Tailgate promotions score a touchdown for dairy

Fall is well known for its tailgating festivities at sporting events across the country. While NFL players and college athletes alike capture the spotlight on the field, dairy products are the real MVP of tailgating, according to Jen Schuster, the retail business development manager for Midwest Dairy.

Consumers have a strong interest in the dairy category, with 96 percent of households purchasing cheese. It’s a natural complement to many other game day favorites. Several fan-favorite products and pairings that make dairy an essential part of game days include chips and dip, cheese for hamburgers, wings with ranch dip and cheese and cracker trays.

“To encourage adding these dairy products to the game day grocery list essentials, Midwest Dairy is working with and through our retail partners using in-store signage and videos, shoppable ads, promotions, social media campaigns and inspirational recipes,” Schuster said. “These efforts ensure dairy is present both digitally and in stores, while remaining seasonally relevant to shoppers.”

By listening to consumers and bringing dairy to life at the retail level, Midwest Dairy is increasing usage of dairy for the benefit of dairy farmers. This activation is present at top retailers across Midwest Dairy’s 10-state region, including Hy Vee, Cub Foods, Fareway, Price Chopper, as well as online through Chicory and Instacart.

“Our objective is to grow the entire dairy category and support retail initiatives to increase consumer demand,” Schuster adds. “Checkoff works hard to capitalize on certain times of the year, like tailgating season, to showcase dairy products in exciting ways that connect with consumers and drive incremental sales for our dairy farmers and for our retailers.”

Dairy messaging is front and center in these ads, featuring messages such as Get in the Game with Dairy, Team Up with Dairy, Create the Ultimate Game Day Spread, and Long Live Fall. Campaign messaging capitalizes on the tailgate seasonality, helping retailers stay on top of consumer trends and better understand what drives food purchasing decisions, which ensures relevancy as well as the opportunity to increase demand in sales.

“Through these promotions, our goal is to see dairy in every single cart and in the hands of fans at every tailgate,” Schuster said.

Learn more about activities and programs driving trust and sales of dairy products at MidwestDairy.com.