Clara Peller once asked, “Where’s the beef?” Today, the question is, “What’s the beef?”

The American Angus Association hopes your answer is “Angus.”

It used to be simpler. When some of the other commodity meats, chicken, pork and fish, tried to position beef as unhealthy and fattening, beef held its ground. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association memorably reminded us, “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.”

Now, when buying beef, plain old USDA prime, choice and select grades just aren’t specific enough anymore.

Beef is no longer a commodity.

Branding efforts are underway to convince you that Angus is the preferred breed of beef. Not Kobe. Not mixed breeds. And not just Angus, but Certified Angus.

Originally from Scotland, Angus cattle are, according to the American Angus Association, the most popular breed in the United States.

Evolving a commodity into a brand is always a challenging and intriguing initiative, given that the brand’s essence, a meaningful differentiator, must be successfully identified, defined, and eventually perceived by the consumer. (See 9 criteria for brand essence.)

Perdue Farms did it for chickens in the 1970s, with TV spots featuring its CEO, Frank Perdue, as spokesperson. The tag line: “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.”

The American Angus Association launched the Certified Angus Beef brand in 1978. To qualify, cattle must be at least 51% Black Angus and meet several criteria, including having a “modest or higher degree of marbling.”

More recently, Angus beef has bulled its way into fast food menus. In 2004, Burger King introduced the first Angus burger, which has since been discontinued.

Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. both feature Angus burgers, including Hardee’s Angus ThickBurger ($3.49), and Carl’s Jr.’s Six-Dollar Angus Burger ($3.99). Recently, McDonald’s has beefed up its own menu with the Angus Third Pounder ($3.99).

The Angus Wars have officially been declared. Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are fighting with more advertising, promotions and taste challenges. They’re also fighting with more Angus.

“After they (McDonald’s) so blatantly copied our burgers, we felt it was fair play,” Andrew Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent of both Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., said regarding the roll-out of the Big Carl. The Big Carl is positioned directly against the Big Mac and is fifty cents cheaper. 

To further complicate matters, beef eaters may also choose Kobe beef (from Japan), American Kobe beef (from Angus and Japanese Wagyu crossbreeds), or Australian Kobe beef. (The Japanese have taken issue with this labeling because the American and Australian versions of Kobe beef are not authentic.)

What’s your brand of beef?

P.S. Since posting, an update on the “war” has been provided by Adweek.