Red meat levy reveals new marketing campaign

Hybu Cig Cymru has unveiled new plans to promote sustainable Welsh red meat products.

Welsh livestock farmers will be front and centre of a new multiplatform, multimedia campaign to promote Welsh lamb, which was launched at the Royal Welsh Show on Monday 24 July.

They will be promoted as global sustainability heroes who are both “champions of quality and guardians of the environment”.

See also: Welsh lamb exports gather momentum in Japan

The campaign will reach millions of shoppers and promote Welsh red meat brands with “honesty, transparency and integrity”.

Catherine Smith, chairwoman of Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) / Meat Promotion Wales, said the plans include a new advert, which will be launched from 1 August. Take a look below:

Visitors to the HCC stand at the Royal Welsh Show on Monday were given a sneak preview of the new advert, which features Welsh lamb producers as “experts in their field”.

Ms Smith said: “The new £500,000 Welsh Lamb campaign launched yesterday marks the return of HCC to mainstream television following an enthusiastic response from farmer levy payers in our recent consultation.

“It will feature on Sky, ITV Wales, S4C, on billboards in high commuter locations in central London including Waterloo station. This will then be supported by digital and social activity and out-of-home advertising at retail.

“This is a very exciting time. This new start will defend and commend our family farms.

“We will turn up the heat on our competitors. We will disarm our detractors and we will stand, side by side, with our consumers.”

This month marks the HCC’s 20th anniversary and Ms Smith said the red meat levy was now looking ahead to the next 20 years – and how it can improve and grow its iconic brands.

On Tuesday 25 July, HCC is due to publish a new report into the sustainability of 25 upland flocks in Wales covering 4,000ha, in its Hill Ram Scheme, as part of its wider Red Meat Development Programme (RMDP).

Ms Smith said the RMDP, which aims to improve efficiency and strengthen the important Welsh red meat industry, is nearing completion after five years of industry engagement.

“It will provide a collective and dedicated action plan for our industry to follow,” she explained.

“It will empower and advise farmers how to work towards further reducing the total environmental impact of Welsh red meat production and how to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis by striving to achieve the lowest environmental footprint of all red meat production on the planet.”