DRIVING DEMAND
Consumer confidence increases despite pandemic wreaking havoc worldwide By Utah Beef Council Director of Marketing Jacob Schmidt, RDN
On Jan. 2, 2020 Helen Branswell, science journalist for Stat News tweeted, “Not liking the look of this” regarding the coronavirus outbreak in China. I would bet that most of us had no idea that it was the beginning of a worldwide pandemic. With over 91 million confirmed cases and 1.97 million deaths to date worldwide, there is no questioning its impact. This impact was felt in the world of marketing beef as well. The Beef Checkoff ’s No. 1 goal is to drive beef demand. According to the Checkoff-funded 2020 Consumer Beef Tracker, beef perceptions, beef consumption, and beef sales were up. How was this achieved during a global pandemic? In part, it is because Beef Checkoff contractors and state beef councils were able to look at the new reality, plan alternate courses of action, and promote beef in ways that made sense. We entered a new environment where travel, in-person
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Utah Cattleman Seedstock Edition
gatherings, and restaurant meals were not possible. Local and national marketing plans needed a flexible approach to continue to drive the demand for beef. The Checkoff works by encouraging beef sales and consumption through a variety of efforts, plans and programs. I would like to share some highlights and examples of how local and national activities worked to maintain and grow consumer confidence in beef throughout the 2020 fiscal year.
INNOVATION
• The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) took existing resources and leveraged them to maintain consumer confidence in beef and boost beef consumption. One key tactic executed over the summer was the “United We Steak” campaign, aiming to connect producers and consumers in their shared love of beef. This will be the longest-running and most extensive campaign ever released by Checkofffunded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. The campaign garnered more than 153 million impressions through paid advertising and social media alone. – NCBA • The Utah Beef Council extended the “United We Steak” and beef holiday campaigns locally. In total, consumers in Utah were served “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” ads more than 9.5 million times between the two campaigns. –Utah Beef Council (UBC) • Through social media, the Utah Beef Council reached an additional 870,000 unique consumers with beef recipes and cooking videos, which netted over 18,500 engagements. –UBC • The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Beef Drool Log commercial ran more than 50 times on the Hallmark Channel over the holiday season. –NCBA • The #WienerWednesday campaign on TikTok received more than 27 million views and 3.5 million likes. –National Meat Institute (NAMI) ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 VOLUME 7
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FEBRUARY 2021
