An industry-wide campaign to boost sales of Scotch Lamb has been hailed a huge success.
The 12-week campaign, which was run by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) with help from industry, took place from August to October.
Using a previously successful slogan – Wham Bam Thank You Lamb – the campaign featured billboard, press and radio advertising as well as online and in-store promotional material for shoppers.
Farmers also got involved and took on the mantle of “Scotch Lambassadors” hosting a number of tasting sessions in supermarkets across the country.
According to QMS, the campaign resulted in both a boost in lamb sales and Scotch Lamb premiums.
Data from Kantar Worldpanel showed that during the campaign period, which ran to October 9, sales of Scotch-origin lamb in Scotland increased by 10.5% in value.
During the 12-week period Scottish origin lamb also commanded a retail price premium of 11% over British origin lamb.
QMS said this was against a backdrop of a declining GB market where overall sales of lamb decreased by 10.7%.
The red meat promotion body’s marketing controller, Suzie Carlaw, said the data confirmed that the campaign had delivered benefit to industry.
She said: “The primary focus of this campaign was how simple and quick it is to cook delicious, nutritious, mid-week family meals with Scotch Lamb and the results clearly show that during the campaign, younger families have been purchasing more Scotch Lamb.
“It’s also really encouraging that the figures from Kantar Worldpanel reveal that during the campaign, chops and steaks have driven growth in Scottish-origin lamb by 28% in value, demonstrating that consumers are now viewing Scotch Lamb as a mid-week meal, not just for a Sunday roast.”
Ms Carlaw also confirmed that a recent campaign to boost sales of Specially Selected Pork had been successful.
The campaign, which was the first of its kind in four years, promoted pork as an ingredient for quick meals.
Following the campaign, a survey of shoppers revealed 62% were looking forward to eating pork, 73% regarded it as a good meal option and the same amount said it was an ingredient which could be used in a variety of dishes.
The next major marketing campaign planned by Quality Meat Scotland will run in March and April next year.
The campaign, which will carry the slogan “There’s beef, there’s Scottish beef, then there’s Scotch Beef”, sets out to promote Scotch Beef as the best a shopper can buy.
It follows on from a similar campaign in 2014 and next year’s efforts will have a specific focus on promoting roasting joints.
There will be no specific Scottish element to the campaign and instead it will focus on “pockets of affluence throughout the UK” and in particular London and the Home Counties.
Ms Carlaw said marketing campaigns were key to ensuring consumers associated Scotch Beef with quality, heritage and premium provenance.
She said Scotch Beef commanded a 7% premium over beef labelled as British.
