Being Creative with a Commodity - How Meat Marketers are Adding Value

These beefburgers, with their reference to breed and Britishness  neatly capture some of the ways that marketers are adding value to meat. The British reference is important as consumers continue to seek reassurance about where their food comes from, and buying British becomes more of a consideration.

Breed is increasingly being used as a value adding tool. Aberdeen Angus has for a long time been seen by consumers as a quality breed. McDonalds sells an Angus burger costing more than the standard variant, and Waitrose emphasises meat from Angus as well as Hereford cattle. Now Morrisons are embracing breed differentiation, selling beef from Shorthorns (and paying producers a premium in the process).

At the other end of the breed spectrum Kobe beef from Waygu cattle is gaining a reputation for quality, so much so that at the request of a Japanese chef, an Australian farmer is feeding his Waygus a litre of wine every day.

Making meat meals more convenient to prepare and serve also adds value as many consumers are nervous about cooking meat, and, given its price they want to be reassured that the end product will taste great. Hence the rise of "foolproof" products such as Simply Cook where all ingredients are available in one pack, the size of portion is strictly controlled, and the food just has to be flung into the oven for the specified time.

These cook in the bag products from Maggi are a cheaper solution, but offer the same benefits.

Value can be added through packaging innovation. Some consumers do not like to handle meat, so Tesco's meatballs are packed individually, in a tray like an egg carton so that the product does not have to be touched, and Waitrose sells their roasting chickens in a hard case rather than film for the same reason. Note the saltire and reference to Scotch on the pack to reinforce where the meat came from.

All this innovation notwithstanding, price remains a key part of the value equation. It is no accident that all of the above featured products from Tesco came with a promotional offer - mostly two for a discounted price. It is a sobering reminder that people will not pay if they do not think a product is worth the money.