Moo'n In June
Promotions available to help retailers leverage National Dairy Month.
Grocers gearing up for National Dairy Month need look no further than their local, regional and national dairy industry groups for a host of programs designed to boost sales and promote the healthful profile of milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy foods.
From coast to coast, dairy processors and their trade organizations are poised to work closely with their retailer partners on how to get shoppers revved up for June's month-long celebration.
"While we promote California milk and dairy all year long, June is especially important to us because Dairy Month gives us such a rich opportunity to talk about the diversity of dairy," says Jennifer Giambroni, director of communications for the South San Francisco, Calif.-based California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB).
The group's in-store promotions will include cross-couponing with California sour cream and Padrinos Tortilla Chips on the West Coast, cottage cheese and Pepperidge Farm bread on the East Coast, and milk and ice cream with Stella D'Oro/Archway cookies, Entenmann's cakes and Joy cones.
Reaching out directly to retailers, CMAB will feature its "Street of California Cheese" at Dairy-Deli-Bake in New Orleans (see Show Planner on page 56) where Golden State processors will be sampling cheeses, yogurts, butter and other dairy products, as well as offering pairing ideas for dairy and deli managers to increase sales.
CMAB is also reaching out to food writers and mom bloggers with its "30 Days of California Dairy" calendar of recipes and tips that could send more folks into their local supermarkets in search of California dairy products. The group also has a "30 Days" logo its retail partners can use for their Dairy Month activities.
Likewise, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has created an interactive calendar with ideas for retail promotions during June, such as Wine & Cheese Day and Ice Cream Weekend, along with others targeting nearly every dairy food product. The Madison, Wis.-based group also plans an online and social media campaign, including a "Dairy Days of Summer" website with an interactive farm map that directs consumers to dairy farm breakfast events.
Meanwhile, by the time June arrives, a new campaign to help retailers boost breakfast and chocolate milk sales should have gained significant momentum.
With data showing breakfast at home is an $8.9 billion growth opportunity, and with 51 percent of daily milk consumption occurring during the morning hours, the Milk Processor Education Program's (MilkPEP) multifaceted "Breakfast at Home" campaign provides retailers with a long-term strategy to own this meal-at-home occasion and build customer loyalty.
Washington, D.C.-based MilkPEP offers retailers an online clearing-house (www.gotmilksales.org) of free, ready-to-use resources to tap into the messaging and tools throughout the year, including national TV and print advertising, and a PR campaign (including traditional and social media) featuring Salma Hayek promoting the importance of breakfast for both the general and Hispanic markets; free digital content for retailers to use for their websites, POS and circulars; a dedicated website (www.thebreakfastproject.com) where consumers can find and share information about milk and breakfast; and in-store advertising via News America installation of Shelftalks in 13,000 grocery stores nationwide.
Further, MilkPEP has launched its National Refuel With Chocolate Milk Campaign to build awareness among adult athletes of the role low-fat chocolate milk can play in recovering from a tough workout.
To help retailers capitalize on this new usage occasion, MilkPEP is offering retailers an incentive program. Running through June 30, the promotion allows retailers to tap into the $3.3 billion sports-drink industry and take advantage of the momentum behind chocolate milk as a recovery drink.
"June is especially important to us because Dairy Month gives us such a rich opportunity to talk about the diversity of dairy."
—Jennifer Giambroni, CMAB