2001 News Archive
Checkoff Pushes Beef for the Holidays
DENVER, Colo. (November 28, 2001) -- State and national organizations that implement checkoff-funded programs are focusing resources on moving beef quickly this holiday season. The efforts are designed to address high supplies of beef in the marketing channel, and increase demand pressure on cattle throughout the supply chain.
According to the National Cattlemen`s Beef Association (NCBA), a primary checkoff contractor to the Cattlemen`s Beef Board, key steps are being taken at both the state and national levels to encourage more movement of beef through both retail and foodservice outlets.
For example, the NCBA sent a letter to the country`s retail meat executives encouraging them to feature beef rib and loin products more often in light of the increased supplies and more competitive prices. Several retailers contacted by NCBA have indicated they will be increasing beef featuring over the holidays.
The organization also initiated a program in November to drive consumers to convenient beef products at supermarkets, working with 17 major retail chains representing 1,200 stores. The program features media and public relations support and targets consumers most likely to purchase these beef products.
NCBA also is distributing holiday press packets that include rib roast recipes to national food editors and writers. A special newspaper food page called "Holiday Dinner - Festive, Fast and Entertaining" and featuring a beef tenderloin recipe, is being distributed nationwide to publications representing a total circulation of more than 9.6 million to date.
The beef industry also joined forces again with Taco BellÒ this holiday season on a promotion for a new Grilled Stuft BurritoÔ in the company`s 6,300 participating stores. A similar six-week promotion during July and August sold more than 28.8 million Grilled Steak Tacos -- equivalent to 2.7 million pounds of steak.
Through checkoff-funded partnerships with manufacturers, extensive consumer promotion for new beef products are being conducted over the holidays. Farmland`s Ground & BrownedÔ and Green Giant Skillet Meal products each had free-standing inserts in newspapers with combined circulation of 57 million. Radio advertising and in-store promotions were also included.
States Also Active
State beef councils coast to coast also have been aggressive in promoting beef to consumers and those who sell it to them. Just a few examples include the Oregon Beef Council, which sent a release to 82 Oregon newspapers encouraging people to have a beef roast for the holidays. The Idaho Beef Council distributed a Holiday roast recipe kit to all daily and weekly newspapers statewide and will be following up with those publications in December.
In November and December, the Kansas Beef Council is working with Farmland to do in-store sampling of Ground and Browned product in 32 Kansas City area Price Chopper stores and seven Super Wal-Mart Stores in the state. A Holiday Roast Promotion by the Wyoming Beef Council, featuring print advertising in the state`s four major newspapers, as well as radio advertising, began immediately after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The South Dakota Beef Industry Council will reach 90 percent of South Dakotans with a television push on all television networks during prime time. Iowans are being exposed to an extensive holiday beef promotion through the Iowa Beef Industry Council that includes sponsorship of a Holiday Food and Gift Expo in Cedar Rapids that showcased two fully cooked beef products and holiday gift ideas.
In Montana, the Montana Beef Council worked with retail partners to package 8,000 prime rib brochures with prime ribs during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The North Dakota Beef Commission placed a 1/2-page full-color newspaper ad Nov. 28 in the state`s four major dailies, and is promoting its beef gift certificates.
The Washington State Beef Commission will distribute more than 110,000 "Create a Holiday Roast Tradition" brochures to retailers for distribution during the month of December. All restaurants and retailers in Nebraska received a copy of an America`s Choice ad with prime rib picture and a "home for the holidays" theme. In Missouri, the Missouri Beef Industry Council is airing beef commercials on 67 Missourinet radio stations to promote convenient beef products.
Many other states also are conducting special holiday promotions. Lynn Cornwell, NCBA president and a beef producer from Glasgow, Mont., said this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is being done at both the state and national levels to move beef. "Everyone is stepping up to the plate to see what they can do to focus retailer, restaurateur and consumer attention on beef right now," he said. "While this is what the checkoff does throughout the year, our immediate attention is even more acutely tuned to the needs of moving beef.
"The fourth quarter is traditionally a high supply and lower demand time, and this year we`re seeing beef supplies higher than they`ve ever been," Cornwell said. "These kinds of state/national efforts to move this supply are key to our checkoff-funded work to address the issues and help give the market a boost."