Checkoff-Funded Summer Grilling Campaign a Success for Beef and Dairy Industries

DENVER ( Aug. 11, 2004 ) – For many people, summer and backyard barbecues go hand-in-hand. That’s why America ’s beef producers kicked off the season with an aggressive summer grilling advertising campaign with radio, print and television ads that began in May and extends through Labor Day weekend.

“The beef checkoff's summer grilling promotion should be of particular interest to dairy producers, because the promotion builds on the 100th anniversary of the hamburger, which was born at the St. Louis Fair in 1904,” says Gary Sharp, and Cattlemen’s Beef Board member and dairyman from South Dakota, “Approximately 20 percent of the nation's beef supply comes from dairy beef -- and much of that is used for ground beef or other value added beef products." 

The outreach is made possible by America ’s beef producers and their $1 per head checkoff. It is managed for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

In honor of the birth of the hamburger, value-added radio promotions gave consumers a chance to call in and share their favorite hamburger recipes.The winner in each major market received a trip to Sutter Homes Wines for its annual “Build A Better Burger” contest.

In a retail promotion that also connected the beef and dairy industries, Borden Cheese offered an in-store 55-cent coupon for ground beef with the purchase Borden Cheese singles. The coupon was funded by Borden Cheese.

The summer grilling campaign included national radio advertising that ran prior to two of the three major summer holidays, and print advertising in both Parade Magazine and USA Weekend. This print campaign reached 59 million people and 56 percent of the population. Radio advertising featuring Sam Elliott’s voice and the music of “Rodeo,” as well as the highly recognized “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner®” tagline reached 57 million people.

Coupons for $1 off beef with the purchase of A.1. Steak Sauce or Marinade ran in newspapers with a circulation of more than 42 million in May and June. “Kraft Foods, the makers of A-1, received tremendous positive response from consumers and retailers,” adds Sharp. “The company is already making plans for a similar promotion next year.”

A radio promotional contest reaching more than 40 million adults ran in 45 major markets inviting consumers to recall the headline in newspaper ads. The radio promotion concluded with the selection of a winner in each market the day after the newspaper ad appears. The winners of this promotion received a gas grill and money to purchase beef this summer.