ADVERTISING COMMERCIALS HELP BOOST BEEF’S LABOR DAY SALES

CHICAGO (September 1, 1998) - Kicking off one of the largest beef consumption days of the year, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) will air a series of its "Beef. It’s What You Want.^SM" television commercials Labor Day Weekend, beginning Sept. 6. The checkoff-funded ads, which focus on consumers’ cravings for beef, are part of an overall industry effort to create greater demand for beef during a time of high supply and excellent beef value for consumers.

The television ads are expected to reach approximately 47 percent of beef’s target audience (adults 25-54 years old) an average of two times. Beef will have a strong presence with two alternating 30-second ads running throughout the entire day Sept. 6, including early morning, sports, cable, prime time, and late night programming. Following Labor Day weekend, beef commercials will air for two solid weeks on early morning news programs and various cable networks throughout the entire day.

"Labor Day is one of the biggest grilling weekends of the year," said Mary Adolf, vice president of consumer marketing for NCBA. "In fact, beef consumption is expected to be 20 percent higher on Labor Day than on average days. With today’s low beef prices, we expect millions of consumers to visit their local supermarkets over the weekend for great deals on fresh beef."

"It is estimated that Americans will consume 60.7 million pounds of beef on Labor Day," Adolf added.

NCBA’s advertising campaign is part of an aggressive producer-directed, checkoff-funded plan to alert consumers to beef’s great value and help move beef supplies. Additional advertising efforts included a series of USA Today print ads focusing on beef’s affordable price and versatility, which ran throughout the month of August. The ads featured great-tasting, easy-to-prepare beef recipes, many of which could be cooked on the grill.

"The beef industry’s advertising campaign not only increases consumer desire to buy beef and serve it more frequently," said Adolf, "but it also shows consumers how versatile the product is."

-- NCBA --

Initiated in 1898, NCBA is the marketing organization and trade association for America’s one million cattle farmers and ranchers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.