THE positioning of Australian beef as both healthy and wholesome is playing a major role in combating increasing competition from the US.
Sales of Australian beef into Japan and Korea have increased. Despite big pushes from the US, sales of Australian beef into Japan hit 234,971 tonnes, up 7 per cent on the same period in 2017. Grassfed sales made up just over half the sales, with demand for chilled grass product rising 15pc.
It’s a similar story in Korea, despite Australia recently triggering the 40pc snap-back tariff.
Andrew Cox, MLA’s international business manager for Japan and Korea, said trust and quality were driving Australian product in both the foodservice and retail markets.
“The quality and consistency of Australian product is superior and we are fortunate to enjoy a slight price advantage, particularly in Japan,” Mr Cox said.
“The market is well aware of the longer shelf life, the colour of the meat, the packaging, and the fact Australian beef has less drip.
“Satisfied customers are less likely to switch to a competitor. It’s obvious the Australian processing industry is doing a great job.”
In Japan, MLA’s marketing efforts for True Aussie Beef focus on outdoor fun in summer with the ‘Let's Barbie with Aussie beef!’ campaign.
In winter the health benefits of eating iron-rich beef during Japan’s notoriously cold winter months come into play.
The ‘Are you Genki?’ campaign focuses on female consumers, highlighting the importance of women having enough iron in their diet and ensuring Japanese families feel ‘genki’.
The Japanese term ‘genki’, means something close to ‘healthy’ or ‘energetic’ in English, and implies vitality.
The Japanese term ‘genki’, means something close to ‘healthy’ or ‘energetic’ in English, and implies vitality.
Korea continues to grow
In Korea, marketing efforts centre on Good Nature, reinforcing the clean and safe reputation of True Aussie Beef.
“Koreans are extremely safety conscious when it comes to beef, probably even more than Japan,” Mr Cox said.
That country has recently been exposed to MLA’s Five Senses marketing campaign, which promotes the joy of eating Australian beef.
The ‘Are you Genki?’ campaign was developed in collaboration with Kagawa Nutrition University, in response to consumer surveys which showed that 90 per cent of Japanese women didn’t believe they were getting enough iron in their diets.
Japanese have a culture of eating protein (usually fish) and rice for breakfast. The campaign included a breakfast menu featuring dishes such as tetsu pops, which are small rice balls wrapped in sliced roast beef.