CASE STUDY
National Beef “Head for the Grill” UGC Contest
Services:
Social Media Management
Contest Management
Social Media Campaigns
National Beef is a leading U.S. beef processor known for delivering premium, American grain-finished Angus beef to retailers and consumers nationwide. For this project, AR Marketing partnered with two of their key brands, Black Angus Beef and Black Canyon Angus Beef, to support the “Head for the Grill” shopper contest.
AR Marketing managed the social engagement, organized contest entries, and ensured a streamlined, high-impact user-generated content campaign.
The Needs
National Beef needed support executing a multi-platform contest while maintaining a consistent social presence and capturing all entries in one place. They were looking for:
A partner to run the contest across Facebook and Instagram
A centralized system to collect and validate entries
Increased engagement from the right audiences for both brands
A simplified process for delivering qualified submissions to InQueue and contest activation partners
The Results
Black Angus Beef experienced strong growth across both platforms, including increases in followers, reach, impressions, and overall engagement. With only $1,600 in spend, the brand reached more than 23,300 Facebook users and generated over 7,000 engagements, totaling nearly 30,000 accounts reached in just 82 days.
Black Canyon Angus Beef saw similar momentum on both Instagram and Facebook, reaching nearly 200,000 accounts and generating more than 200,000 engagements with $3,000 in ad spend.
Across both brands, the contest drew more than 3,000 participants.
The Strategy
Our approach focused on clarity, organization, and targeted engagement.
We consolidated Facebook and Instagram entries into ShortStack, ensuring all submissions were validated and delivered to InQueue for winner selection. We managed social content using a mix of organic and boosted posts featuring graphics provided by InQueue, supported by audience-specific targeting to reach the most relevant shoppers.
Throughout the campaign, we monitored performance, tracked key metrics, and delivered ongoing reporting and communication to keep all stakeholders aligned.
Conclusion
This campaign demonstrates the impact of combining streamlined systems with a strong engagement strategy.
A consolidated workflow significantly improves efficiency for all teams involved
User-generated content contests are highly effective in driving engagement and participation
Geographic segmentation helps brands connect more meaningfully with their most relevant consumers
Consistent management beyond the contest window supports sustained, year-over-year growth
Intrigued?
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