Beef Farmers of Ontario

We gave Ontario Beef a seat at the head of the table—pairing it with local icons, digital firepower, and the kind of storytelling that turns food into culture.

Beef Farmers of Ontario: The Local Flavour Campaign

Client Category
Food & Beverage · CPG · Agriculture & Commodity Marketing

Services Provided
Brand Strategy · Campaign Creative · Digital Content · Influencer Marketing · Ecosystem Partnerships · Website · Social Media · Media Strategy

Business Challenge

Ontario Beef faced the agricultural marketer’s nightmare: an exceptional local product trapped inside a generic category perception. Despite strong trust and consistent quality, consumers still saw Ontario Beef as a commodity — reliable, but unremarkable.

Meanwhile, the market was shifting. Food lovers were chasing regional nuance, craft ingredients, flavour mashups, and the rise of the “culinary explorer.” To earn relevance with modern eaters, Ontario Beef needed to escape the commodity frame and become something bigger:

A gateway to local culinary adventure.

Strategic Insight

Modern eaters weren’t just consuming food — they were collecting stories.

The resurgence of foodie culture created an entirely new behaviour: people wanted meals with meaning, ingredients with origin, and flavours that connected them to place.

Our discovery was simple and powerful:
When you pair the familiar excellence of Ontario Beef with unexpected local partners — maple syrup makers, craft distillers, artisanal rub creators — you don’t just make meals.

You create shareable culinary stories.

When a brand becomes the connector between people and their local food ecosystem, it becomes unforgettable.

Creative Solution

We repositioned Ontario Beef with a bold, ecosystem-first idea:

“Local Flavour, Legendary Meals.”

Instead of selling beef, we celebrated the entire culinary universe it could unlock.
Instead of competing on quality, we competed on discovery.

The campaign transformed Ontario Beef into a cultural curator — a brand that helped people explore the flavours, makers, and stories behind their province.

Storytelling Gastronomy

• Digital films showcasing surprising local pairings (like maple-whiskey-glazed steak)

• Elevated both the beef and the craft producers behind the flavour

Social Recipe Revolution

• Bite-sized recipe content across Meta and Instagram

• Local artisan products integrated into every dish

• Adventurous, achievable meals people genuinely wanted to try

Live Culinary Theatre

• Influencer-led cook-alongs

• Turned recipe sharing into interactive food culture

Partner Ecosystem Building

• Limited-edition recipe kits with local makers

• New revenue streams for partners

• Expanded cultural footprint for Ontario Beef

Interactive Discovery Hub

• LocalFlavour.ca became the destination for culinary exploration

• Story maps, maker profiles, and a growing library of adventure recipes

Results

📈 35% surge in unique visitors — proof that discovery drives demand
🕒 25% increase in time-on-site and recipe downloads
📣 20% lift in unaided awareness of Ontario Beef’s versatility
👩‍🍳 500+ user-generated recipes under #LocalFlavourLegend
💰 Digital media budget doubled for Year 2 — hard proof of ROI and stakeholder confidence

Category Takeaway

Ontario Beef didn’t just refresh brand perception — it created a new category of local culinary discovery.

By shifting from commodity protein to culinary curator, the brand unlocked an entire ecosystem of story, flavour, and community.

The strategic lesson for food & beverage marketers?
When product differentiation isn’t enough, differentiate on the experiences your product enables.

Transform from ingredient to inspiration.
From commodity to connector.
From hero to king.