1. The “Happy Cows” campaign was very successful because it found a way to distinguish cheese from California from other regions, while also entertaining Californians and others with its humorous depiction of cows, which became an easily recognizable mascot for the California cheese industry. The messaging was also simple and clearly understood, which gave people who saw the commercials the impression that cheese from California was of superior quality because the cows producing milk for the cheese were kept in ideal conditions. This also would have implied the humane manner in which these cows were being raised, which would have appealed to those sensitive to issues such as the ethical treatment of animals. In addition, the campaign was extensive, so there was high visibility of the Real California Cheese seal. This increased consumer awareness about the overall brand, which subsequently increased the demand for Real California Cheese.
2. The role and importance of the Real California Cheese certification was to strengthen the brand of California cheese, and to distinguish it from competitors. By offering incentives for restaurants to display the Real California Cheese logo on their takeout boxes and menus, this brand awareness was heightened even further. The result was that consumers expected and demanded Real California Cheese, not only when they purchased it for themselves at a retail outlet, but also at restaurants they visited. If a restaurant sold cheese from elsewhere, there would have been the perception among consumers that the cheese was of inferior quality, because the ads were so effective at communicating the superiority of California cheese, which many consumers readily accepted as true. The presence of the Real California Cheese seal also gave the impression of authoritative certification, which gave more credibility in the eyes of the consumer to the belief that California cheese was superior to cheese from other locations.
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3. The role of advertising in establishing the Real California Cheese brand personality was to first identify the largest segment of consumers that purchased cheese, which it found to be women with slightly higher-than-average income levels, and then create a campaign where consumers would feel emotionally connected to the brand. This came after a period where the ads focused on communicating the superiority of California cheese, but they were unable to rationally explain why California cheese was actually superior. To this end, the creation of the talking cow mascots was used to build an emotional bond with the consumer. Although the ads were intended to be humorous, they also depicted family relationships, such as calves talking to their grandmother about her past. These cow mascots helped establish an emotional bond between consumers and the overall brand, which helped contribute to its success.
4. The role of the Real California Cheese website as part of the integrated marketing campaign was to encourage further engagement from consumers in a way that traditional outlets such as television or radio are unable to provide. For instance, consumers can watch the various advertisements, which they might want to do because of their humor; they allowed consumers to order various cheese products, review recipes, download desktop wallpapers, and even had games for kids. All of these efforts are designed to keep consumers engaged with the brand, which in turn increases their overall brand loyalty. This makes them more likely to not only continue buying California cheese, but to reject cheese from other regions. The interactive games for kids was also a way to build brand loyalty among younger children, so when they grow up to become adult consumers, they will already be loyal to the Real California Cheese brand, so the website was forward-thinking as well.
- Greenwald, M. (n.d.). California Milk Advisory Board: Real California Cheese. Case Study handout.
