Bedford, PA – The Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI), a subcontractor to the Beef Checkoff, will be leveraging and further solidifying the multiple advantages of beef through strategic partnerships with athletics, both collegiate and high school. This will allow for positive beef messaging and content to reach athletes and fans, alike. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year partnerships with Seton Hall and UConn Athletics will allow the Beef Checkoff to reach consumers within two key metropolitan centers within the region, New York City and Hartford. Within the high school athletics realm, partnerships have been forged with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA). During the 2023-2024 athletic season, beef will be recognized as the Preferred Protein with the Seton Hall Pirates, the UConn Huskies and at all PIAA State Championship events.
Aligning with athletics has proven to be a successful avenue to reach athletes, fans, coaching staff, etc. with positive beef messaging and content to improve the overall image of beef and the beef industry with the goal of increasing demand for beef. According to a recent Trust in Advertising Study, conducted by Neilsen, consumers view brand sponsorships in sporting events as very trustworthy, in fact 81% of consumers either completely trust or somewhat trust branded sponsorships in sporting events. According to the recent study, only recommendations from people (89% of consumers either completely trust or somewhat trust) and branded websites (84% of consumers either completely trust or somewhat trust) rank higher in consumer trust1.
Aligning beef and athletics through brand partnerships provides the Checkoff with the opportunity to have multiple touchpoints with the fan base throughout the year, think of it as an always-on, surround sound approach. For example, partnership components run throughout the athletic season, however certainly elements may be grouped around a flagship sport, i.e. Men’s Basketball. This approach provides the Checkoff will a greater return on investment compared to a one-off event (i.e. sponsorship of an event that is in a key metropolitan center for one weekend). Having various touchpoints with consumers throughout the athletic season keeps beef top of mind and only furthers the trust and confidence people will have surrounding beef.
“We are incredibly excited for the opportunity to expand the athletic partnerships beef is involved in within the Northeast region,” said Kaitlyn Swope, Director of Consumer Affairs for NEBPI. “We know that the opportunity to reach student athletes, coaches and fans with positive beef messaging is great. This provides the Beef Checkoff with the opportunity to ensure that fans are choosing beef as their preferred protein while making purchasing decisions, which in turn drives demand for beef within the Northeast region.”
Stay connected with the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative Facebook and Instagram pages to catch up on how the Northeast region is actively seeking to promote beef.
For more information, visit NortheastBeef.org or DrivingDemandforBeef.com
Source: 1https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/sports-sponsorships-are-raising-more-than-just-brand-awareness/
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 may 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.
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