REINFORCED, EXPANDED "BEEF. IT`S WHAT`S FOR DINNER®" RETURNS

DENVER (November 30, 1999) -- An advertising campaign that brought the spirit of the cowboy into American homes returned in 1999, and is now part of a $30 million integrated marketing campaign that positions beef as a convenient, nutritious meal solution for today`s busy mom.

"Beef. It`s What`s For Dinner®" features Copland`s Rodeo music and the voice of famous cowboy actor Sam Elliot.  The campaign reached 86 percent of adults 25-54 nearly four times in just one of its two 3-week bursts with its convenience message in 1999. 

This year the national campaign, funded by America`s beef producers through a $1-per-head checkoff, is incorporating advertising and other marketing strategies to tackle two of the biggest issues facing both consumers and the beef industry -- nutrition and convenience.  Market research shows these issues are top priorities with consumers.

"Beef producers and industry members believe strongly that to do justice to this year`s campaign, we needed to have separate messages addressing the convenience of today`s beef as well as all of its health benefits," says Steve Henshaw, a beef producer from Sturgis, Ky., and chairman of the beef industry`s Advertising Committee.  However, "both messages will originate from, and visibly be part of, the same beef marketing campaign," he says.

To support the advertising, beef checkoff dollars will help all areas of beef`s consumer marketing address convenience and nutrition, including public relations, marketing for restaurants and grocery stores, meal and product development and research.

The national advertising will play an important role in reaching a more targeted audience -- mothers ages 25-54 -- at key times throughout the year, according to Henshaw.  Convenience advertising includes one national television spot and seven customizable local radio spots. "Moms" will see and hear convenience advertising in three bursts.

The first burst was conducted from Oct.11 to Oct. 31.  Two additional bursts will occur in 2000, one Feb. 14 - Mar. 5, the second in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.

"By focusing on the emerging category of heat-and-serve beef entrées, the convenience advertising demonstrates how busy moms can put a great-tasting beef meal on the table in

about 10 minutes," Henshaw says.  Thanks to other checkoff-funded marketing programs, these fully cooked, microwaveable entrées are now available in the fresh meat case of most major retailers. 

During the October burst, the beef industry ran its national TV spot and partnered with leading supermarket chains in 22 major markets.  "These types of partnerships are very exciting," said Henshaw. "With the help of state beef councils, we partnered with grocery store chains and were able to tag radio ads that direct consumers to local retailers in their areas that carry heat-and-serve beef entrées."

National nutrition advertising will launch in January. Print advertising will run in a wide variety of women-focused magazines and will draw Mom`s attention to the bundle of nutrients beef provides - including zinc, iron, protein and several B vitamins. 

"The magnitude of this print campaign will be huge," says Henshaw.  "January is not only a key time for consumer interest in nutrition messages, but we will reach an estimated 93 percent of our target audience an average of nine times throughout the year."

The national ads will run in more than 80 leading parenting, health, cooking and lifestyle magazines, including Parent, Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Cooking Light, Health, People and Redbook.  Leading health professional journals will feature a separate ad that highlights beef`s nutritional benefits to dietitians, family physicians and nurses, obstetricians and gynecologists, physician assistants and other influencers of Mom`s nutritional decisions.

"These ads are expected to reach 73 percent of primary care physicians, 72 percent of OB/Gyns, 28 percent of nurses and 26 percent of physician assistants," Henshaw says.

The industry also is exploring the possibility of creating a TV ad for cable programming later in 2000.  "This is the most comprehensive and targeted campaign we`ve ever conducted," says Henshaw.  "The beef industry is building a case for beef through two extremely powerful messages that speak to the need of our target consumer, mom."

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Advertising programs are funded by the national beef checkoff, which is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (Beef 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.

Under a contract with the Beef Board, this beef checkoff-funded effort is conducted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a trade association of America’s cattle ranchers and farmers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.  NCBA is producer-directed but consumer-focused, with offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C.