Rethinking the Customer: Who are We Selling To?

 

Editorial by Eric Jennings, SDCA Past President

I don’t know if it is human nature or just how our society has evolved, but it seems like we want to label people and groups. This is certainly happening in the cattle industry, mostly as a marketing ploy of some industry associations.  They differentiate themselves by saying they are in the cattle business and not the beef business. Okay, so their members are saying they are selling cattle on the hoof and not beef on the plate. That led me to think, who is our customer?  Who are we raising cattle for? Is it the order buyer sitting in the sale barn bidding on your cattle? Or maybe the feedlot that he is filling orders from? Or is it the person that purchases the steak and is sitting down to what we hope will be a positive eating experience? It is important that we consider who our customer is. The genetic decisions that we make, the nutrition and mineral program that we choose, the care that we give our cattle during the year, and the health program that we are on all effect the quality of the animal that we sell. 

You may consider your customer is the order buyer at the sale barn, but he is buying cattle that fit a certain type and quality the feedlot or stocker has asked for. The feedlot is ordering that type because they want a finished animal that fits the criteria of the packer. The packer is looking for an animal that will grade highly and offer the best return for their investment. The consumer that purchases the steak is doing so with the expectation that the eating experience will be worth the premium price they are currently paying. 

The end consumer is who our customer is. It doesn’t matter who we sell our cattle to or how many times they are sold before they hit the plate, the final customer is the one who needs to be satisfied.  They are the ones that we need to create a wholesome, tender, juicy, satisfying protein source for. If we are not raising cattle with them in mind, we are doing a disservice to our industry and will not continue to out compete the other protein sources.
I am in the beef business. I raise cattle with the end consumer in mind. My genetic choices, nutrition program, health decisions, and husbandry practices are done with the end consumer in mind. Because I am in the beef business, the checkoff has benefited me through promotion, developing new cuts of beef, and funding studies that have shown the nutritional benefits of beef.  

Through my industry association involvement, I advocate for policy that will benefit the entire industry, not just one segment. For us to continue to be successful, we must support our entire industry.