The back to school season is the perfect time for shoppers to introduce a new selection of beef recipes into their weekly meal rotation for the family. Children are being outfitted with their new back to school attire and supplies and mom and dad can take a second glance at the traditional meals prepared in the home and add a little jazz into the mix. The beef checkoff, through its Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI), coordinated the Inaugural 2012 “Back to School with Beef” retail promotion and reminded consumers to include nutrient-dense beef into the diets of their families this fall.
The NEBPI partnered with 106 retail locations, a total of 9 different retail chains, throughout the Northeast to launch the promotion from Sept. 10 through Nov. 2, 2012. Point-of-sale materials displayed in the retail meat case included shelf wobblers and brochures featuring ground beef, middle meats and beef value cut recipes, as well as information about beef’s nutritional benefits in the diet of developing children. Retailers featured the promotion in their weekly ad circulars and on their websites in an effort to encouraged shoppers to enter-to-win the grand prize by visiting www.BacktoSchoolwithBeef.com. This promotion was also extended through radio advertisements in select Northeast metro markets as well as geo-targeted web advertising.
The grand prize of a $250 Staples gift card and $250 grocery gift card was awarded to Nicole Vosburgh of Allentown, Pa., and a shopper at Redner’s Warehouse Markets headquartered in Reading, Pa. Runner-up prizes included a $50 gift card provided by each participating retailer.
Vosburgh was surprised she was chosen as the lucky winner out of over 16,000 entries received for the promotion. She said she heard about the promotion via word of mouth through one of her friends. When she heard about the promotion she shared the information with her mother, also a Redner’s shopper. Vosburgh said they love purchasing ground beef and making their own hamburger patties and grill at least two times each week. She said her 2-year-old son, Tyler, loves spaghetti and meatballs! When asked why she felt including beef was an important into the diet herself and her family, Vosburgh said, “Beef is one of the biggest sources of protein. It is easy to cook with and the variety of beef cuts provides more options for cooking.”
Gary O’Brien, the Vice President of Retail Perishable Operations for Redner’s Warehouse Markets was pleased to have the grand prize winner chosen from one of their stores. He said the customers appreciate the recipe booklets and new meal solutions provided by the promotion. Having the winner chosen from Redner’s certainly impacts their business in general as well as the future of their meat case by simply raising awareness to the beef category. When asked why Redner’s feels promoting beef is important Jeff Lemon, Store Manager of the Quakertown, Pa., location said, “Beef has always been the staple item and driver into the store. There is a lot of variety in the beef case which creates more options for the shopper.”
For more information about checkoff-funded activities, visit
MyBeefCheckoff.com.
Photo Caption: Grand Prize winner of the 2012 “Back to School with Beef” promotion: Back Row, Left to Right: Gary O’Brien; Vice President of Retail Perishable Operations for Redner’s Warehouse Markets, David Kehm; Regional Meat Merchandiser, Jeff Lemon; Quakertown, PA Store Manager, Eric White; Consumer Communications Specialist, Jason Gehret; Quakertown, PA Meat Manager
Front Row, Left to Right: Sherry Allebach, Nicole’s mother, Brianna, Kenan and Brian, Nichole’s three siblings, Nicole Vosburgh; “Back to School with Beef” grand prize winner, and Tyler, Nichole’s 2-year old son.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program
