Dallas Gale
Cedar City, Utah

Strategic Communications

Creative

 

 

“Cattle Market Research and Experimentation”

 

Description of Project

 

I conducted research and experimented cattle marketing strategies in different ways than the “norm” through my family ranch here in Cedar City, UT. I reached out to ranchers here in Southern Utah as well as rancher outside of the local market. We had lengthy discussions regarding strategies of cattle marketing that they have used and ideas that they have had for cattle marketing. We also discussed my plans for new and innovative ways to market cattle. Whether it be from the ranchers I talked to or ranchers that they knew and have talked to, I found that the majority of cattlemen in the area are open to new ways of marketing cattle as long as it gives them options on cattle prices. 

 

I was able to market 3 heifers and was able to sell 1 heifer cow in different ways than “the norm”, with one transaction still pending. Below are the ways I marketed the cattle that were different than taking them to the local Cedar City Livestock Auction. The titles below are titles and ideas I created for this project.

 

• “On the Hoof Marketing” – I attempted to add value to the sale of cattle by letting consumers see the product before it ended up in little white packaging, and let them be involved in the production of the beef itself. By doing this, people get the experience as well as the knowledge that beef does not come from Wal-Mart, it comes from cattle ranches. I did this by inviting an individual from big city California to come and participate in cattle work and then gave him the sales pitch to buy cattle for his family directly from us where you know the quality of the meat. The transaction is still pending.

• “Direct to You Marketing” – I loaded and hauled cattle to be sold in a different auction market than just here in Cedar City. I hauled them to Salina Utah and penciled out the costs vs. the benefits. Heifer was sold and was not profitable to a margin that was worth it.

• “Buy in Bulk Marketing” – I used word of mouth and written word strategies to let locals know that they can buy home grown hormone free beef in bulk for a cheaper price than the grocery store. The transaction is still pending.

California resident Andrew Hansen, riding and learning the process of raising cattle in Southern Utah. An Example of “On the Hoof Marketing”.

 

 

Project Inspiration

 

The cattle market has been run the same way for decades and no one seems to have any better ideas or better methods to influence the market and find different ways to market cattle. Cattle prices are influenced by government regulation, input costs, and foreign imports, there is little to nothing that the average rancher can do about this. Without options for cattle sales, and market price for cattle dropping, more and more ranchers are unable to survive, and eventually end up selling out of the cattle business. This is an industry that is rich with tradition, an industry that this country is founded upon. Without more options for cattle sales, our ranchers will continue to diminish.

 

Project Challenges

 

This project came with its fair share of challenges. Trying to challenge the way things are done, in such a traditional industry, presents unchartered grounds that people don’t always know how to handle. One challenge I faced was the small minded traditional thinking of my father, the owner, and operator of our family ranch. The thought of putting effort into unproven ways of sales and marketing of cattle was foolish and risky. In this business, every dollar counts. The idea that these ideas could potentially fail resulted in negative pressure and more effort for me.

 

Other frustrations and complications came in the form of consumers. When it comes to people, nothing is for sure and plans rarely play out how they were originally meant to. This came in the form of people’s interest level in relation to their action level. Before deciding on marketing methods, I made sure there was interest in the particular fields of marketing. The problem that I ran into, in two of the three marketing techniques, were people voicing promising interest, but then when the time came to actually pay money for the product, they were hesitant and reluctant. Even to the extreme of commitment during the marketing process, then backing out when sales time came around.

 

Benefit to Others

 

This project has already benefited and hopefully will continue to benefit others producers in the cattle industry as well as consumers of the produced beef.  These marketing strategies result in the benefit of a higher sales price and more sales options for the producers.  They also result in more options and a better buying price for the consumers. If this project does not result directly in more money in the pockets of the ranchers it will at least benefit with the idea that there are more options out there than the traditional ways, and the spark of ideas to help create more options for ranchers and consumers alike.

 

Benefit to Myself

 

I know that this has benefitted others, and will continue to benefit others because of how it has benefitted me. I plan to use these new marketing techniques in the future and they will be even more profitable for me by selling a larger bulk of animals. Even more important than that is the benefit of knowledge, I now know that I can challenge that process. The raising and sales of cattle have generally been the same for decades, if I can challenge that, I have confidence in myself to challenge and improve other aspects of my life. This lesson will help me learn and grow and will help me be a better me for the rest of my life.

 

An example advertisement for homegrown beef – “Buy in Bulk Advertising”.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This project resulted in a better understanding of and new ideas of local cattle markets of Cedar City, Utah as well as ways to market Cedar City cattle outside of the Cedar City market. Although a transaction is still pending, I was able to learn and accomplish my goals and outcomes for this project. With the markets being influenced so heavily by government regulations, the new and innovative ways and/or options I participated in will help hard working locals have better ways to turn their hard work into greater success. 

 

Reflective Journal Quotes

 

Knowledge is power, the more I understand about the cattle market, the more good I can do for it.

 

Ranching is hard enough as it is; we make it harder on ourselves by not exploring other options, even if they are unproven. It’s called being a pioneer.