Brand Update 2018: Year in Review

In Mulhall, Okla., the logo found a home
at Pfeiffer Angus, where John Pfeiffer’s herd
reflects the influence of the brand’s required
10 science-based specifications.
“The brand has had a major impact on how
this cow herd looks today,” Pfeiffer says.
“To be a part of it, to continue to work with
the brand, restaurateurs and retailers – it’s
a dream come true.”
Near Council Grove, Kan., Chris and Sharee
Sankey shared a passion for the Angus
breed and brand that is second to none.
Their Angus roots run deep, and their family
history aligns with quality beef.
“We are honored to have been selected
for a barn painting, as 1978 was a special
year for us,” says Chris Sankey. The couple
graduated from Kansas State University,
married and started their Angus herd the
same year the brand began.
In fact, the barn paintings became an even
greater family affair for the Sankeys: in
addition to the Council Grove barn, their
adult children’s barns in Raymond, S.D.,
and Economy, Ind., were among the 40
barns painted, as well.
The distance between farm and table
dissolved at barn No. 23, near Mandan,
N.D. The Boehm family at Interstate Angus
Ranch cares for a herd of 100 registered
Angus cows while operating Roby’s Supper
Club, a local restaurant that proudly serves
Certified Angus Beef ® brand steaks.
Second-generation rancher and restaurant
owner Robert Boehm is brand loyal on both
fronts. In the early days at Roby’s, when
there were no local distributors from which
he could source product, he would drive
600 miles roundtrip to purchase the beef
brand to which he’s committed.
“If I couldn’t serve my customers Certified
Angus Beef ® brand steaks, I wouldn’t serve
them steaks at all,” he says.
Nearly a thousand miles away, in Lowell,
Mich., is Sterzick Farm, the home of Barn
No. 29, a 200-year-old beauty which evokes
the adage “if these walls could talk…”
Protected and cherished for generations, a
drop of paint had never touched its wood –
until the brand’s logo, that is.
That trust in the brand, and the power of
the barn paintings, has been truly humbling,
said President John Stika.
“This effort has meant so much to so many
people, and really strengthened how Certified
Angus Beef ® is perceived as a consumer
brand,” he said. “In an increasingly digital
marketplace, there’s something valuable, real
and special about bringing members of our
community together in one physical space.”
MAKING CONNECTIONS
AND BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS
At each event, lines blurred between urban and rural. The gatherings
opened doors for a food blogger and rancher, a state Secretary of
Agriculture and a chef, to connect at the gate and around the
plate. At any barn, a packer, farmer, foodservice distributor and
retail brand partner might be seen sitting together, enjoying beef
at the place the brand gets its start. Beyond those directly involved
with the brand, school teachers and students, extension agents,
politicians and media assembled as well, enjoying the meal and
the spectacle that was so much more than “watching paint dry.”
At these tables, conversations began, friendships were kindled
and people learned more about where their food comes from.
The gatherings gave consumers the chance to ask questions, and
farmers the opportunity to share what they do, why they do it, and
what the brand is all about.
The diversity of guests and roles mirrored the dynamic community
that helped the brand grow and thrive for the past four decades.
They continue to drive that success and realize the mission of the
brand: creating demand for, and adding value to, Angus cattle.
The uninitiated may view the brand’s logo as another label.
Another piece of artwork that gets lost in the sea of marketing
messages consumers are bombarded with daily. But those who
understand it realize it’s a symbol that sparked thousands of
storylines on ranches across North America, in kitchens and on
dinner tables around the world.
While it’s the most visible reminder of the anniversary journey,
the painted logo is actually secondary. Its biggest value is in the
people, experiences and memories generated through the events,
which created new brand loyalists and made their passions for
better beef burn brighter.
“This campaign was and continues to be an opportunity to
capitalize on the rich history of the brand’s roots and an initiative
that will take us into the future,” says vice president of marketing
Tracey Erickson. “These barns will be around for years to come,
inspiring a new generation. We’re excited to see them enjoyed and
leveraged to help tell our brand story.”
Artist Troy Freeman from Springfield, Ill., used paint he says will
last 30 years, so few touchups will be necessary and the barns will
be seen for decades to come. Pull out a map … the barns that now
dot the landscape represent 40 parts of a greater whole.
BRAND UPDATE
“I don’t look at the Certified Angus Beef ® brand as an individual
unit, but rather ranchers, consumers, distributors – people – all
intertwined and working as one,” says Sharon Baldwin in Florida.
To learn more about the campaign and read the stories of each
barn and family, visit CertifiedAngusBeef.com/brandthebarn.
42 Artist Troy Freeman of Springfield, Ill.