I Heart Beef
Beef checkoff-funded campaign kicks off in February to remind consumers of their love for beef.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (Jan. 26, 2010) — Despite recent tought times, America still loves beef. “I Heart Beef” is a new light-hearted beef promotion program from 
the beef checkoff that will remind consumers of their love affair with beef and help drive sales in a typically slower time of the year for steak sales, said Michele Peterson-Murray at the 2010 American National CattleWomen’s (ANCW’s) Annual Meeting Jan. 26 San Antonio, Texas.
“We wanted to know what consumers think about beef, how they feel about it and the significance it has in their lives,” said Peterson-Murray, beef promotion and pubic relations for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
Pelegrin Gray was hired to survey a national representative sample of consumers in December 2009 to uncover the depths of America’s love for beef. Some of the findings included:
• Americans associate steak as a “best match” for love (44%), romance (42%) and passion (41%) — more so than any other meat.
• When it comes to Valentine’s Day this year, Americans would rather have a nice meal (61%) than a card (25%), flowers (25%), chocolate (21%) or even a gift (34%). And 62% of Americans professed their love for steak as their No. 1 desired Valentine’s Day meal.
• Forty-three percent of Americans say they’d choose a beef meal to kick off a romantic evening of hot tub time, backrubs and champagne.
• Sixty-two percent of Americans say they’d prepare a steak meal if they were looking for gratitude and appreciation from their dinner partner, compared to preparing chicken (15%), pork (10%) or fish (4%).
• Fifty-three percent of Americans identify filet mignon as the food most associated with candlelight romance, and 50% of Americans think filet mignon is the best way to say, “I love you.”
With the strong confirmation that Americans do love beef, the I Heart Beef program was created with funding from the Beef Checkoff to encourage consumers that February is the perfect time to celebrate their love for beef; leverage the passionate testimonies of consumers to create a groundswell of genuine support for beef; and provide tools to encourage sharing of beef love stories.
“The I Heart Beef program was specifically designed to help strengthen interest in beef middle meats by reminding consumers of their passion for great beef steaks,” Peterson-Murray said, noting that February was selected for launch of the program for several timely reasons. “Typically, middle meat sales are slower after the winter holidays and don’t pick back up until the summer grilling season. At the start of the New Year consumers also tend to increase their focus on dieting and cut back on spending.”
February is also home to National Heart Health Month, Super Bowl celebrations, Valentine’s Day and National Chili Day, all occasions where lean beef can be part of a healthy, great-tasting celebratory meal.
I Heart Beef will drive consumer interest in beef with featured recipes; a media launch; online presence including an e-mail newsletter, FaceBook and Twitter; and outreach efforts to influencers such as registered dieticians.
Peterson-Murray offered the following suggestions as ways cattle industry stakeholders can help promote Beef Lover’s Month and the I Heart Beef program:
• Add the I Heart Beef graphic to your e-mail signature boilerplate.
• Add the I Heart Beef widget to your organization’s web site or your personal blog.
• Post on FaceBook, Twitter or other social media about your love for beef.
• Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper describing your love of beef and how it fits in your life.
• Get in touch with your local hospital or other health centers to encourage registered dieticians to participate in the I Heart Beef recipe contest.
• Initiate a beef chili contest and invite local news anchors to be guest judges and cover the contest.
For more information, visit www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, FaceBook’s “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” fan page, or read posts on the Twitter handles @beeffordinner, @beefrd or @zcooks.
Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270.