Telling the Brangus Story

by IBBA Assistant to the Executive Vice President Yvonne “Bonnie” Ramirez

“Go Brangus!” “Build with Brangus!” “Any Country is Brangus Country!” What do these slogans mean to you? Brangus cattle have a long and rich history, dating back to the early 1900s. There’s a great story to tell about Brangus cattle. Are you telling it?

Brangus possess many favorable traits: heterosis, consistency, longevity, maternal excellence, environmental adaptability, disease and parasite resistance, reliability, and value. These traits are invaluable and offer significance to our breed’s unique characteristics. Why not choose Brangus? Build with Brangus; it’s the way to go, folks. The unparalleled combination of Brahman hardiness and Angus quality certainly sets Brangus apart from the rest.

Here’s the question: Are you spreading the great Brangus message? That’s the test and task at hand. And it all starts with us. We, as Brangus breeders and supporters, must tell our story, the great Brangus story, from pasture to packer to plate. Did you know that when we say, “any country is Brangus country,” we mean it? That mantra is supported by facts. Brangus are adaptable to any country, worldwide. Brangus cattle are known for their overall thriftiness. They have outstanding maternal strengths, they perform well in feedlots, they yield high carcass merit, and they exude balanced performance all the way around.

Sharing this story will enable us to retain current breeders and membership and recruit new breeders and members. Retaining current membership and breeders may be the most difficult challenge, because we must ensure that they remain engaged, vested, excited and interested. The recruiting aspect is a bit simpler. All we have to do is educate by providing pertinent breed information, raise awareness about breed statistics, and all said and done, create a buzz of interest regarding Brangus cattle.

Currently, the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) is the nation’s eighth largest cattle association. We have approximately 1,400 members and approximately 43,000 head of active animals registered through Total Herd Reporting. How can we shift those numbers to an upward scale? Well, first and foremost, we begin by telling our story. Simply put, we can tell our story with photos and utilizing the ever so popular and growing social media channels. As the saying goes, “pictures are worth a thousand words.” Social media includes platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. IBBA has a presence on all of these channels. Social media is fast, constant and ever-changing. It’s the way the world communicates now, and it definitely is the way of the future as it continues to evolve. Social media is free, instant, easy, and you can communicate 24/7, year-round across the globe. Social media is a great way to share our Brangus story.

So, my Brangus friends, today I challenge you to go forth and tell the Brangus story. Let’s market and promote Brangus cattle worldwide with our ultimate goal being to grow our breed and association. Let’s show the world what Brangus is all about and why they, too, should Build with Brangus!