ANCW Beef Promotion

Committee session highlights four ways cattlewomen are getting the word out to consumers.

by Kasey Miller, associate editor

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2013) — Members of the American National CattleWomen Inc. (ANCW) are not reinventing the wheel when it comes to beef promotion, but they are gathering materials and using them in new ways to get the word out to consumers. Four methods were explained at the ANCW Beef Promotion Breakout session Feb. 5, preceding the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Tampa, Fla.

 

The first method of promotion is the National Beef Cook-off®, which is a beef program funded by the Beef Checkoff and led by the ANCW to serve as a platform to support the beef industry with healthy beef messaging, said Sherry Hill. The cook-off is in its 30th season and garnered two additional sponsors this year. These partnerships help with funding and messaging, which can help reach new members and participants.

 

This year’s contest categories include belt-tightening recipes; semi-homemade recipes; real-worldly, real simple beef and potato recipes; and craveable fresh beef and fresh California avocado recipes. Entries are being accepted until April 30.

 

National Beef Speakers Bureau (NBSB) members answer the questions that consumers have about beef and how its nutrition can affect their family long-term, explained Sarah Bohnenkamp, ANCW executive director. These speakers leverage their credibility and the influence of the CattleWomen to connect with mealtime decision-makers. They seek first to understand and then tell their story, which allows for customizable presentations. They keep their facts simple, so the messages stay with consumers.

 

Research indicates they are effective. In consumer polls, 28.5% of respondents say the positives of beef production outweigh the negatives. After hearing from an NBSB speaker, 63% agree that the positives outweigh the negatives, Bohnenkamp shared. The NBSB increased its reach by 88.5% from last year, and is hoping to continue that trend.

 

Toolkits serve to “bring the wheel in front of you,” said Bohnenkamp. These are online educational materials that lay out the resources and step-by-step instruction of events to promote beef. Current toolkits include Beef for Father’s Day, which has had 35 downloads; Beef Story FFA career development event (CDE), with 64 downloads; Beef 5K Races, 19 downloads; and Among Friends (likened to a Tupperware party, but with beef), with 45 downloads. More will be available soon. Toolkits can be accessed at www.ancw.org under the Programs heading. These are accessible to the public, so teachers can also use these resources on their own.

 

Twitter parties are a new resource, and two have successfully promoted beef. Using the hashtags #iheartbeef for the first party and #hearthealthybeef for the second, Bohnenkamp said that more than 6 million impressions were gained from less than 2 hours of each party. Key messages included beef nutrition, beef choices and cooking with beef.

 

Jasmine Dillon and Victoria Pilger explained Texas A&M University’s Farmers Fight movement. More information about that can be found at http://api-virtuallibrary.com/News_coverage/documents/2013ILC/FarmersFight.htm or on page 286 the March 2013 Angus Journal.