Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is a public organization that is a service provider for the meat and livestock industry in Australia. MLA promotes Australia’s meat and livestock products to consumers and businesses in more than 100 countries worldwide. In Japan, Australian Beef has been the #1 alternative to domestic beef, and “Aussie Beef” has significant brand equity in the market going back to the 1990s.
The challenge
In recent years, American beef has gained market share in Japan, making it more important for MLA to: engage customers with the Aussie Beef brand and draw a clearer image of their brand and product value.
The solution
Marry the Australian brand and product experience with the Japanese cultural context
Australia is an aspirational destination for many consumers in Japan. The perception of Australia is spacious, natural and energetic.
To make value of this resonate with consumers in Japan, we wanted to them to do more than just buy Aussie Beef —we wanted them to imagine themselves enjoying the the flavor of Australia but in a context consistent with food and family culture in Japan.
We developed a brand and experiential campaign that featured a multi-generational Japanese family enjoying an Australian style barbecue. The image and message blends the familiar with desired, and was delivered through digital, print, OOH ads, trade PR, and a pop-up shop/café.
The result
The on and offline campaign was well-received by the trade press, driving increased interest and support from Aussie Beef’s retail partners. The pop-up shop generated long lines of interested shoppers, instilling a deeper recognition and garnering several social media mentions This resulted in renewed demand from consumers.