in 2003 on Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). However, farmers as well as the export industry started to realize that there is a steadily increasing demand for safer and more reliable brands. To meet customer expectations, several initiatives have been taken. There are certificates handed out by private organizations, such as breed associations. For instance, the Argentine Angus Association established a Carne Angus Certificada to ensure that only meat coming from an Angus is described as Angus. Furthermore, the association supports other certificates like the Ternero Angus Certificado. Besides the breed associations, different pilot projects have been initiated. The Pampas Del Salado project is an example of these; its approach has been to ear-tag calves in order to assure their origin and quality. However, most of those projects have only scant participation; certificates and labels will only gain reputation and acceptance among consumers only if there is a sufficiently large percentage of producers participating. Promotion of Argentine beef To increase sales in foreign countries and to improve the production and reliability of beef produced in Argentina, a public nongovernmental organization, the Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina— the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA) was founded in December 2001. Furthermore, the IPCVA is also concerned with promotional work in Argentina itself. The IPCVA is made up of a range of partners involved in Argentine beef production and export, from experienced cattle farmers to managers. This broad expertise in various fields aims to allow the IPCVA to organize beef production and beef sales professionally. As a fairly young institution, the IPCVA has had to define an image which allows the identification of the main product, beef. Three key factors influence this image: history, tradition, and prestige. All of them are considered to be unique selling propositions. International and national promotion Several activities have been undertaken to make Argentine beef better known in the world: The IPCVA participated in the International Food and Drink Exhibition held in London in March. An Argentine Beef Festival was arranged last February in Helsinki, Finland. To promote the product, a big banquet was held at the Helsinki Oasis Hotel with the Argentine ambassador. Representatives of the IPCVA traveled to Washington, DC to negotiate a special contract to ease export of Argentine beef to the North American market. Qualitative soundings are being developed in the main cities of the European