Radale Tiner
Association Perspective
Building a brand.
We have all heard the phrase “building a brand.” What does this truly mean? Does it mean an actual character that is branded onto your animals? Does it mean a slogan or logo that you have created? Does it represent the quality of product that people automatically think of when they hear your name? I am going to try to describe what I think “building a brand” truly means.
As human beings, we subconsciously relate quality to a name when we hear it. For example, when we hear the word Cadillac, we automatically think of a luxury car. When we hear the name Michael Jordan, we think of a phenomenal basketball player. As cattlemen and cattlewomen, when we hear the words Certified Angus Beef®, we think of a high-quality steak. We have an automatic reaction in our minds when we hear each of these names.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some things about which we subconsciously conjure negative thoughts. You need to make sure that when people hear your ranch name, they think positive thoughts that make them want to buy from you.
Have you ever wondered what people think when they hear your ranch name? Do they relate your ranch name to high-quality cattle? This is something that every commercial Angus cattleman has to put some thought into to attract buyers who pay premiums. We all know that every calf born on every ranch is not superior; we do not have control over how some of the best cows match up to some of the best bulls. However, you do control how you market and represent your cattle.
You have control over the image that you advertise to your potential customers. You control how your calves are marketed. You control how much information you give buyers so they know they are getting high-quality calves. If you don’t think that the information about your animals will make people want to buy them, then you are probably not building the brand that you want.
In closing, my vision of building a brand is the image that we create in someone’s mind when they hear our name or see our logo. A brand is not built overnight; it takes many years of creating a consistent product before the brand is synonymous with high quality. We each have the ability to build a brand of quality no matter the size of our operation.
I hope that each of you has a great spring in your Angus endeavors building your brand. As always, feel free to call or email me if I can be of assistance in any way.
Editor’s Note: Regional Manager Radale Tiner covers Region 9, including the states of Texas and New Mexico. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.