Building The 3YBar Cattle Co. Brand
In my early twenties and fresh out of college, I made a living freelancing. I worked on branding, web design, photography, graphic design, and just about anything creative I could get my hands on; making just enough to pay my rent and fund my next adventure.
Thinking back now, one of my earliest, and most memorable projects was building the 3ybar Cattle Company brand. Based out of Glasgow, Montana. The owner was in the early stages of building their business and wanted to take it to the next level - scaling up from word of mouth, (or the “handshake and a promise”) side of business, to really building and developing a brand that could extend and be recognized outside of Montana.
Originally, they had just reached out to inquire about building a website. After a conversation with the owner, I was able to identify and illustrate how they'd benefit from a whole branding package, including building upon the existing brand that's been in their family for generation and lives on the ribs of their cattle. With the requirements identified and a free long weekend ahead, I decided to pack up my Toyota 4Runner and put some more miles under her belt. The drive took about fourteen hours, but took me through some of the most beautiful country in the world.
While staying on the farm, I learned the brand had been in the family since the 1950’s. The family raises award winning Black Angus cattle that are mainly sold to other ranchers to breed and raise larger head of cattle for slaughter. Knowing that, I was able to identify an important piece of information - the EPD details (the registered stats…I also knew nothing about EPD details before this visit) of the bull would be one of the most important pieces of information to highlight on their website. Through asking targeted questions, I was also able to glean a few more key details - the cattle are grass fed and grain finished, with quality and ethical treatment in mind. Family was also at the core of the business, and very much a key part of the “why” behind what they do.
Toby might've sold me when he sang "I should've been a cowboy," but a few early mornings and long days (It really is sun-up to sun-down on the ranch) later made me think long and hard about that possibility. After about five days, it was time to pack up and head home.
Back home in my workplace, I was able to ignite my creative fire and begin designing. The first thing I wanted to knock out was the logo for the company. The owner had asked for a quick turnaround, so I planned to have a finalized design within the first two weeks. I roughed up a few concepts and sent them over for review. After an initial round of feedback, I was able to land on the idea which ultimately turned into the final design. Getting this feedback was also crucial to gaining insight into how they would want their website designed. I quickly got their website up and running, and began focusing heavily on building their social profiles, getting their SEO established so that when potential cattle buyers searched for a Black Angus Cattle Ranch in Eastern Montana, the 3YBar would come up.
Finally the time had come to publish the site and open it up for use. Within the first month, 3Ybar’s inquiries increased by over 1200% (still totaling in the double digits, but showing data is good, right?)
The point of this post really isn't about branding a cattle website. Looking back, it was fun to see how I was able to take this task, and apply a software development lifecycle approach to it, even if I wasn't developing any software.
I began by gathering my requirements and understanding the client's needs, realizing they could benefit from more than a website and providing a comprehensive solution for them. I also gathered details about the family history of the brand, and that needed to be included in the brand and website.
I was able to design and prototype their logo (which they ended up making custom hats and embroidered jackets of!) when I roughed up the design and sought feedback. Adhering to the quick turnaround time also helped align with agile principles often used.
Building the website and launching the social profiles was akin to development and implementation. I was able to create the digital presence for the company. It's also worth noting that my focus on SEO could mirror optimization efforts done during development.
Although I didn't explicitly mention it, I of course tested every piece ahead of time ensuring each aspect met the client's expectation and worked as described.
Finally, publishing the site marked its deployment, and even though it was a guess at best, there was an increase in inquiries into the business after its launch, which can be considered a highlight of a successful deployment.
If you’re interested in learning more about their cattle, or just want to check out the website, feel free to look them up at 3YBar.com
-Colten