By Travis King
Page 14 - Farm Weekly
Thursday, 2 October 2008
THE opportunities for Q Lamb are endless, the brand just needs more promotion, was the general feeling of members at the Q Lamb annual general meeting last week.
Q Lamb producers were proactive and decided to have the relatively new Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Sheepmeat brand underpin their own label - the only sheepmeat brand in WA backed by the MSA.
It also allows Q Lamb to work more in line with it's processor, Hillside Meats, which are the only accredited MSA lamb processors now in WA.
While MSA standards are now highly accepted and demanded from beef retailers, the lamb industry has been slower to use the system.
At the meeting, many discussed using MSA as an adjunct to the Q Lamb brand, with Hillside Meat's Rob Shepherd providing an update on MSA lambs' status.
“The MSA lamb guidlines are basically modelled on the standards Q Lamb already has in place,” My Shepherd said.
“MSA would not replace Q Lamb as a branding mechanism.
“I would see it as more an underpinned system for any brands of lamb.
“Any plants further processing Q Lamb who send the product to a butcher or retailer that is not MSA accredited would not be able to sell lamb as MSA-accredited Q Lamb.”
Mr Shepherd said there were marketing opportunities that could stem from using MSA.
“It would make available dollar for dollar promotional funds,” he said.
“The lamb would still be called Q Lamb, it would just be underpinned by the MSA system and we would have access to those extra marketing dollars.”
Mr Shepherd said the MSA system was well recognised in the beef sector and he hoped the same recognition would apply to lamb.
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“Through meat wholesalers Johnson Meats we have Q Lamb going into 15 of Perth's to restaurants,” he said.
“When you look at the menu, however, there is no recognition that it is Q Lamb. That is what we need to change.”
“We registered for the Buy West, Eat Best campaign and one of the spin offs of that campaign is that the Agriculture Department is continually running promotional events and so we can piggy back on that.”
“For example, at this year's Perth Royal Show we will be serving tastings of Q Lamb in the Agriculture Department's pavilion, which will provide great exposure to the consumer.”
“It only costs $200 to join Buy West Eat Best but there should be some great opportunities from it.”
Johnson Meats sales manager Bab Linto said Q Lamb needed to increase its brand recognition.
He told producers at the meeting that Q Lamb was served at last week's Sandover Medal count and is used by the catering company that caters for the corporate boxes at Subiaco Oval.
“At the moment that brand name is not being promoted and it should be,” he said.
“The lamb itself is a quality product and it is successful because of that.”
“The fact that a consistent supply of Q Lamb is available all year around is a success story and it gives us something to promote, you need to market it that way as well.”
Mr Linto said MSA would be a valuable underpinning tool.
“Our clients ask for MSA-grade beef.
“While some of the supermarkets could probably market MSA better it is recognised by consumers and it could be a valuable tool in the future for Q Lamb.”
Q Lamb chairwoman Erin Gorter said the move to MSA was all about educating consumers as to what they are eating and the fact that it was a WA-produced product.
“It is good that we now have our processor and producers working in the same direction,” she said.
“We are taking ownership of the brand and are very confident of its future.” |
Q NEWS