Estimating the Value of Brand and Attributes for Retail Fresh Beef Products

Abstract

The purpose was to increase the probability of success for beef branding programs, more specifically to determine the value consumers place on specific characteristics of fresh beef and to identify the extent of brands and labeling that already exist at the retail level for fresh beef products. Premiums available for branded and specially labeled fresh beef products vary greatly. Brands that are paired with special labeling terms offer the largest premiums of 1.12/lb for ground products and 6.01/lb for steak products. Compared to the 2004 National Meat Case Study usage of natural labeling has increased. The percentage of ground products labeled "all natural" grew from 7% to 33% of packages observed, while steaks labeled "all natural" grew from 2% to 3% of observed packages, a much slower rate. Evidence from data obtained for this study show 21.43% of ground, 46.29% of roast, and 49.73% of steak products are branded.