CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After 20 years of bad press claiming beef is a hazard to the health conscious, it may be time to tell people that eating beef will give them zip.
That’s zinc, iron and protein.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has given the nod to a splashy new campaign aimed at women aged 18 to 54 who have children or plan to have children.
“Beef, it’s got what you need” is the new slogan. The industry hopes to convince busy mothers that beef in the diet will give them extra energy needed to get them through a hectic day.
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Improving image
Chicago market consultant Sheila Corrington laid out the plan for communications committee members at the NCBA convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Beef’s situation is similar to the plastics industry in the 1980s,” she said.
The public associated plastic with environmental pollution and thought it was harmful. Few accepted the plastic industry stance that it was not a contaminant so a campaign was launched to repair the image of plastic.
A series of television and print ads showed the benefits of plastic for safety helmets, prosthesis and other items needed in every day life.
Plastic’s image improved.
“If beef goes out and says ‘we don’t have too much fat or too much cholesterol,’ it’s like plastics. You can’t mention it,” she said.
For almost 20 years many people have assumed that eating red meat is less healthy. Beef is considered a guilty pleasure because even though people like it, they worry it has too much fat and bad cholesterol, said nutritionist Mary Young.
“They want to eat beef, but they feel they should eat chicken,” said Young.
Lack of knowledge
A series of focus groups for the new campaign revealed many people don’t know the full nutrient complement of beef. Nor do they think the need for energy can be satisfied by beef.
“In this study we found people obsessed with energy. They need it and they don’t have enough,” Young said.
