IBC2000-5 Marketing

Marketing and Promotion of Bison Burger and Related Products

Jacob Childs
Account and Distribution Manager
Star B Ranch
28428 Hwy 78  Ramona  CA  USA 92065

The following article was originally presented at the International Bison Conference in Edmonton, Alberta in August 2000.  The conference covered a wide array of bison topics including production, marketing, genetics, history and much more.  This article has been reprinted with the permission of the IBC2000 Chairman.

Introduction

At Star B Ranch we have had some interesting experiences with packaging our product. We have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Some go well and some are doomed from the start. I will share with you some of the problems we have encountered and how we solved them. There are several things you need to keep in mind in getting your bison product to the shelf.

 Problems

Shelf life can be a problem.  The reality is, bison products do not move as quickly as you think they will. You may want to prepare for a longer shelf life for your product to avoid rotating a less than perfect product. We are not in the same sales league as beef or turkey. 

Packaging and presentation requires attention.  Keep in mind that people are curious about bison meat. They want to know about it, they want to see it and they want to touch it. There is a lot of handling of the product and putting it back on the shelf. Eventually, the seal will break.  This causes a buildup of ice on the inside of the package.  The subsequent freezer burn means you have to rotate product.  That can be costly.

Ultra violet lighting in some retail stores can create an undesirable gray color in the meat.

Restaurants have different needs than retail consumers. In a restaurant situation there is not the handling frequency of a retail outlet but the opening and closing of the plastic bags with patties separated only by wax paper will eventually introduce air which in turn allows ice build up and freezer burn. They will complain.

Solutions

Here are some things we have done to solve these problems.

1.      Use a cardboard box and a heavy-duty film to protect your product. To avoid a lot of handling and to minimize the ultra violet effect we have put our products in a sturdy box and wrapped it in a heavy ml cryo-vac package. We started at a 4-ml weight and are now using a 13-ml film, which is very heavy duty. Even with the heavier film there is still some leakage, but it is reduced considerably.

2.      Put a window on the face of the box. Our first packaging only had a label on the outside and there was a lot of handling. Once we put a window in the box, it stopped people from opening the box, and it lets them immediately see what they are getting. Without this a customer may open the box and not put it back exactly the way it was. By letting people see what they are getting they will not tamper with it. This prolongs the life of your product.

3.      IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) patties. For our restaurant customers we individually cryo-vaced our patties; 4 to a pound.  This means that the chef can remove a single piece without danger of freezer burn to the rest of the package, as there will be no air contact.  The life of your product is prolonged and the chefs are happy.

Other Concerns 

Here are some other things to be concerned about.

1.      Color of your packaging is important. Go to the stores and spend some time looking at the colors of products that attract people. You can use those ideas.

2.      Labeling is important. It should be clear and easy to read. Our label says “Buffalo Dogs.” There is no question about what the product is. If I put “Star B Ranch” on the label a customer would not quickly know what the product is. It means nothing to them. The words “Buffalo Dogs” is what pulls them in to take a closer look.

3.      Consistency of labeling is important. Whether a store carries only one or two of your products or the full line, all packaging should look the same. This way your product will be easily identifiable at every store, even if they do not carry your full line, but only selected items.

4.      Nutritional content should be listed clearly on your box as many people today are increasingly health conscious about the food they eat.

5.      UPC bar codes are important. It helps to ease the tracking of your product and makes good sense at the store level. You want the retailers to be as happy as possible in handling your product.

6.      Government Regulations - you must have a basic understanding of the regulations governing food products. It will save you many headaches. Something as minor as changing the product number on your packaging can present problems. Government regulations may have changed and will demand other changes as well – all this can be costly if you are unaware of what is required. The Internet can be helpful in getting this information. Government web-sites are also good sources of useful information. Do not rush this as mistakes will cost you.

Final Remarks 

Some of the packaging options we have chosen were a little more costly.  But it has ensured for us a quality product. This is reflected in the final cost. Consistent quality and high safety standards will solidify in your customer’s mind the integrity of the product you sell. It needs to be the same every time. They will not buy your product again if it is not. The last thing you want is a customer with a bad taste in their mouth.