It’s a foundation based in farmers’ guidance and support through their checkoff investment that led to these celebratory moments, which includes global acclaim for one of our campaigns.
The foundation began with the checkoff conducting consumer research to understand important factors.
Who is the right audience and how do they prefer to be reached? Are they using traditional news outlets such as television and newspapers or are they getting their information other ways? Who are they listening to and just as important, who are they not listening to? What issues matter to them and what factors drive their food purchase decisions?
Having these insights allows us to use other aspects of our research. Checkoff-led science into understanding dairy’s nutrition benefits and on-farm environmental measures and progress are crucial parts, too. This allows us to speak with confidence when a social media influencer touts innovative ways to use butter. And our environmental research allows a global icon such as MrBeast to speak with assurance when he shares dairy’s commitment to the earth with his millions of followers.
Some research even allows us to enter new spaces, including lesser-known benefits of dairy consumption related to immunity, energy and digestive health. These serve as the cornerstone of Reset Yourself with Dairy, which combines the science with humor to deliver these attributes in a non-salesy way.
The campaign recently earned a best-in-class International Milk Promotions Trophy at the World Dairy Summit 2022. It’s been 11 years since a U.S. organization was recognized this way.
Next Generation Consumers
The checkoff remains focused on connecting with younger audiences, who are having a bigger influence on purchases today, and will impact the industry for decades to come. We have found that many are focused on social causes, such as the environment, more than generations that preceded them.
What makes one of these segments – Generation Z – unique is they have never known life without the internet or a cell phone. They also enjoy gaming and it’s a safe bet many are very familiar with MrBeast. There is arguably no bigger gaming icon, and this is our second time working with him. While he previously did a virtual dairy farm tour to incorporate content into his platform, he saw the real thing in person when he visited a dairy in his home state of North Carolina this year.
A video he produced from that visit generated 3 million views in 24 hours and became the No. 1 video on all of YouTube. There is no other medium that could generate this sort of attention for dairy. And younger consumers trust him when he talks about how well farmers care for their cows and land.
MrBeast is far from our only social media partner. We assembled a “Dairy Dream Team,” which consists of chefs, recipe developers, foodies and others with a combined social media reach of 25 million.
One team member produced a TikTok video on how to make a butter board that exceeded expectations with millions of views. It shows how using the right voice can take dairy to new heights and allow us to get major programs and news outlets such as Good Morning America, Bon Appetit and many others interested in the story.
We’re cracking the code by homing in on the right consumers with the right message and with the right partner. It’s not the traditional method of checkoff advertising done years ago but a change in times demanded a change in strategy. We talk a lot about dairy “showing up differently” and we are. Our work is not only validated, but it’s providing a roadmap for other dairy industry companies and organizations to follow.
It took a talented and dedicated checkoff team supported by farmers and importers to invest in and build the foundation that made this possible. We’re doing our due diligence, and we are making thoughtful strategic decisions that are building trust with consumers and making a difference for the U.S. dairy industry.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit www.USDairy.com or send a request to join our Facebook group. To reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.
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