Glacier FarmMedia – Canada Beef is seeking better ways to get domestic product into the fridges of more people by giving them an easy way to access nutritional information along with cooking tips for dozens of cuts of meat.
The first phase of the Information Gateway initiative will give consumers access to a digital profile of 75 cuts of beef through a QR code that will also include instructional cooking videos and food safety and storage tips.
Why it matters: Canada Beef has launched a new initiative to better connect with consumers and promote beef more widely.
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“Our bottom line, our goal is to sell more beef more often and improve customer experience buying and of course, consumer satisfaction while enjoying our product. That’s no easy task,” said Michael Young, Canada Beef president.
The Gateway is part of Canada Beef’s post-pandemic recovery strategy and is based on consumer surveys, Young said.
“We were looking at ways to pivot programs and services to best serve the industry.”
Based on research, Young said QR codes proved to be an effective tool to connect consumers with the information they said they wanted in surveys.
“It became fairly obvious if we could pull something together and present this information in a way that consumers could utilize when they wanted it, and we could adapt it to be used easily in a variety of sales and marketing opportunities, we could have something here,” he said.
As part of the initial launch of the Gateway, the QR code will be available on the Canada Beef website, trade publications and social media and will be included in generic packaging for smaller retailers.
But the next phase will include the code on the package or the ability to access the Gateway through the UPC label used to scan products at the till in partnership with major retailers of beef products.
“We’re in negotiations and we’re building custom gateways for some of the larger retailers right now,” said Young.
There is an ability to customize gateways for retailers as well if there is a desire to add a traceability aspect to the product so consumers know where the beef came from, he added.
“We will be adding in the future, and the team is already working on this, things like ethnic-themed recipes. There is so much ethnic influence in Canada right now, so many great ideas.”
The Gateway will also potentially be able to provide recipes for varying dietary requirements.
“Let’s say you are a Keto or Atkins person or whatever you are, you’ll be able to click on that and then the recipes will be able to automatically sort for you and give you recipes that will fit within these popular diets,” said Young, adding the same will be offered for those with allergies.
He said the pandemic has reintroduced many Canadians to the joy of cooking and the Gateway will provide a younger generation with an accessible and familiar mode of accessing the best information on beef products.
– This article was originally published at The Western Producer.
