Sheep Industry Promotes Products

February 13

The American Sheep Industry Association's (ASI) American Lamb Council plans to promote U.S. lamb through a promotional campaign funded through a $1.8 million grant awarded by USDA to the American Lamb Council last November. Due to lack of any industry investment in marketing, the council has not conducted any widespread U.S. lamb marketing campaigns in several years. The USDA-funded campaign will be the most significant lamb marketing effort made by the council in recent years.

"The American Lamb Council's campaign is expected to become the foundation to revitalize demand for American lamb," said Paul Rodgers, American Lamb Council marketing director. The council is developing and implementing the campaign in conjunction with the BSMG/Bozell Worldwide agency, which has created some memorable campaigns, including the "Milk Mustache" and "The Other White Meat" campaigns.

The grant was awarded for use in five project areas: 1) consumer positioning; 2) U.S. lamb identification program; 3) retail marketing and new product development; 4) American lamb information center; and 5) culinary outreach.

"In the end, the idea is to get U.S. lamb back in people's minds, in the media, on more menus, featured in more retail stores and more frequently and to obtain a stronger position in the world marketplace," said Rodgers.

During the last several months, USDA has awarded 23 lamb marketing grants totaling $4.85 million. The grants are part of a three-year U.S. sheep industry assistance package that ASI secured as part of the industry's successful Section 201 trade case against imports. During ASI's annual convention, a lamb marketing meeting was held to coordinate plans among recent grant recipients to market American lamb.