Promotion
19%
Although the format and delivery methods have changed over the years, consumer advertising
is still a key component of the Beef Checkoff Program. Based on the preferences for the current
target market of consumers, that advertising was all digital in fiscal 2015. And the results were
unequivocally positive.
Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner!
Digital checkoff advertising drove more than 2.2 million site visitors to BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com in
fiscal 2015, a 29-percent increase over FY14. The advertising generated 994,000 recipe-page views on the
site, up 60 percent year-on-year, and consumers overwhelmingly found the information on the checkoff’s
flagship website to be ‘useful’ and ‘relevant.’ According to Hall & Partners’ campaign-effectiveness online
tracker, satisfaction with BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com is very high (94 percent), and all tested landing
pages influenced visitors to try new recipes (88 percent), new cuts of beef (74 percent) and new cooking/
preparation methods for beef (80 percent).
The website also demonstrated its ability to affect consumer perceptions about beef, including beef being a
food that: is a great source of protein (92 percent); can be purchased and prepared in a variety of ways (97
percent); and is an ideal balance of good taste and good nutrition (90 percent versus 76 percent in FY14).
Growing Facebook Presence
Fueled by the digital-advertising program in 2015, consumers continued to flock to the checkoff’s main
Facebook page, with followers reaching nearly 1 million people looking for recipes, tips and nutrition
information, and a host of other materials to help them feel confident with buying, preparing and eating
beef more often! Among the most popular posts with inspiring beef recipes are Beef Stir-Fry with Couscous
and Beef, Pepper and Mushroom Kabobs – with more than 14,000 ‘likes’ and hundreds of ‘shares’ for these
two recipes alone.
Keeping Veal in the Mix
Veal promotion is an important element of the checkoff’s campaign, with a couple of key promotions leading
the way in 2015. The Veal Summer Grilling Promotion featured partnerships with the Mushroom Council
(checkoff) and U.S. Women’s Soccer. Jointly, the beef and mushroom checkoffs developed a new recipe for
the promotion — “Muenster Stuffed Veal and Mushroom Burger” — and distributed 343,500 on-pack recipe
labels to more than 2,000 grocery stores. Nearly 20 retail chains participated, promoting the new recipe and
YouTube recipe video. More than 165,000 consumers entered the associated Summer Grilling Sweepstakes
between June 19 and Sept. 4.
An accompanying veal-soccer Facebook sweepstakes drew 11,434 views and made 149,962 consumer
impressions, plus more than 672,000 television impressions on Fox channels in the Philadelphia and
Washington, D.C. markets. Meanwhile, the Mushroom Council distributed e-newsletters to 3,536 consumers,
produced four veal-recipe Instagram videos a