CONTACT:     Diane Henderson          303-850-3465            dhenderson@beef.org

Joe Schuele                  303-850-3360             jschuele@beef.org

Beef Checkoff Program Receives National Marketing Awards 

DENVER (April 27, 2005) – The Beef Checkoff Program received a host of national awards last week from the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA). The honors were announced at the  “Best of NAMA” awards banquet held in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 20.

The beef checkoff programs, advertisements and events honored at the NAMA event were funded by America’s beef producers and coordinated on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Livestock Producers Association and the New York Beef Industry Council.

“Everyone involved with the Beef Checkoff Program can feel very honored by these awards,” said Al Svajgr, a Cozad, Neb., cattle producer and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “They are a reflection of the dedication and commitment that goes into our mission – which is to champion the beef industry and grow demand for our product.”

Entries must receive a first place or merit award at a regional NAMA competition before they can be considered for a national award. Hundreds of entries are submitted by the top agricultural marketing and communications associations and agencies in the United States and Canada, and judged by a panel of NAMA members. Checkoff-funded programs received a total of six national first place awards:

• “Protecting the U.S. from BSE” was honored as the best public affairs/issues management program, in recognition of the effort to educate and reassure consumers about the safety of beef after a single U.S. case of BSE was discovered in December 2003. (Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)  
• “Reinventing Veal’s Image” received the top honor for overall public relations. This campaign positioned veal as a versatile and consumer-friendly entrée, with celebrity chefs and other culinary experts highlighting the attributes of veal. (Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association) 
• The “BEEFlexible” foodservice advertisements took home the top award in both the trade ads – series and producer-funded advertising campaign categories. This advertising campaign showcased the attributes that newly developed Beef Value Cuts  can bring to the menus of foodservice operators, and thus help them sell more beef. (Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association) 
• The Beefmobile program captured top honors for best producer-funded public relations program to ag audiences. The traveling Beefmobile van reaches out to grassroots producers who contribute to the beef checkoff, and lets them know how their dollars are invested. Beefmobile staff members also provide consumers with information about beef safety and nutrition. (Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Livestock Producers Association)
• “New York’s Burger Bash – Celebrating the Centennial of an American Classic” was honored as the best single-day public relations event. The Burger Bash showcased the 100^th anniversary of the hamburger. (New York Beef Industry Council) 

“BEEFlexible” also captured a merit award in the trade ads – single entry category. In addition, the “Beef. It’s What’s on the Menu” foodservice educational event was selected for a merit award from among the nominees for the best multi-day public relations event.

Svajgr noted that the NAMA awards illustrate not only the quality of work being done by the Beef Checkoff Program, but also the range of activities in which the checkoff is involved.

“Most everyone is familiar with our consumer advertising though the ‘Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner’ campaign, which is a huge success,” Svajgr said. “But the checkoff program is much more far-reaching. I’m pleased to see such broad recognition of the checkoff’s work from the industry experts at NAMA.”