Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is finding success with its Beef Oracle campaign, following a series of shopping centre installations.
The Beef Oracle winter beef marketing campaign kicked off in June with a crop circle embedded with the image of a beef roast in an oat paddock in the Hunter Valley used to launch the shopper marketing initiative.
‘The Beef Oracle’ is a fictional talking beef rib roast with expert beef knowledge,which aims to encourage Australians to cook more beef meals this winter by building consumer knowledge of beef cuts and cooking methods.
In addition to shopping installations (see below video), which have seen a life size oven at Westfield Parramatta and Penrith where consumer sit inside to consult the Beef Oracle, consumers can interact online through hosted chat sessions with the oracle and find information on cuts, tips and recipe techniques.
An online Beef Oracle radio station has also been developed.
The campaign runs until August, focusing on metropolitan areas in the major capital cities, and regional centres including Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle, Dubbo, Bendigo, and Rockhampton.
MLA Australia regional manager, Lachlan Bowtell, said The Beef Oracle is a font of all beef knowledge created to educate and inspire Australians to incorporate more winter beef cuts into their cooking.
“The Beef Oracle is an expert on all things beef, designed to showcase beef’s versatility in winter, offer tips and tricks, and help consumers match cuts with suitable cooking methods,” Bowtell said.
“While beef remains the number one protein choice for Australians, it’s facing increasing competition from other protein sources, and we can’t be complacent about our spot at the top. Our research has found the range of beef cuts available can be confusing for consumers, when they are unsure of how to cook it correctly.
“Greater cooking confidence, which comes with knowing how to match beef cut and cooking method, is linked to increased numbers of beef meals in the home kitchen. The Beef Oracle is here to help consumers navigate the beef cabinet confidently and instil a desire to prepare a wider variety of beef meals,” Bowtell said.
More than 30 per cent of consumers consider themselves low confidence cooks who would cook beef more often if they had greater confidence that they were buying the right cut and knew how to cook it, according to the MLA.
“While casseroles are an obvious go to winter dish, we want to inspire consumers with more meal options like adding to their weekly spaghetti bolognese and turning mince into a meatball curry or chilli con carne for something different,” he said.
