how to prepare, cook and present venison for fine dining. These students have also prepared and served venison products at food festivals.
6. Consumer sampling program - meat is processed into burgers, meatballs and similar products to be given out at various events. These programs include supporting charitable events where associations cook and serve burgers to hundreds or thousands of participants.
7. Community barbeques - the bison association held a series of barbeques over the summer in several small rural communities. Attendance and participation exceeded all expectations. These were held in partnership with a local organization and/or event.
8. Sponsorships - these include corporate sponsorship of major events in the community. Events garner huge media coverage for the industry and increase public awareness. They are often combined with the consumer sampling programs described above.
9. Special events - in partnership with local selected hotels, sponsor a venison week extravaganza where deer/elk meat is highlighted in their restaurants. Have displays and other information for consumers. Get local radio and television, and newspapers involved.
10. Media advertising - these include billboards, bus ads, newspaper and radio ads and banners on city bridges. These ads can be general in nature by referring people to the association’s consumer website, or can support special events as per above.
Issues
Here are some issues that need to be addressed when marketing deer and elk meat.
1. Name - to avoid confusion with water buffalo, North American producers adopted “bison” for their farmed livestock. For many years, they marketed bison meat to the public. However, market research now shows that this may have been a mistake, causing confusion among consumers. The trend is now back to the term “buffalo” by which the public knows these animals.A similar situation is developing with elk producers. In order to differentiate themselves from other species, they prefer to use the term “ranched elk meat.” The rest of the world uses the term “venison” when referring to the meat of any deer species.
2. Quality and consistency - to make a good first impression on the public, it is important that only superior quality products be sold or given out as samples. Quality is determined by finishing, pre-slaughter handling and stress minimization, as well as proper handling and packaging of the meat. An additional obstacle is that some people are turned off of venison because they tasted some tough old buck that had been shot in the wild and hauled around in the back of a pick-up truck for a week.
3. Cost - currently costs of slaughtering deer/elk are way too high, not allowing sufficient profit margins. The numbers bandied around locally are about $200 per animal as compared to $35 for cattle. The other major cost limitation is that consumers are not willing to pay a big differential over other types of meat.
4. Inspections - in Canada and the United States, animals processed in state/provincially inspected facilities can only be sold within that jurisdiction. Federally inspected plants are required for national and international sales. The problem is that in most places there are too few federally approved plants to meet the needs of the deer and elk industries.
5. Positioning - in Europe, venison is considered food for royalty, while in North America it is food for peasants. This is because in Europe, only the nobility were allowed to shoot deer, while over here deer are so plentiful that anyone can harvest them.
Therefore, the public image of venison on this side of the Atlantic is not consistent with the marketing position we want to achieve (as a premium meat product). If we want to be able to charge more for venison than other meats, this perception has to change.
6. Value-added products - most producers are selling carcasses or packages of fresh/frozen meat cuts. This is the easiest way to start and is the most convenient. However, in North American society, we have few cooking skills and even less time to spend on cooking. The trend is towards food that can be microwaved or thrown in the oven for 20 minutes and served. Venison producers must look at similar value-added products, including deli meats, if they are to successfully compete for consumers’ meat purchases.
7. By-products - prime cuts are easy to sell. However, the organs, bones and trim are much more difficult to turn into profitable items. One option (that we have mentioned here several times) is to look at turning these by-products into pet food.
Employing the above marketing strategies, the Alberta Bison Commission has been very successful in raising awareness and moving a lot of product. I expect that the Alberta Elk Commission will be similarly successful when they initiate their programs.
There are no secrets to developing a meat market. You know what you have to do - so just do it!
