Beef enjoyment ad campaign reaches target

By Charlene Schuster, Executive Director Montana Beef Council

A television and print enjoyment campaign, funded by the $1-per-head beef checkoff and designed to fuel consumer passion for beef, is reaching the target audience.

According to recent research conducted by Hall and Partners of Chicago, 63 percent of consumers who saw the ads only liked them, but were more likely to buy more and spend more beef after seeing them. Other findings from Hall and Partners include the following: 72 percent consider beef the best protein when they have seen ads versus 48 percent for those who have not seen them. 87 percent of the target audience is aware of beef advertising.

We've always known that consumers are passionate about beef. These ads have an emotional appeal that has resonated with people more than we ever imagined. The attention-grabbing ads feature such headlines as "No one left a cookout wishing there'd been more macaroni salad," featuring beef kabob, as well as "Why aliens steal our cows," accompanied by photograph of T-bone steaks. The enjoyment advertising campaign began on Jan. 13, 2003. In 2004, enjoyment print ads were seen by consumers in January, joined by television advertisements that kicked off Super Bowl week and ran four weeks through Valentine's Day.

Both print and television ads will return in March and May, and the enjoyment campaign will reach 91 percent of adult consumers ages 25-54 a total of 11 times at less than a penny per exposure. enjoyment print ads will run in 18 consumer magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Southern Living, Car and Driver, Family Circle and Parents. The second checkoff-funded advertising campaign, in which ads address beef's nutritional profile ("only one gram more of saturated in lean beef than a boneless, skinless chicken was launched last summer. Four print ads supporting this message will run in January, March and May of 2004 in 22 magazines next to nutrition-oriented editorial.Cooking Light, Fitness, Men's Health and Runner's World are among the publications selected for the campaign.

In addition, radio commercials supporting enjoyment, nutrition, grilling and the holidays have been developed and are being used by the majority of state beef councils on a local basis to build national television and print campaign.

Beef: Questions & Answers is a joint project between MSU Extension and the Montana Beef Council. This column informs producers about current consumer education, promotion and research projects funded through the $1 per head checkoff. For more information, contact the Montana Beef Council at (406) 442-5111 or at beefcncl@mt.net

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 08/29/2006