The Link
Marketing part 5: Winning or joining?
June 3, 2025
In this edition of our marketing series, we are going to talk about two of the most important ways of creating status. Status is perhaps the simplest and most comprehensive way of describing the aim of marketing. Seth Godin says status is always relative — it is how everyone in the marketplace perceives us.
Traditionally, the two ways to garner status are by winning or creating a dominant position in the marketplace. Dominance by its very name implies a contentious type of relationship; it is a war type of mentality. You stake out your position of why you are the best choice, and that usually directly or indirectly involves letting others know why your product is superior.
AngusLink is primarily about affiliating with others, signaling to the marketplace that you are among the elite producers who are committed to making the best product and building relationships that create more value.
Dominance is not a bad thing. For example, Angus is the dominant breed in the beef industry. It is understood the Angus breed has the largest base of progressive breeders in the industry. Angus is backed by the world’s largest database, with more phenotypes and genotypes than the rest of the industry combined. Angus is recognized as the leader for calving ease, maternal genetics, marbling and growth. The data show that those advantages are widening, as well.
Angus has the added advantage of having the world’s largest beef brand (Certified Angus Beef®) driving it. For every segment of the industry — cow-calf, feeder, packer and consumer — the word Angus is associated with quality. Not surprisingly, Angus cattle command significant premiums within each segment and have achieved a dominant market penetration of 75%.
I’m competitive by nature, I like keeping score, and I’m motivated by winning; so, I respond positively to products that can help me achieve victory. In many respects, the AngusVerifiedSM program capitalizes on the dominance that Angus has achieved in the marketplace by documenting and verifying that your calves are sired by registered Angus bulls. The Genetic Merit Scorecard SM gives buyers the confidence they need to pay premiums and allows them to know where cattle rank.
With that said, competition and domination are a little too contentious for some. Most people probably identify more closely with the idea of affiliation. This is where you associate with the right people, you send the right message to the right buyers, and you create momentum in the marketplace by aligning with these people.
Using the example of AngusLinkSM, you gain status, as buyers recognize you are part of the progressive end of producers. It helps to demonstrate that you are committed to serving your customers and investing in their success. It signals you are committed not only to the transaction at hand, but also to building relationships that build equity over time. It is a demonstration that you care about the industry as a whole and about everyone’s success. It embodies the concept that a rising tide raises all boats. It is a way to document the continuous commitment to improvement and to a more functional, fairer and more accurate way of determining prices. We all win by helping others win.
One of the fundamental laws of marketing is that the best product, or the best producers, don’t always win in the marketplace. The marketplace must recognize its value; the entire culture of the marketplace must change to alter the status quo. AngusLink is primarily about affiliating with others, signaling to the marketplace that you are among the elite producers who are committed to making the best product and building relationships that create more value. AngusLink is about transforming the way feeder cattle are marketed. AngusLink is leading the way in helping producers accurately differentiate their cattle, and in giving the buyers the accurate information they need to make better decisions.
Give us a call to see how enrolling in AngusLink can help you align with the most progressive, the most successful people in the industry, and position your operation for continued success. The marketplace is changing in a positive way, and AngusLink is a tool for leaders in this transformation to document their status in the marketplace.
Editor’s note: Troy Marshall is director of commercial industry relations for the American Angus Association. For more information about Association programs helping realize the value of calves sired by registered Angus bulls, including AngusLink, AngusVerified and the Genetic Merit Scorecard, click here.
Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 17, No. 6-A
Topics: EPDs , Genetics , Management , Marketing
Publication: Angus Beef Bulletin
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