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Frequently Asked Questions

While reading The Drive or seeing Beef Checkoff posts on social media, some producers may ask themselves the question: Why does the Beef Checkoff use funding to communicate with producers, especially when we already support beef?

It’s a fair question. The answer? A small portion of Beef Checkoff dollars is dedicated each year to the Producer Communications program. For every head of cattle sold, the Checkoff collects $1 as an investment to drive beef demand through promotion, research and education. And as they would expect from any investment, producers of all operational sizes and industry sectors and importers deserve to be informed about how their dollars are working for them.

What Is Producer Communications?

Producer Communications is a series of platforms and projects that allows the Cattlemen’s Beef Board to share Beef Checkoff program results, updates and opportunities with the people who make it possible — beef farmers and ranchers. That includes The Drive printed newsletter and e-newsletter, The Drive in Five video series, social media, website, in-person events and connecting with national, regional and local industry news publications and websites.

These efforts help the Beef Checkoff be as transparent and accessible as possible about Beef Checkoff funds and the programs in which they’re invested.

In the FY2025 budget, only 4.3 percent of national Beef Checkoff dollars are dedicated to the Producer Communications program. To see a full breakdown of Beef Checkoff funding allocations, click here.

Why it Matters

“I hear the questions that my fellow producers have about the Beef Checkoff and how their dollars are being spent,” said Steve Springer, Wisconsin producer and CBB member. “I get it, you wouldn’t put money in a stock or mutual fund without expecting regular updates on your investment’s performance.”

The Producer Communications program not only shares information — it also serves as a vital feedback loop for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) to better understand producer concerns, interests and educational needs. Throughout the year, local and national surveys are conducted to gauge producer sentiment, gain insight into their operations, and identify the challenges they face. This feedback helps guide the direction of future Beef Checkoff programs, inform funding decisions, and shape content for newsletters and social media. In addition, the CBB regularly engages with agricultural organizations and state beef councils through meetings and discussions to gather input and strengthen relationships across the industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you looking for Beef Checkoff financial information? Program highlights? Research results? Key studies? It’s all available in the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Beef Checkoff 2024 Impact Report.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board Annual Report and the Annual Evaluation of Beef Checkoff Programs Report were combined to streamline processes and provide members and stakeholders with a single, comprehensive document.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board puts full consideration into providing producers and industry stakeholders with the resources and information they need to feel confident in the effective, efficient and correct use of their Beef Checkoff dollars.

These programs are only a small snapshot of all Checkoff- funded programs, campaigns and initiatives accomplished in fiscal year 2024. Thank you to producers for supporting, investing in and guiding the Beef Checkoff program!

From primetime sports broadcasts to national news features, here are a few recent Beef Checkoff success stories accomplished with beef farmers’ and ranchers’ Checkoff investments.

LIVE SPORTS ADVERTISING

Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. leveraged Connected TV (CTV) to reach 78 million U.S. consumers watching live sports, placing ads across major networks like ESPN, NBC Sunday Night Football, Peacock and the NFL Network. These placements reached nearly 3 million viewers, resulting in 2.8 million complete video views. The Summer Games broadcast on NBC and Peacock contributed an additional 300K video views from live sports fans who watched Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. baseball-and mountain-biking-themed commercials.

QUICK FACT: CONNECTED TV AND TRADITIONAL BROADCAST TV – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Some producers remember when Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ran commercials on national, traditional broadcast TV, and they ask, “Why don’t I see those beef ads on television anymore?”

The quick answer is, yes, beef is still very much on TV, only in a different way. “Connected TV” is a platform where content is streamed over the internet, and shows are available through services like Hulu, Peacock, YouTube, Netflix and Paramount — while broadcast TV is delivered through over-the-air scheduled programming on designated channels. Connected TV services make it possible to target commercials to precise, defined consumer audiences. On broadcast TV, targeting capabilities are limited.

Because farmers and ranchers already know and love beef, the Beef Checkoff acts to be efficient stewards of the Checkoff dollar and use it where it counts. That’s why it’s typically only the urban consumer audience who may see beef commercials – so they can discover beef’s strong attributes and make the decision to put it in their shopping carts.

“CHEF’S NIGHT IN” VIDEO SERIES

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. launched “Chef’s Night In,” a video series offering a glimpse into chefs’ personal lives. Through this storytelling approach, audiences were brought into chefs’ homes as they prepared and enjoyed their favorite beef dishes with friends and family, offering a relatable, human touch to their stories. The campaign reached 3.6 million views across the web, social media, YouTube and chefs’ channels.

IMMERSIVE BEEF EXPERIENCE

From more than 300 applications, a cohort of 25 urban and suburban high school science teachers, administrators and curriculum directors were selected to join virtual learning sessions and a four-day immersive experience in Kentucky. This program connected educators with cattle producers and industry experts, equipping them with insights into beef production and methods for integrating these concepts into Next Generation Science Standards and their classroom curriculum. This national event fostered lasting partnerships and helped educators address misconceptions about production, animal welfare and sustainability.

LEAN BEEF E-COMMERCE CAMPAIGN

To promote beef as part of a healthful diet during American Heart Month, an e-commerce campaign was launched with a national club store. Nutrition-themed beef ads appeared on retailer sites, mobile apps and popular platforms like Weather.com and The Today Show online. The campaign generated $31 in beef sales for every $1 invested, resulting in $11.2 million in incremental sales. Additionally, 26% of ad-exposed buyers were new customers, highlighting the power of e-commerce in driving beef purchases.

INNOVATION AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT OVERSEAS

Sam’s Club has a strong presence in China’s retail market and plays a key role in U.S. beef sales. China’s Sam’s Club efforts generated $11.2 billion in sales, with 47% from online and 65% from U.S. chilled beef. To boost U.S. beef recognition, a promotional partnership was launched, including training for 121 employees at 11 stores and a trip to Korea by Sam’s Chinese purchasing team. The training enhanced cutting skills and reduced monthly meat loss by 0.1%, while the Korea trip offered valuable insights into the U.S. beef industry. This effort helped drive a 3% increase in Sam’s import volume of U.S. chilled beef to China.

FARMER, RANCHER AND VETERINARIAN ENGAGEMENT WITH CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) LEADERS

An interdisciplinary group of 18 agricultural leaders from organizations such as the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, National Pork Board and the American Veterinary Medical Association visited CDC campuses to engage with key officials. They presented topics affecting animal agriculture to the entire team in the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. This engagement strengthened collaboration, particularly by training CDC scientists on better communication with agricultural leaders and CDC audiences, and addressing misconceptions, such as the unfounded link between confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and disease outbreaks.

IMPROVING ADOLESCENT HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION

To educate on the benefits of beef in a healthy lifestyle, 50 nutrition scientists, physicians, dietitians and public health experts convened to discuss the critical role of nutrition for adolescents (ages 9–19). The event identified research gaps and opportunities to improve diet quality and nutrient adequacy for teens and tweens, with participants emphasizing the need for evidence-based dietary guidance to support adolescent health and wellbeing.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board & Beef Checkoff 2024 Impact Report is now available. This report combines the Cattlemen’s Beef Board Annual Report and the Beef Checkoff Evaluation Report to streamline processes and provide members and stakeholders with a single, comprehensive document. See how the Beef Checkoff utilized your producer dollars to support and strengthen the entire beef industry through research, promotion and education. See the report.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) will invest approximately $38.5 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing, and producer communications during fiscal 2023, subject to USDA approval.

In action at the end of its September 7-8 meeting in Denver, Colorado, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved Checkoff funding for a total of 13 “Authorization Requests” – or grant proposals – for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023. The committee, which includes 10 producers from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils, also recommended full Cattlemen’s Beef Board approval of a budget amendment to reflect the split of funding between budget categories affected by their decisions.

Nine contractors and three subcontractors brought 14 Authorization Requests worth $48 million to the BPOC this week, nearly $9.5 million more than the funds available from the CBB budget.

“Producers are behind all the decisions that the BPOC makes during these meetings each September,” said CBB and BPOC Chair Norman Voyles, Jr. “We carefully consider every Authorization Request to determine how to use Checkoff dollars to drive beef demand and provide producers with the best possible return on their Checkoff investments.”

“As we expected, the proposals we reviewed this week were remarkably innovative, containing many thought-provoking ideas and concepts. Our challenge is balancing the budget while also distributing our limited amount of Checkoff dollars in a manner that we believe will best drive beef demand. I’d like to thank all our contractors and committee members for their hard work and careful consideration as we all work together to advance the entire beef industry.”

In the end, the BPOC approved proposals from 9 national beef organizations for funding through the FY23 Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget, as follows:

  • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture – $900,000
  • Cattlemen’s Beef Board – $1,850,000
  • Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education – $450,000
  • Meat Import Council of America / Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative – $550,000
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – $25,720,000
  • National Institute for Animal Agriculture – $70,000
  • North American Meat Institute – $360,000
  • United States Cattlemen’s Association – $450,000
  • United States Meat Export Federation – $8,200,000

Broken out by budget component – as outlined by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 – the FY23 Plan of Work for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board budget includes:

  • $9,400,000 for promotion programs, including beef and veal campaigns focusing on beef’s nutritional value, eating experience, convenience, and production.
  • $9,000,000 for research programs focusing on pre- and post-harvest beef safety, scientific affairs, nutrition, sustainability, product quality, culinary technical expertise, and consumer perceptions.
  • $7,470,000 for consumer information programs, including Northeast influencer outreach and public relations initiatives; national consumer public relations, including nutrition-influencer relations and work with primary- and secondary-school curriculum directors nationwide to get accurate information about the beef industry into classrooms of today’s youth. Additional initiatives include outreach and engagement with food, culinary, nutrition and health thought leaders; media and public relations efforts; and supply chain engagement.
  • $2,630,000 for industry information programs, including dissemination of accurate information about the beef industry to counter misinformation from anti-beef groups and others, as well as funding for Checkoff participation in the annual national industrywide symposium about antibiotic use. Additional efforts in this program area include beef advocacy training and issues/crisis management and response.
  • $8,200,000 for foreign marketing and education, focusing on 13 regions, representing more than 90 countries around the world.
  • $1,850,000 for producer communications, which includes investor outreach using national communications and direct communications to producers and importers about Checkoff results. Elements of this program include ongoing producer listening and analysis; industry collaboration and outreach; and continued development of a publishing strategy and platform and a state beef council content hub.

The full fiscal 2023 Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget is approximately $42.7 million. Separate from the Authorization Requests, other expenses funded include $270,000 for program evaluation; $585,000 for program development; $200,000 for Checkoff communications resources; $550,000 for USDA oversight; $210,000 for state services; $270,000 supporting services and litigation; and $2.1 million for CBB administration. The fiscal 2023 program budget represents a decrease of slightly less than 1% percent, or $350,800, from the $38.9 million FY22 budget.

For more information about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, contact the Cattlemen’s Beef Board at 303-220-9890 or visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.

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