Beef & Milk Team Up

Apr 23, 2007 11:50 AM

Summer promotions pair beef, cheese, beer and key lime pie

It’s one of the great partnerships in culinary history — savory grilled hamburgers or steaks and delicious Wisconsin cheese. For dairy producers, who are, of course, also beef producers, two exciting new summertime promotions funded by the beef checkoff and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. (WMMB) will encourage consumers to pair these food favorites.

Father’s Day Favorites and Bold Flavors of Summer are two new marketing drives in the checkoff’s annual retail promotion aimed at building beef demand throughout the peak grilling season, when supplies are historically high. Not surprisingly, summer is one of the hottest sales seasons for beef. In fact, according to FreshLook Marketing data, total beef dollar and pound sales in summer 2006 were up 3 percent and 6 percent, respectively, versus the same period in 2005. Sales of beef grilling cuts accounted for 67 percent of total beef dollar sales during the 2006 checkoff-funded summer grilling campaign.

“These co-promotions are an excellent example of how dairy producers’ investment in the beef checkoff is used to cross-promote both our beef and dairy products,” said Beef Board member Jenny Senn, a dairy producer in Silverstreet, S.C. “It’s truly a win-win situation for dairy producers.”

The Father’s Day Favorites promotion pairs cheeseburgers and key lime pies from Edwards Frozen Pie. The promotion includes a $1 coupon for key lime pie, a free Wisconsin cheese guide and an offer for a grilling cookbook that features recipes with cheese and beef. Special radio promotions will air in June to advertise the campaign, and a full-page special advertisement will appear in newspapers on June 10 that will potentially reach 35.3 million consumers.

The Bold Flavors campaign teams Wisconsin cheese with Samuel Adams beer. The promotion runs in July and August and offers $2 off beef coupons with the purchase of Samuel Adams, as well as in-store merchandising beef recipes, entertaining tips and in-store sampling events. Counter cards in the deli area will suggest Wisconsin cheese as the perfect topping for burgers and steaks.

“Pairing beef and dairy products is a natural fit,” said Bill Drew, vice president of marketing services for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “Consumers like easy ideas that provide a new twist on the standard cheeseburger or steak. WMMB and the Beef Checkoff Program have a strong history of partnering to promote both dairy and beef products, including the previous Cheeseburger Pizza promotion. Through efforts like the Father’s Day Favorites and Bold Flavors of Summer promotions, we’re stimulating new ideas for both beef and dairy products.”

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