The Canadian Cattlemen's Association

December 2, 2009 - BIC partners with three leading restaurant chains to promote Canadian beef

The Beef Information Centre (BIC) is partnering with three of Canada’s leading restaurant chains to promote Canadian beef, including a national promotion with Quiznos.

Quiznos is featuring a new sandwich, the Triple Cheese and Roast Beef sub made with 100 per cent Canadian beef. The promotion runs from November 23 to January 7, 2010 at Quiznos’ 456 locations across Canada.

According to John Gillespie, BIC’s chairman and a feedlot operator at Ayr, Ont., BIC worked with Quiznos to ensure 100 per cent Canadian beef was used in the roast beef sandwich.

“Partnering with Quiznos allows us to help create menu offerings that put Canadian beef front and centre,” says Gillespie. “This results in growing demand and increasing awareness of Canadian beef as the highest quality with Canadian consumers.”

The Canadian beef brand mark is prominently featured on all promotional point-of-sale materials in restaurants and in the three week national television advertising campaign, further enhancing the reach of the Canadian beef brand mark to consumers. For this promotion, BIC is leveraging producer dollars at a ratio of 1:40.

BIC is also working in partnership with Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill to launch their new holiday feature, an eight ounce Canada AAA Top Sirloin steak.

The campaign, which runs between November 24 and January 4, 2010 at 29 Jack Astor’s locations across Canada, features an eight ounce Canada AAA Top Sirloin Steak & Laughing Bird Shrimp entrée, butter-brushed, seasoned and grilled to perfection, and topped with sauteed fresh Laughing Bird Caribbean shrimp and roasted garlic.

Jack Astor’s estimates they will sell 24,000 steaks during the promotion. The Canadian beef brand mark is prominently featured on all promotional point-of-sale materials.

According to Gillespie, Jack Astor’s pays a great deal of attention to promotion. “Partnering with leaders who do such a great job showcases Canadian beef at its best, creating demand for this product,” notes Gillespie.

Finally, BIC partnered with White Spot Restaurant’s Triple O’s 31 high-volume locations in B.C. and Alberta, to feature the Giant Cheese Bacon Burger made with 100 per cent Canadian beef. During the promotion, which runs between November 23 and January 7, 2010, Triple O’s will promote the fact they use 100 per cent Canadian beef.

“This program offered an opportunity to solidify White Spot’s commitment to 100 per cent Canadian beef,” says Gillespie. “By advertising and promoting the fact they use 100 per cent Canadian beef in their burgers, they are demonstrating their long-term commitment to the product.”

BIC’s efforts to maximize demand for Canadian beef and optimize the value of Canadian beef products is funded in part by cattle producers through the National Beef Check-Off, and through beef industry market development funds provided by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada. 

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