Summer Grilling Lights A Fire Under Beef Sales
Date: Tuesday, May 06, 2008CONTACT: Melissa Slagle 303-867-6306 mslagle@beefboard.org
Checkoff-funded retail promotions drive consumer grilling purchasing decisions.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – On the heels of its highly successful 2007 summer grilling campaign, the beef checkoff is cooking up new checkoff-funded promotional plans for this summer to encourage customers to fire up their grills for America's favorite protein.
"The 2007 summer grilling season was very successful and we were pleased with the results," says Don Stewart, Cattlemen’s Beef Board member, chair of the beef checkoff’s Joint Retail Committee and importer from Highland Park, Ill. "Together, through co-marketing partnerships, the 2008 campaign will encourage consumers to choose beef in the grocery store meat case for all their grilling needs. We know burgers are popular year-round, but through the beef checkoff summer grilling program, we encourage consumers to give in to their passion for a great-tasting beef experience by purchasing other popular grilling items like steaks."
"The 2007 summer grilling season was very successful and we were pleased with the results," says Don Stewart, Cattlemen’s Beef Board member, chair of the beef checkoff’s Joint Retail Committee and importer from Highland Park, Ill. "Together, through co-marketing partnerships, the 2008 campaign will encourage consumers to choose beef in the grocery store meat case for all their grilling needs. We know burgers are popular year-round, but through the beef checkoff summer grilling program, we encourage consumers to give in to their passion for a great-tasting beef experience by purchasing other popular grilling items like steaks."
During the 2007 summer grilling season, grilling cuts accounted for $5.3 billion in total beef sales and 870 million pounds of grilling cuts were sold. As one might expect, steaks and burgers were the most popular beef items for grilling.
This summer, national beef checkoff-funded radio advertising continues.There will be three, two-week national radio flights leading up to key grilling occasions: Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Also, popular retailer promotions such as the Sutter Home/Build a Better Burger® promotion ($50,000 in prizes) continue this year, while an additional partnership with Kraft A.1.® and Anheuser-Busch kicks off Memorial Day. Also, watch for Kraft A.1. coupons for $1 off beef with a purchase of A.1.
"This year’s marketing efforts consist of a mix of previous successes and exciting new partnerships," adds Stewart, noting that summer occasions are great beef holidays and events. Additional in-store promotions and co-marketing efforts will follow.
As the approaching summer months begin to heat up, so do checkoff-funded grocery store promotion efforts encouraging everyone to be sure to add some sizzle to 2008 grilling with beef.
For more information about the beef checkoff, visit www.beefboard.org.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.