BEEF INDUSTRY SHIFTS FOCUS WITH NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

Chicago, November 25, 1998 – Beef is more convenient than ever and with the launch of a new checkoff-funded advertising campaign in January 1999, the beef industry is going to make sure Americans hear about it. Capitalizing on one of the most memorable lines in advertising, the new campaign brings back the "Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.Ò " tagline, recognized by 72 percent of Americans.* It also aims to inform consumers and beef industry channels about a hot new trend – beef dishes that are fully-cooked and ready to microwave and serve in about 10 minutes.

The $10 million, beef checkoff-funded campaign focuses on the new category, which includes traditional beef favorites such as pot roasts, meat loaf and beef ribs – all ready-to-heat-and-eat in 10 minutes. The majority of the products come from the undervalued chuck and round.

"The ads recapture the values and images important to producers and American consumers," said Roger Welder, a cattle producer from Victoria, Texas and chairman of the National Cattlemen`s Beef Association (NCBA) Advertising Committee. "But most importantly, they make an announcement to consumers and beef industry channels that the new fully-prepared beef products are out there and they’re designed to fit into today’s time-crunched lifestyles."

From January 18- February 7, Americans will see the first of two advertising "bursts" – frequent and repeated airings of beef’s new national television commercials highlighting the new category. The new 30-second ads feature actor Sam Elliot’s voice and Aaron Copeland’s "Rodeo" music featured in the previous "Beef. It`s What`s for Dinner.Ò " ads.

From April 5 - 25, the same ads will run again. By concentrating advertising’s checkoff dollars into two, three week "bursts," the campaign will have the kind of impact of a big promotional advertiser like McDonald’s or Hallmark, according to Welder.

During the two "bursts," the commercials will air nationally on prime-time, daytime syndication, early morning, cable networks and sports programming. National print advertising will run during January, February and April in magazines such as Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, People and Bon Appetit to support the television. Additionally, state beef councils will sponsor local radio and print advertising.

"The advertising campaign is part of a new beef industry program that focuses all marketing areas around the new beef products," said Welder. " The beef industry is committing a total of $25 million behind the integrated effort with $10 million focusing solely on advertising."

Public relations, promotions, retail, foodservice partnerships and partnerships with leading food manufacturers of heat-and-serve beef products will support the new advertising campaign. For example, in-store demonstrations of the products will be conducted in supermarkets nationwide and some additional ads will appear in business publications geared towards grocery store chains and food producers.

"70 percent of consumers don’t decide what they’ll eat for dinner until after 4:30 p.m. the same day," said Welder. "The new advertising campaign will help direct these consumers to their grocery stores and will help encourage the same grocery stores to make sure the products are in their meat cases."

-- NCBA --

Consumer advertising and other beef programs are funded by the national beef checkoff, which is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. This 111-member board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to oversee the collection of the $1-per-head checkoff, certify state beef councils, implement the provisions of the Federal Order establishing the checkoff and evaluate the effectiveness of checkoff programs.

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.