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2019 Annual Report

Promotion

In order to position beef as the number one protein, the Promotion program area focuses on broadcasting beef’s unique and core attributes. The program works to showcase the powerhouse nutrients beef provides, remind consumers of the unbeatable pleasure that beef brings to meals and bring attention to the men and women who raise beef for the world.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Reaches One Billion Customers

Over the past year, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. has used social media and digital advertising to tell a multi-faceted story about beef, from its unbeatable taste, variety and nutritional strength to the people and production processes behind it. This year, the “always-on” digital advertising reached more than 1.1 billion consumers. What’s more important is that checkoff-funded research from the Consumer Beef Tracker shows that when people are aware of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand, they are more likely to eat beef more often, and they are also more likely to feel good about beef— directly providing a strong return on investment for beef producers.

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NCBA

Results

The iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand is working. The Beef Checkoff works to connect consumers to beef in interesting and appealing ways, and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. does that. Geared toward consumers, these ads, digital engagements and information position beef in a favorable light so consumers can feel confident enjoying and purchasing it.

Activating an Army of Health Professionals

In 2019, the Beef Checkoff shifted an important influencer audience – once believed to be a barrier to processed beef – into an army of advocates for prepared beef. NAMI proactively sponsored multiple rounds of television talk-show segments—totaling almost 30 segments in markets across the country—highlighting Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). Each RDN used approved messages to provide information about the nutritional benefits and great taste of prepared beef products, as well as permission to enjoy them. They also showed viewers creative and delicious ways to savor these products, including creating their own Beefshi recipes. Similarly, NAMI worked directly with 20 of the top nutrition bloggers in the country to develop original content, including recipe ideas and beautiful photos, using these same messages.

first coast living talkshow
NAMI

Results

Consumers are health conscious, and gaining the positive input from RDNs and nutrition bloggers is a huge win for prepared beef products. The news segments reached over five million viewers with new recipes and health benefits of prepared beef.

ChuckKnowsBeef.com Gets a New Look

The Beef Checkoff first introduced Chuck Knows Beef, the all-knowing virtual beef assistant, in FY19. To help increase engagement and time spent with Chuck, the website was updated so users can easily navigate the platform and find inspiration or tips for their next beef meal. This new user experience does not change previous functions audiences have come to love or the brand’s overall personality, but instead offers users an easier way of navigating and finding beefy information through their desktop and mobile interactions. Note, users are still able ask direct questions through Amazon Alexa or Google Home if they already know exactly what they’re looking for.

NCBA

Results

In FY19, Chuck Knows Beef reached millions of consumers. This platform is a major step toward engaging toward engaging with millennials who use voice-activated technology regularly. The Beef Checkoff recognizes the need to adapt toward consumer preferences and new ways to share information. Chuck helps beef reach these individuals in a fun and interesting way.

Veal Grabs National Exposure

The Beef Checkoff funded a veal-promotions program that received national exposure through a partnership with Family Features, a print and digital syndication network. Positive veal stories were written and included delicious and nutritious veal recipes.

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NAMI

Results

By gaining national exposure for veal, the Beef Checkoff was able to exceed reach and engagement projections, achieving more than 302,000,000 impressions for veal and the checkoff in total. These big consumer-promotion efforts are bringing beef and veal products to consumers’ attention—the first-step in helping drive demand for beef.

Veal Distributor Salse Incentive Contest

Funded by the Beef Checkoff, the veal-promotions program partnered with a packer/processor and a national foodservice distributor to create a sales-incentive contest. The contest was designed to educate the distributor’s sales force and restaurants about the positive attributes of veal and drive veal sales and demand.

NAMI

Results

The program reached key influencers with positive messaging about veal and resulted in a nearly 26 percent increase in tonnage at the 3,500 participating restaurants. The Beef Checkoff engages in these activities to draw attention to beef products in an exciting way, enticing foodservice and consumers to see beef in a different light.

Transforming Negative Positioning of Processed Beef

In 2019, the Beef Checkoff conducted primary research with 2,000 American consumers—including more than 1,000 millennials—to identify perceptions of and barriers to processed beef consumption. The results of this research showed that the beef industry needs to approach this food category differently. Results confirmed the terms “prepared” and “processed” may be synonyms in the dictionary and food industry, but Americans don’t perceive them that way. To consumers, ‘prepared’ sounds healthier. By every measure, consumers see prepared meats in a more favorable light than processed meats. NAMI presented this research and proposed new positioning to more than 50 diverse retailers in July 2019. Those retailers found the new positioning so intriguing that they invited NAMI to present it again to the Food Marketing Institute’s Fresh Executive Committee in January 2020. This new approach has the potential to revolutionize the marketing and merchandising of processed meats.

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NAMI

Results

By understanding the ways consumers categorize beef when making purchasing decisions, the Beef Checkoff is better equipped to promote beef products in ways that are more appealing to consumers, driving demand for beef at every turn.

Contractors Key

  • AFBFA

    American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

  • CBB

    Cattlemen's Beef Board

  • FMPRE

    Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education

  • KSU*

    Kansas State University

  • MICA

    Meat Import Council of America

  • NAMI

    North American Meat Institute

  • NCBA

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

  • NEBPI*

    Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative

  • NLPA

    National Livestock Producers Association

  • NIAA*

    National Institute for Animal Agriculture

  • USCA

    United States Cattlemen’s Association

  • USMEF*

    United States Meat Export Federation

*Subcontractor
Figures presented within this report are based on data compiled by individual contractors. Unless indicated otherwise, results are based on October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019 data.