Foodservice programs funded by the Beef Checkoff Program have been successful in increasing awareness of the safety and overall quality of beef products and in building demand for new beef products, according to an independent audit of those efforts released at the Cattle Industry Convention in Denver. The report does, however, provide a number of recommendations for improving the programs.

“Our overriding goal is to invest our checkoff dollars into programs that will build demand for beef and, as such, increase producers’ opportunities for profit,” said Beef Board member Stephen Worley, a cattleman from Tennessee and chairman of the industry’s Joint Evaluation Advisory Committee. “These audits are a critical part of the Beef Board’s role in administering the checkoff program. We have to determine if the programs we are putting in place are accomplishing our objectives before we think about continuing them or putting new ones together.”

Overall, the audit notes, “foodservice programs were very successful and met all objectives.” The BEEFlexible foodservice advertising campaign featuring new beef ideas, for example, was funded to create awareness of the quality and versatility of beef, focusing on the new Beef Value Cuts – the Flat Iron, Ranch Cut and Petite Tender steaks, among them – also developed through the beef checkoff.

“The campaign has received high marks from foodservice operators who are looking at new recipe and menu ideas that can be offered to their patrons,” the audit notes. “The campaign was featured in three national foodservice publications and had an objective of creating 9 million impressions. Through both the advertising and the trade PR that was created, including articles, product showcases, and other editorial features, the objective was surpassed with a total of 9,006,701 impressions created.”

Partnerships with leading foodservice chains were a success, as well, resulting in foodservice companies spending close to $25 million compared to the checkoff’s overall investment of $900,000. The results included millions of public-relations impressions, addition of Value Cuts to the chains’ menus, and incremental sales of nearly 5 million pounds of beef for the promotions.

Though the foodservice efforts received a positive overall mark, the report does include a number of recommendations for improvement, including:

• Addition/increase in market research to guide foodservice efforts.

• Completion of a detailed menu analysis to show restaurants why adding more beef to their menus is a good idea. This would include information about the recipes, uses, frequency, preparation and pricing of beef products.

• Devotion of more checkoff dollars to foodservice programs due to the continuous growth of foodservice, now approaching 50 percent of the food dollar.

• Diligence in keeping foodservice-related marketing elements – especially the www.beeffoodservice.org Web site, current with updates and new information toward encouraging return visits.

More information on the Beef Checkoff and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board can be found at their website, www.beefboard.org. ©