Plans in place for 2003 summer grilling program

by Charlene Schuster, Executive Director, Montana Beef Council

An aggressive campaign to move more beef during summer 2003 will be conducted through the beef check-offs Summer Grilling promotion. The intent of the promotion to increase demand for all cuts of beef, including undervalued cuts from the chuck and round, is to convince grill users to grill beef more often. The majority of growth in beef grilling sales happens during non-holiday periods, when sales sometimes slip due to lack of feature support.

The integrated retail marketing program in Montana includes radio advertising, in-store merchandising and strong public relations activities. It will be conducted on behalf of the Cattlemen's Beef Board by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Montana Beef Council. Extensive manufacturer and retailer tie-ins will significantly expand the campaign.

The 2003 campaign will include partnerships with several beef manufacturers, as well as companies like A1 Steak Sauce (c), Kingsford Charcoal and Gallo Winery.

State beef councils will again play a major role in both the rollout of the campaign and expansion of messages within their own states.

Targets for the national and state messages will be adults ages 25-54 who love beef and who are grilling enthusiasts. It will involve a national focus with broader reach, blanketing the entire country throughout the summer.

It is expected that more than 110 million coupons will be distributed through free-standing inserts in newspapers, and more than 22 million through in-store efforts. The coupon support completely funded by partner participation will drive consumers to purchase more beef. Manufacturing partners are investing more than $2 million in the campaign. Retailers will also significantly in the program. In Montana, 125 retail stores have signed up to participate. Stores must agree to run three additional beef features throughout the summer in exchange for signage and materials to distribute to consumers. 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

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 Beef

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