Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and Silver Fern Farms are celebrating another year of successful joint marketing efforts in the United States. The partnership, which included a series of seasonal marketing campaigns, outdoor advertisements and creative brand programs, resulted in significant sales growth and increased awareness.

American appetite for grass-fed sustainably raised New Zealand beef and lamb is growing. Lamb and beef exports to the US have lifted by 41 percent and 5 percent respectively, compared to the 2019-2020 season, with chilled beef lifting by 62 percent. To build on the momentum in the U.S., B+LNZ and Silver Fern farms crafted several campaigns designed to capture the hearts and appetite of "Conscious Foodie" consumers.

In October, the organizations wrapped a three-week joint campaign designed to promote New Zealand grass-fed beef via the Silver Fern Farms direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. Promotional tactics included curated 100% Grass-Fed New Zealand beef bundles, a product offer, paid digital media, social media, email marketing and an online influencer campaign. As a result of the collaborative campaign, Silver Fern Farms saw a 247 percent increase in website traffic, a 291 percent increase in beef products sold and a 254 percent increase in beef revenue.

"The beef-focused e-commerce campaign is a prime example of how B+LNZ can add value and provide support to brands looking to break through in the U.S.," said Michael Wan, B+LNZ's Global Manager – New Zealand Red Meat Story. "By working together and combining resources, we can reach even more consumers, building increased awareness and preference as well as sales of New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb in a key market."

Beyond the September-October e-commerce campaign, B+LNZ and Silver Fern Farms collaborated on several U.S. marketing campaigns in 2021:

Paid Digital Media Support Timed to Easter

B+LNZ invested in a paid digital media campaign timed with the Easter holiday to promote a special deal on Silver Fern Farms 100 percent Grass-Fed New Zealand lamb products. The media campaign generated more than 9 million media impressions, 186,000 video views, 29,000 clicks to the website and nearly half of the total Silver Fern Farms transactions over its duration. Silver Fern Farms' e-commerce sales were up 470 percent on the previous period and almost 1,000 new subscribers joined the email database. The most popular products sold during the campaign period were Lamb Medallions and Lamb Steaks. 

"Get Seconds on Summer" Sweepstakes

The organizations worked together on a summer grilling sweepstakes campaign, in which consumers could enter to win a trip to New Zealand, with the goal of driving increased brand awareness and retail and e-commerce sales for Silver Fern Farms products. B+LNZ supported the campaign through a paid digital media campaign and engaged social media influencers to develop recipes featuring Silver Fern Farms 100 Percent Grass-Fed New Zealand beef and lamb. The campaign generated more than 18,000 engagements on influencer recipe content, 13,000 sweepstakes entries, a 278 percent increase in website visits for Silver Fern Farms, and the e-commerce database grew by 125 percent during the period. This promotion assisted further discussions for Silver Fern Farms to grow their retail distribution. 

Outdoor Media Advertisements 

Starting in September, B+LNZ invested in an outdoor advertising campaign in Los Angeles, featuring 18 billboards in high traffic areas and near retailers that carry New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb. The outdoor campaign includes billboards highlighting New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb availability at JONS Fresh Marketplace stores, a key retail partner for Silver Fern Farms. The outdoor campaign is running through the end of 2021 and is expected to deliver nearly 50 million impressions.

Strategic Campaign with Spiceology

B+LNZ also engaged in a co-op campaign with Spiceology, a leading spice and flavor company in the United States, to launch its new Blackberry Balsamic Signature Blend and brought in Silver Fern Farms as the branded product partner. The campaign included influencer engagement, recipe creation and content for social media and the website, all highlighting Silver Fern Farms 100% Grass-Fed New Zealand beef and lamb as the recommended protein pairing for Spiceology's Blackberry Balsamic Signature Blend.

"We've seen an increased appetite for grass-fed, sustainably raised red meat in the U.S., as evidenced by a 36 percent increase in our retail presence on the West Coast, compared to the year prior, and an 26 percent increase in overall branded sales year-over-year," said David Patragnoni, U.S. Director of Sales at Silver Fern Farms. "By partnering with Beef + Lamb New Zealand, we're able to extend and truly maximize the impact of our programming—we can't wait to see what's in store for the year ahead."

B+LNZ and Silver Fern Farms have more exciting U.S. programs and activations planned for 2022, including the launch of Silver Fern Farms' Toitū Certified Net Carbon Zero Angus Beef product range and exciting retail and ecommerce promotions. 

This collaboration is one of many between B+LNZ and meat processing and marketing companies under the Taste Pure Nature marketing umbrella.

Source: Beef and Lamb New Zealand