Checkoff Advertising Campaign to Reappear January 26

A comprehensive demand-building promotion program has been beefed up to increase consumer awareness of the great properties of beef.  Funded through the national Beef Checkoff Program, the promotion includes print, television and radio advertising, and will begin the week of the Super Bowl, Jan. 26.

The program is made possible by cattle producers and their $1-per-head beef checkoff. It is being managed on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

National radio advertising utilizing the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner®” theme, Sam Elliott’s voice and “Rodeo” music by Aaron Copland will begin Jan. 26 and run for one week. 

In addition, a radio promotion with retailer tags will air in the top 30 consumer markets nationwide.  This radio promotion will begin Jan. 26, and provide retailers in local markets the opportunity to tag the ads with their beef promotion.  The 30-market radio promotion invites consumers to win dollars off their beef purchase, as well a chance at round trip tickets to the 2005 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. 

Print ads are already running in national consumer publications, such as Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Southern Living, Bon Appetit, and Men’s Health.  This advertising represents two separate campaigns: one that focuses on nutrition and the other on the passion consumers have for beef.  A total of 40 magazines are included in these campaigns.

Nationwide television advertising will begin Jan. 26 (Super Bowl week), and run for four weeks on network and cable programming to reach an adult target audience.

Like the national radio advertising, the checkoff-funded television advertising capitalizes on the powerful voice of cowboy actor Sam Elliott and the “Rodeo” music.  All ads feature the highly-recognized “Beef. It’s What’s For DinnerÒ” theme.

 “We made some adjustments to the timing of the television spots to assure we were having maximum effectiveness,” says Lisa Hefner, a Seminole, Okla., cattle producer and vice chairman of the Joint Global Consumer Marketing Group.  “There will be no change in the message, reach or frequency of these ads.”

When the campaign ran in 2003, more than 92 percent of the adult target audience were reached by the advertising an average of 13 times for less than a penny a person. 

Hefner notes that research shows consumer confidence in the safety of U.S. beef has remained consistently high, despite the discovery in Washington state of BSE in one cow.  The most recent research placed consumer confidence at 90 percent, compared to 88 percent in September 2003. 

The nutrition ad campaign – the first of its kind – compares the nutritional benefits of lean beef and skinless chicken.  It uses government data to illustrate that lean beef compares favorably to skinless chicken breast in terms of fat, yet provides greater amounts of some essential nutrients, including zinc, iron and protein.

Retailers, Foodservice Operators Reached

Retailers and foodservice operators also are being contacted through the Beef Checkoff Program to reinforce the industry’s commitment to the product and encourage continued support of beef.  Letters to foodservice operators and retail meat managers were inserted into the Jan. 26 editions of both Supermarket Business and Nation’s Restaurant News to assure that these beef marketing channels that consumers remain confident that our beef supply is safe.

“Beef is one of the most heavily regulated and stringently tested of all foods,” the letters state.  “Since the late 1980s, we’ve had tough industry standards and regulations to contain this disease and, because of this dedicated scrutiny, U.S. beef remains the safest in the world.  The recent case is proof that the system works.”

The letters go on to reaffirm the industry’s sense of moral obligation to provide a safe, wholesome product.  Because the industry knows marketers share that obligation, “we wanted to share with you the knowledge that your customers’ enjoyment of and confidence in our product remains steadfast.”  The letters encourages retailers to feature and foodservice operators to menu – and both to promote – beef.

An e-mail to health professionals was also sent to this audience to provide important points about the safety of beef.

“All of these individuals are on the front line with consumers, so it’s important that not only they have information on our product, but encouragement to keep it front and center,” says Hefner, a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.  “Our initial efforts were designed to maintain consumer confidence.  At the same time, we need to assure that those in the marketing channels have information they need about the product.”

On Jan. 7, 2004 the CBB Executive Committee approved activation of $1 million from the national Beef Checkoff Program to pay for additional programming.  In addition, the committee further recommended that the checkoff’s Beef Promotion Operating Committee approve a proposal to fund an additional $320,000 toward this effort.  The Operating Committee has since recommended approval of that additional programming, which now awaits consideration by the full Beef Board and USDA.