YOUR DAIRY PROMOTION AT WORK
Keeping Dairy Top of Mind with Consumers BY AMERICAN DAIRY ASSOCIATION OF INDIANA AND UNITED DAIRY INDUSTRY OF MICHIGAN
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alfway through 2020 and our world continues to be challenged by COVID-19. While all industries have been affected, agriculture has been thrust into the limelight with the dramatic toll the pandemic has taken on farmers, supply chains and retail. Your checkoff staff has continued to work with food banks to meet their growing needs and ensure available dairy foods make it into the hands of those who need it most. Reallocating funds to create online resources for partners, food service and retail has also been a priority to keep dairy relevant in these quickly changing times. Please know, your dairy checkoff staff at United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) and American Dairy Association Indiana (ADAI) continue to work hard on your behalf and alongside you during this pandemic. Our last update included the work our teams have done during the pandemic, and this update will dive deeper into some of those programs.
Retail In times of uncertainty, people turn to the bedrock items that they know will nourish themselves and their families, and dairy proved to be an important choice. From March 8 to March 22, as stay-at-home orders and business closures proliferated nationwide, dairy products flew from store shelves. Milk sales were 43% higher than the same period a year earlier. Yogurt rose 3%. Ice cream sales gained 40% and cheese 76%. Butter sales more than doubled during the same period.
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Gains have continued into the “new normal,” and take up more of consumer retail dollars than during the panic peak. Retail dairy sales from late March through May 17 remain 25% higher than a year ago, while overall grocery sales during that same period are only up 14% — meaning that at a time when people are relying more on grocers to fill their needs, they’re relying on dairy significantly more than they are on other products.
Virtual Connections As communication moved online, we wanted to make sure the experiential learning that makes such a difference in our audiences also made the transition. UDIM jumped to Instagram Live to connect with student athletes who were struggling with the abrupt cancellation of their sport. Allison Mankowski, sports dietitian for Eastern Michigan University, spoke to the students on nutrition strategies to use while they were at home. Chef Raphael from Rocket Fuel Nutrition made his favorite dairy-friendly recipes students could easily make themselves. Allison Schmitt talked with the students on mental health, sharing that she too struggles and that is okay to not be okay. We met with coaches via Zoom, sharing how nutrition is important for sports performance. Richard Browder, Food Service Director for Brighton School District, showed coaches how to work with school food service so students can maximize school meals to help with sports performance. He also shared some best practices, which included ordering
chocolate milk! Allison Schmitt also shared signals coaches can look for in student athletes to recognize depression. ADAI continues to develop ways to communicate online, where many consumers are spending even more of their time. To celebrate National Dairy Month, ADAI teamed up with local influencers “Indy with Kids” to visit a different dairy farm each Friday morning in June through Facebook Live. Their 50,000 followers get to see unique features of dairy farms across the state live with a farmer, and each episode concludes with an educational dairy craft or healthy activity. Dairy farmers also helped families pass the time and keep learning by reading their favorite story books live on Facebook. In both states, we tapped into our past success hosting virtual farm tours for classrooms. During COVID-19, we opened up the tours to everyone through Facebook Live events and increased communication with consumers online. In Indiana, our previously scheduled private tour for registered schools was converted to a Facebook Live event to allow parents to tune in with their children. Over 13,000 viewers have watched the tour to date, which garnered hundreds of live questions. Our Dairy Distance Learning campaign through social media continues to share resources with families at home, including Mooovie Monday videos, #DidYouKnow Tuesday facts, Breakbreak Wednesday activities, Clever Thursday crafts, and Foodie Friday recipes to follow along with throughout the week.
