For Immediate Release                                              Oct. 12, 2006

Contact Communications Dept.   (806) 358-3681   info@tcfa.org 

THE CHICKEN CHALLENGE 

            Beef, after a 20-year slide in demand, is enjoying a resurgence in consumer acceptance that has put an additional $250 per head on cattle feeders' take-home pay.  But an extensive research effort this summer showed that chicken is narrowing the gap in consumer acceptance.

            The revelations in the research were not new, according to Rick Husted, chief operating officer for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, speaking to members of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) at a joint meeting of the two groups in Amarillo.  TCFA members were gathered for their annual convention and TSCRA held its fall board and committee meetings. 

            "Recognizing that the chicken challenge is real and that beef can't afford to rely on the status quo, NCBA initiated a very comprehensive research approach, funded by the beef checkoff, to understand how beef can strengthen its connection to consumers," Husted said.  That connection is very strong, the survey of more than 4,000 consumers nationwide showed.  Thirty-nine percent said they either strongly prefer or somewhat prefer beef, while 27% said the same of chicken. 

            But more than 40% said they are eating more chicken due to health concerns. 

            To put a stop to what Husted called "chicken creep," NCBA and the beef checkoff are launching a beef enhancement program that takes beef's core values with consumers and then goes to the next level.  Beef has always delivered enjoyment, Husted said, which works fine if you want to maintain the same behavior.  But with the beef industry's goal to increase beef demand 10% by 2010, a more aggressive approach is needed.

            While the research confirmed that the pleasure of eating beef is the key driver in beef consumption, it showed another consumer driver is gaining importance-consumers' desire to fuel their body with food that gives them energy and is a good source of protein.  "In fact, fuel is the second most important driver behind eating experience," Husted said.  And beef satisfies that consumer desire well.

            As a result, beef producers who sit on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee approved a 2007 checkoff-funded plan that will help consumers turn their love of beef into something they feel good about eating, too. 

            "It is important to understand that this brand enhancement will be more than just advertising," Husted said.  "It really calls for other areas of the beef industry like retail, foodservice, public relations and new product development to show consumers how beef can be a vital part of their lives.  This is all about making sure the beef checkoff is doing all it can to build consumer demand for beef." 

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