Bourbon put Kentucky on the world map, but the Bourbon Trail put the distilleries crafting it as top tourist destinations for the state. 

In 1999 the Kentucky Distillers’ Association formally organized the Bourbon Trail^®, and by 2016 one million visitors were bringing $9 billion in tourism into the state annually. 

This wasn’t an accident. It was a coordinated marketing effort that grew and evolved over time, but started under the general philosophy that a rising tide lifts all boats. 

Today, each independent business markets their own brand and maintains their own advertising and marketing programs. They haven’t given up their identity or what makes them unique, but they all benefit from being part of something bigger. 

More Angus breeders could take a page out of their book. 

I probably shouldn’t do a lump-sum generalization, but by and large, independent cattlemen chose our line of work because they like working (*checks notes*) independently. You like the freedom to make your own decisions, operate your business in your own way and move quickly to implement changes. 

I am well aware that this might be the worst target audience for this suggestion of banding together, but I only bring it to you because I’ve seen it work.  

Working together

Creative marketing collaborations could expand your program’s reach and help get more out of your marketing dollars. Pairing up with other like-minded breeders gives you more bandwidth, a larger audience and even more brainpower to tap into. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Center a marketing campaign around a certain geographic region or a specific type of cattle or breeding philosophy. Build the case with your own messages that all add up to a central theme. Putting your dollars together can help you get more bang for your buck, while reaching people who are not on your current customer list. 
• Plan an event — either an education day or a sale — where you split costs and double your attendance. Maybe it’s coordinating sale dates in a certain region so people traveling in from out of state can see a lot of cattle at once. Or perhaps it’s expanding your mailing list by sending one piece to twice as many people. You know how much work it is to put on an event, and sharing that load while you each invite in your own base is one way to pull it off and assemble a crowd that makes the effort worth it. 
• Gather producers you feel comfortable swapping ideas with and create your own brain trust. Maybe the collaboration is simply testing marketing messages on a trusted group of confidants or giving them a sneak peek of your sale books. Build an advisory group that isn’t afraid to tell you what they think, and then use them like the invaluable experts they are.

Collaboration doesn’t have to be expensive or highly complicated. Like the Bourbon Trail, it doesn’t have to take away from what makes you unique. It’s really about being stronger by being part of something bigger. And that’s something we can all lift a glass to.