Big Cities, Big Beef Promotion

Major metropolitan areas like New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. in the Northeast are home to 72 million residents. With so many consumers in one region, the Beef Checkoff actively promotes beef in these cities along the I-95 corridor.

Checkoff-funded promotion to grow consumer trust in beef is executed through the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI), a subcontractor to the Beef Checkoff. NEBPI extends nationally developed Beef Checkoff messaging in the country’s heavily populated Northeast region, where there are only three active State Beef Councils and only 3.8 percent of all Beef Checkoff dollars are collected.

This gap between limited Checkoff dollar resources and a growing population of consumers in the Northeast created a clear opportunity to channel nationally collected Checkoff dollars into this region. NEBPI began in 2004 when representatives from various State Beef Councils and industry organizations in the Northeast region discussed the opportunity to initiate a program specifically for that purpose. In the fall of 2005, an authorization request to fund and initiate the NEBPI program was presented and approved by the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. Sixteen years later, NEBPI has seven State Beef Council funding partners – Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, Kentucky, South Dakota, Montana and Delaware – helping to promote beef in the northeast.

Here’s how NEBPI reaches consumers:

• Channel Influencer Outreach – NEBPI strives to be the go-to resource for all things beef on the menu and in the meat case for Northeast retail and foodservice partners. NEBPI builds relationships with culinary schools, retail professionals and e-commerce companies.
• Consumer Outreach – NEBPI connects Northeast consumers with Checkoff messaging to remind them of beef’s flavor profile, convenience and nutrient-density, as well as the trustworthiness of U.S. cattlemen and women. This area’s key program is reaching and engaging with Northeast metropolitan consumers at in-person events and through digital campaigns.
• Nutrition Influencer Outreach – NEBPI shares nutrition science with health professionals and educators to build confidence in beef. Key programs include building relationships with health professionals, hosting qualified speakers to communicate science principles and coordinating immersion events to promote beef nutrition messages.
• These objectives execute specific initiatives that promote beef in the Northeast. Here are just a few of NEBPI’s recent and upcoming efforts:
• American Culinary Federation ChefsForum Webinar Series – On May 6, NEBPI will connect and engage with foodservice professionals through the ACF ChefsForum. These professionals will learn about the latest consumer market research. Attendees’ knowledge and perception of beef will also be measured.
• Extending Beef in the Early Years to Northeast Consumers – To ensure the latest nutrition information reached Northeast consumers, the NEBPI teamed up with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. to extend a YouTube video advertising campaign centered around Beef in the Early Years within the region. The campaign garnered nearly 700,000 video views of positive beef messages.
• Bringing the Beef Lifecycle to Northeast Consumers – The Northeast Jr. Beef Ambassadors are showcasing the beef lifecycle through a series of virtual farm tours that will be leveraged to Northeast consumers on April 22, Earth Day, through the latest consumer workshop.
• Beef Highlighted at Health and Fitness Expo – The latest information about beef’s nutritional benefits, beef recipes, an interactive cooking demonstration and more were shared during the 2021 NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo on March 19-20.
• Reaching Maryland Physicians with Beef Nutritional Touchpoints – Through the use of virtual platforms, NEBPI engaged with Maryland Family Physicians during their winter meeting on February 27. NEBPI staff made meaningful connections, shared beef research and sent recipes and nutrition education materials for physicians and their patients.
• Beef Teams Up with Culinary Chefs – NEBPI is partnering with the Culinary Nutrition Studio to support RDs and healthcare professionals learning to bridge the nutrition education gap. Partnerships with popular chefs helps change the conversation about discussing dietary protocols with clients.
• AgriNutrition Webinar Series – Northeast nutrition communicators engaged with the Beef Checkoff through a three-part webinar series this fall with Marianne Smith Edge, MD, RDN, who provided understanding on sustainable food systems and consumer insights during the pandemic. The sessions had more than 280 views and NEBPI continues to see the positive feedback from the learnings.