Daviess County beef producers kick consumer grilling promotion into high gear

Daviess County beef producers are helping to fund a summer grilling campaign to encourage consumers to grill more often and to choose beef when they grill. Responding to the large supplies of beef on the market, the extensive $2 million promotion, which began in May, recently got 40% bigger.

Local beef producers, along with beef producers across America, are investing an additional $800,000 in beef checkoff dollars to help increase beef sales. Consumers can expect prominent beef featuring throughout the summer, as well as beef grilling tips and recipe ideas in many urban supermarkets.

The now stepped up $2.8 million integrated retail, public relations and communications campaign is funded through the $1-per-head beef checkoff program and is being coordinated for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Missouri Beef Industry Council by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA.)

“We obviously can’t do much about the current supply of beef, but we can have an impact on consumer demand for the increased beef supplies,” says Steve Taylor, Executive Director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council. “The first stages of the summer grilling promotion have proven to be very successful, this integrated campaign has elements that work together to give producers the maximum bang for their check off dollar.”

“The additional funding will allow us to extend this program to even more consumers,” adds Taylor. “We expect that the redirected funding will get the summer grilling promotion into additional markets and allow an increase in reach and frequency of contact to consumers.”

Targeted markets for the national campaign include Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New York City and Chicago. The additional funding will allow for advertising to begin this month in Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Houston, Columbia, S.C., and Albuquerque.

Included in the summer grilling promotion are radio spots, supermarket promotions, public relations efforts and communications aimed toward food professionals. All efforts encourage consumers to select beef when grilling and to grill more often. Radio advertising is expected to reach 72% of the target audience six times during the summer. Additionally, a “Webside Grill” website has ben established at www.summer.beef.org to provide online recipes and suggestions for grilling.

To participate in this national checkoff-funded program, grocers agreed to feature beef at least three additional times during the promotion or increase feature size. Grocery stores are supplementing the national effort with in-store radio and other efforts to drive customers to the beef department. To date, in-store materials have been placed in more than 4,245 retail grocery stores, including 2,400 floor graphics and 107,000 carts with steak grilling signs according to Taylor.

“The Missouri Beef Industry Council is an integral part of this promotion, which will run through Labor Day,” says Taylor. Taylor stated that half of all checkoff dollars collected by state beef councils remain at the control of directors on those councils.